James Garland ’29 selected for Hertog Humanities Fellowship

James Garland ’29, a mathematics-economics major at Furman University, is among 45 students selected for the Fall 2026 Humanities at Hertog Fellowship. Chosen from a pool of 150 applicants representing 99 institutions, Garland is participating in Liberal Education in America, a discussion-based seminar exploring the purpose and value of education. 

The seminar is one of three offered by the Hertog Foundation this fall, each bringing together 15 fellows to examine influential works of literature, philosophy and political thought. 

For Garland, the opportunity builds on an interest in the humanities that began in high school, when reading classic works sparked his curiosity about the ideas that shape modern society. 

His interest deepened at Furman through the Humanities 101 and 102 sequence, where Margaret Oakes, professor of English and chair of the Humanities Interdisciplinary Minor, encouraged students to approach challenging texts with curiosity and purpose. 

“Dr. Oakes was incredibly influential in the course by encouraging high standards to read inquisitively and write with a purpose,” Garland said. 

After participating in an online reading seminar with The Catherine Project over the summer, Garland was eager to continue the kind of rigorous discussion he had experienced during his first year at Furman. 

Through the Hertog seminar, Garland has explored the relationship between a liberal arts education, which emphasizes broad knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual exploration, and a more practical education focused on career preparation and specialized skills. Readings from Plato and Aristotle to modern debates about higher education have challenged him to consider the purpose of learning. 

Those discussions have also challenged Garland to reconsider his own approach to learning, including how students choose their courses and balance personal interests with a broader education. 

“The readings and discussion forced me to question whether I should have the choice of what classes to take,” he said. 

As he continues the fellowship, Garland hopes to deepen his understanding of how education should be shaped and what it means to pursue a liberal arts education.