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The Arthur and Mary (Seiradakis) Platsis Endowment for the Greek Legacy was given to the University of Michigan by George Platsis to honor the memory of his parents.The Arthur and Mary (Seiradakis) Platsis Endowment for the Greek Legacy was first announced at the official opening of Hellenic Cultural Month in October of 2001.
Arthur and Mary (Seiradakis) Platsis, immigrants from the island of Crete in Greece, exemplified the finest traditions of modern Hellenism, including hard work, service to their adopted homeland, and a commitment to education. Arthur Platsis demonstrated his devotion to the United States by proudly volunteering for military service with the 32nd Michigan Infantry in World War I. Upon his return, he served as head chef at the American Legion Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan that cared for veterans who suffered the effects of poison gas attacks. Like many immigrants, Arthur Platsis labored to support not only himself but also family members in
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Greece. He helped accumulate dowries for his four sisters. Mary (Seiradakis) Platsis also demonstrated her desire for serving others through volunteering for the Red Cross, founding the Battle Creek Friends of Greece during World War II that shipped clothes to her wartorn homeland and providing relief to the orphanages of Kandanos and Sougia, the village of her grandfather, from 1945-1947, under the United Nations Relief and Reconstruction Act.
It is in the spirit exemplified by these two individuals that their son, George Platsis, created the Arthur and Mary (Seiradakis) Platsis Endowment. Funds from this endowment serve two main purposes: an annual symposium and student prizes for original work relating to the Greek Legacy. Mr. Platsis expressed his aspirations for the Platsis Endowment thus: "Our hope is that the symposia and prize contestants will successfully explore the beauty and significance of the Greek tradition and its relevance to contemporary life and learning."
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Platsis Symposia and Papers
Symposia explore the values and virtues associated with the Greek classic tradition, such as the pursuit of excellence, moderation, self-knowledge, rationalism, curiosity, democracy, freedom, individual responsibility and personal responsibility to the community.
2009 Honor and Shame: The 8th Annual Platsis Symposium, 9/13/2009
Honor and Shame: Honour and Shame, lecture by Douglas Cairns (PDF)
Honor and Shame: Toward a Poetics of Presonhood: Beyond Honor and Shame,
lecture by Jill Dubisch (PDF)
2008 Uncovering Greek Science with Modern Technology: The 7th Annual Platsis Symposium, 9/28/2008
Uncovering Greek Science with Modern Technology: Antikythera Mechanism Decording an Ancient
Greek Mystery, lecture by Tony Freeth (PDF)
2007 Iconoclasm: The War on Images: The 6th Annual Platsis Symposium, 9/23/2007
Iconoclasm: The War on Images, response by John Haldon-Professor of Byzantine History, Princeton University (PDF)
Iconoclasm: The War on Images, response by Charles Barber-Art Historian, Notre Dame (PDF)
2006 Citizen Socrates: The 5th Annual Platsis Symposium, 9/29/2006
Citizen Socrates: The Philosopher Citizen, lecture by Gerasimos Santas (PDF)
Citizen Socrates, response by Sara Ahbel-Rappe (PDF)
Citizen Socrates: Socrates and Political Courage, lecture by Paul Woodruff (PDF)
Citizen Socrates, response by Evans Young (PDF)
2005 Happiness/Eudaimonia: The 4th Annual Platsis Symposium, 9/25/2005
Happiness/Eudaimonia: Aristotle and the Variety of Happiness, lecture by Stephen White (PDF)
Happiness/Eudaimonia: The Birth of Ultimate Desire, The Invention of Happiness and the Beginning of a Great Pursuit, lecture by Darrin McMahon (PDF)
Happiness/Eudaimonia: Two Senses of Eudaimonia,lecture by Daniel Robinson (PDF)
2004 Crete: The 3rd Annual Platsis Symposium, 10/3/2004
Crete: The Island of Crete: Stepping Stone between East and West During Antiquity, lecture by L. Vance Watrous (PDF)
Crete: Crete in between Still in the Middle of a Wine-Dark Sea, lecture by Louis Ruprecht (PDF)
Crete: The Art and Culture of Medieval Crete: Between Venice and Byzantium, lecture by Maria Georgopoulou
This link will take you to a website where we have posted Prof. Georgopoulou's lecture with her permission.
2003 Ethics: The 2nd Annual Platsis Symposium, 9/21/03
Bioethics: Ancient and Modern Science, Society and Stem Cells, lecture by David A. Prentice (PDF)
2002 War and Democracy: The Inaugural Platsis Symposium, 9/22/02
Democratic Culture, Knowledge Exchange, and Military Capacity, lecture by Josiah Ober (PDF)
