ASECS at 50: Interview with Theodore E.D. Braun
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Even if you have never met Theodore E.D. Braun, Emeritus Professor of French at the University of Delaware, you have certainly noticed him at a meeting of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS). Affectionately nicknamed the "Duke of Orange," Dr. Braun's signature outfit of a neon orange blazer and matching Oxford shirt, trousers, and socks and shoes sets him apart in the sea of earth tone skirts, suits, and sweaters of the other attendees. Beyond his iconoclastic dress, Dr. Braun also stands out as a stalwart participant of ASECS, having assisted at the founding of the organization. In the ensuing years, his advocacy was instrumental in the establishment of several of the organization's associated and affiliate societies, including the International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, the Society for Eighteenth-Century French Studies, and the Ibero-American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies.
As if the development of these societies were not enough to solidify his legacy in eighteenth-century studies, Dr. Braun has had a career that most of us can only dream of. He has published thirteen books (including a science-fiction novel), eighty or so articles, over seventy books reviews, and he has shared his work all over the world, racking up more professional presentations than can be enumerated. He is a Knight in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, a designation bestowed by the French Ministry of Education for his contribution to the field of French Studies, a corresponding member of the Académie de Montauban, and an honorary citizen of the Ville de Montauban. It is not a stretch to say that Theodore Braun is a giant in the field of eighteenth-century studies, both at home and abroad. [End Page 3]
In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of ASECS and as a retrospective on his career, I conducted an interview with Dr. Braun in late 2018 and early 2019. What emerged from these discussions were reminiscences of the early years of ASECS (this interview focuses on its first decade), a meditation on his remarkable career, and advice for emerging scholars in the field.
The first ASECS meeting occurred in 1970 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. What are your recollections or takeaways from that first meeting and the founding and early years of ASECS?
For me, the principal takeaway from the meeting was the debate over the wording and the adoption of the ASECS Constitution. The program begins with the following:
The Society, founded in 1969, has for its purpose the encouragement and advancement of the cultural history of the eighteenth century. It seeks to do so, particularly, by fostering interdisciplinary awareness and cooperation between scholars in different fields who are engaged in the study of special aspects of the century. The membership (which in the first two months of organization has reached nearly 500, and will undoubtedly greatly increase) includes scholars in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian literature and language; in Continental, British, and North and South American history; in philosophy, political science, the history of science and medicine, and general intellectual history; in musicology, drama, and art history and criticism; in bibliography and librarianship. The Society is affiliated to the International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (Société internationale d'étude du dixhuitième siècle), founded in 1967, to which the Société française d'étude du dix-huitième siècle is also affiliated.
This is a breathtaking, an astonishing first paragraph. Beyond the constitution, the founders were all nominated and elected to office. There was a marvelous concert offered by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, which was then at the height of its glory, and I enjoyed a visit to the Cleveland Art Museum.
With such a breadth of disciplines and regions involved, the association seems to have been quite multidisciplinary from the beginning. Did the speakers at those first meetings (the second was held at the University of Maryland in 1971) share this interdisciplinary spirit?
It appears that the 1970 meeting speakers were hand-chosen by the...
