Robert Gaudino

Who was Robert Gaudino?

Robert L. Gaudino was a professor of political science at Williams College from 1955 to 1974. He was "arguably the greatest Williams College educator of the 20th century." Gaudino's dissertation at the University of Chicago focused on the issue of academic freedom. Gaudino was

A popular teacher beloved by students for his engaging, personal enthusiasm that extended far beyond the confines of the classroom --- the oft repeated maxim goes, "he did not have students but disciples" --- he held very strict ideas about classroom decorum, addressing his students by their last names, insisting that they come to class on time and that they be prepared to be called upon at any time to enter into a Socratic-style dialogue related to the day's reading.

Gaudino served in the US Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946. He wrote The Indian University.

Gaudino argued that Williams should "actively promote a range of experiences that have the creative potential to unsettle and disturb" as part of a program of "uncomfortable learning" based on the "unsettling experience." In The Uncomfortable Learning: Some Americans in India, Gaudino described the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers in India: