This October, the Upper School welcomed Andrew Delbanco as GFA’s second-ever Visiting Reader, a program that brings distinguished scholars and writers to campus to engage students in close reading, conversation, and reflection. Delbanco, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University and president of the Teagle Foundation, spent the day meeting and speaking with students about the enduring power of language, history, and ideas.
The day began with an Upper School assembly where members of the 9th and 10th grade recited Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and “Second Inaugural Address”—a fitting prelude to Delbanco’s reflections on their meaning and continued relevance. In his remarks, Delbanco reflected on Lincoln’s approach to leadership, his careful use of language, and the enduring work of defining what democracy means in each generation. He encouraged students to consider how studying history and literature can deepen understanding, promote critical thinking, and support thoughtful engagement with complex ideas.
Throughout the day, Delbanco joined smaller Upper School classes for discussions on literary analysis and historical interpretation. From examining primary sources to unpacking the moral dilemmas in Herman Melville’s “Bartleby,” students engaged with Delbanco in thoughtful conversations about how literature and scholarship shape the way we see the world and ourselves.
His visit offered a reminder that close reading is not only an academic exercise but also a way of engaging deeply with questions of purpose, justice, and hope—ideas that remain as vital today as they were in Lincoln’s time.