Colleges and universities have drifted a long way from a traditional liberal arts curriculum--the interdependence of political freedom, a market economy, and the moral principles that sustain a free society. "Race, ethnicity, and gender have replaced Aristotle, Shakespeare, and Dante as the core curriculum at many of Americas colleges and universities," says William E. Simon, a leading philanthropist and former Secretary of Treasury.

The Templeton Honor Roll Awards for Education in a Free Society is a program designed to recognize the best colleges and universities, departments and special programs, scholarly books, textbooks, and professors. Endowed by Sir John Templeton, an international investor and philanthropist, and chaired by Simon, 126 scholars and institutions were cited for Honor Roll Awards in May 1997, including Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman for the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Gertrude Himmelfarb, author of The DeMoralization of Society, for the Outstanding Contemporary Book Award.

In the struggle to restore American higher education to health, it is hoped that the book "will become a college guide that will send parents and students to the best possible institutions," said Simon, chairman of the selection panel. "Second, we believe that parents, students, alumni, and donors ­ once they have accurate and reliable information ­ will vote with their checkbooks for the education that prepares young people for lives as productive and educated citizens."

The Judeo-Christian Tradition on which Americas democratic institutions and free enterprise system are built "undergirded the wisdom of the Founding Fathers [and] have bequeathed to us a legacy of freedom," writes Simon in the books foreword. "In turn, the American system of ordered liberty gave rise to an explosion of creativity and prosperity unprecedented in the history of the world. At the heart of these Honor Rolls is the conviction that new generations of students need a thorough grounding in the western tradition if we are to preserve our freedom and strive for social progress." The Templeton Honor Rolls, which lists the 1997 awardees, may be ordered from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Send $3.95 to ISI, P.O. Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431 or call 1-800-526-7022 or e-mail templeton@isi.org.