Arthur Lerner Humanities Scholarship

It is a great honor for me to welcome you to the world of the late Dr. Arthur Lerner.

Dr. Lerner was not only my colleague; he was also my mentor.  Through the years of our friendship we deeply connected intellectually and emotionally.  He seemed always eager to challenge my thoughts and my writings, and never ceased to praise me and encourage me to set and stride to reach my goals.  I always felt an urge of seeking his advice and his usual positive and constructive comments, because  that allowed me to contemplate issues and texts with a much fresher and clearer outlook.  I truly thank him for the things he taught me and try to emulate the unique characteristics he possessed, as he was my role model.

What originally attracted me to Dr. Lerner was his inner peaceful harmony, his genuine concern for others and his profound respect of people as persons.  It seemed that his main purpose in life was to establish a good rapport with anyone around him.  Not only was he admired and respected by his colleagues and students at L.A.C.C., but also by his staff and his patients at the hospital where he practiced his therapy.

In the invisible realm, he soothed, guided people in distress and often changed their lives.  His charismatic disposition predisposed him to carry out his help to others through a revolutionary method that he created and called "poetry therapy."  Dr. Lerner was an amazing therapist with phenomenal healing capacity.

Furthermore, he embodied the concept of the "Renaissance Man" as he earned two doctorates and his writings and learning never ceased.  He obviously was the best candidate to teach the Humanities 9 class, "Great Men, Great Eras", for he was himself a great man who believed that learning is an on-going process.

Thanks to Dr. Lerner's thoughtfulness and generosity, we have the pleasure today to spread his philosophy and to extend help to our student body.  The L.A.C.C. Foreign Language and Humanities Department is proud to be the entity that will promote such an important scholar and active member of our institution and society.