Former ND prof and ‘world’s happiest philosopher’ Tom Morris to present annual Quinn lecture

Sometimes described as the “world’s happiest philosopher,” author and former University of Notre Dame professor Tom V. Morris will serve as guest speaker for the Thomas H. Quinn Lecture Series hosted by the Mendoza College of Business. Morris’ talk will take place from 3-5 p.m. EST, November 18, in Mendoza’s Jordan Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. The topic of the lecture is from Morris’ newest book, “Plato’s Lemonade Stand,” which he describes as about “challenge and change, difficulty and delight.” He has authored more than 30 books, including “True Success, If Aristotle Ran General Motors,” “Philosophy for Dummies” and “If Harry Potter Ran General Electric.”

Morris, a professor of philosophy at Notre Dame from 1981 to 1996, received the Thomas P. Madden Teaching Award and was the first Notre Dame faculty member to be honored as Indiana Professor of the Year by the Counsel for the Advancement and Support of Education. He has delivered more than 1,200 public talks on philosophical topics aimed at revolutionizing business practices across the world. The North Carolina native is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar. Morris was the recipient of a double Ph.D. from Yale University. His work has been covered by television networks such as ABC, NBC and CNN, and in most major newspapers and magazines including The New York Times and The Economist. The Thomas H. Quinn Lecture Series is an annual event hosted by the Mendoza College of Business to honor the Notre Dame alumnus and former member and chair of Mendoza’s Business Advisory Council. Quinn earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Notre Dame in 1969 and earned a football monogram as a member of the 1966 national championship team. Quinn was a managing partner and member of the investment committee and management committee of private investment firm The Jordan Company as well as the president and chief operating officer of Chicago-based Jordan Industries Inc. Quinn died April 29, 2016, at the age of 68. The Quinn Lecture is sponsored by Notre Dame alumnus and trustee John W. “Jay” Jordan II, Quinn’s college roommate, longtime friend and business partner. For more information about the Quinn Lecture featuring Dr. Tom Morris, please contact Jean Meade, projects manager, at 574-631-3277 or Jean.Meade@nd.edu, or visit the Mendoza website.