Salutatorian is a classic example
Jennifer Greenstein
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Christopher Bradley
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And the department loved him right back.
Andrew Feldherr, the departmental representative in classics and himself the Latin salutatorian in 1985, noted that the word most often used by classics faculty to describe Bradley is brilliant. "It is not the mere strength of his intellect that impresses. In perpetually questioning the works he reads and demanding that they matter, Chris in the very best way challenges and inspires students and teachers alike."
Bradley's unconventional thesis topic explored how words of praise were used in classical and late antiquity. The thesis makes forays into archaic and Hellenistic Greek poetry while examining the vocabulary of flattery and propaganda.
Since arriving at Princeton, Bradley has won numerous grants, including one from the classics department to study classical Greek at the City University of New York Greek Institute, a Ferris grant for an internship in publishing from the Princeton Humanities Council, a German department grant for study at the Goethe Institut, and the Harland Prize for summer study at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
He also was a prizewinner in Latin and Greek sight translation in the competition sponsored by the New York Classical Club. Finally, he was a recipient of the President's Award for Academic Achievement for his sophomore year. As a high school student at Trinity Christian Academy in Carrollton, Texas, Bradley was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities grant for summer research and writing on Dante's "Commedia."
In his spare time -- if you can believe he has any -- Bradley has played the French horn in the University Orchestra, co-founded and played with a rock band, designed and led a volunteer work project in inner-city Philadelphia, participated in the Princeton Undergraduate Society of Fellows and been involved in campus religious life. He especially enjoyed his musical pursuits, he said, because "we do so much analytical thinking here, it's nice to do something that isn't analytical."
Bradley heads to Oxford University next year to pursue a
master's degree in medieval English literature. He's
thinking of keeping up with his extracurricular activities
while at Oxford by finding a venue where he can play country
music. "I'm from Texas, so it would be an anomaly," he said.
"People would flock from miles around to see a real
Texan."
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June 4, 2001 Contents Commencement
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