From the President

Dear fellow Phi Betes, 

In my August message, I reflected on the Smithsonian controversy and asked when the removal of historical materials constitutes erasure and when it represents responsible recontextualization. That question returned to me with new urgency during a recent visit to The Brick in Los Angeles, where artist Kara Walker reconfigured a bronze statue of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, created by artist Charles Keck and dedicated in 1921 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Walker’s Unmanned Drone transforms a traditional monument into a reflection on how societies celebrate, remember, and reinterpret their past.

This exhibit prompted me to think deeply about how institutions, museums, and archives decide what remains visible, what is altered, and what recedes from view. Archivists and curators face difficult ethical choices: what should be preserved, and how should it be presented for future generations? Whose stories and perspectives have been overlooked, and how might they be included more fully in the historical record? 

These questions go to the heart of Phi Beta Kappa’s purpose. PBK exists to champion the pursuit of knowledge and the free exchange of ideas. At a time when funding for the liberal arts is increasingly uncertain, it is more important than ever that we keep conversation open, even when viewpoints differ. 

What stories are we preserving, and which ones have we yet to tell? 

May we continue to think critically, listen generously, and speak with intellectual courage.

Our shared commitment to open inquiry keeps the humanities alive. 

Warmly,
Melissa Xanthe Stevens
President Lapsed memberships will expire on December 31, 2025 (except Auto Renewals). 

You can check your membership here: https://pbknca.com/Directory 

We hope you will renew - go to the https://pbknca.com/Join/Renew

or mail to: PBKNCA, c/o Larry Davenport, VP Membership, 1501 Adeline Ave, Redlands, CA 92374

Upcoming Events

Currently, the Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association suggests masking for indoor activities.

Note: The price stated for events is for current PBKNCA members and their guests; elapsed or non-members will pay a surcharge. Full event information, and means of credit card payment, are available on our website https://pbknca.com/Events/.

If you won’t be able to make an event, contact O’Neil Dillon at oneilsdillon@gmail.com ASAP, or if it is the day of the event call him at 510-207-8761, as there may be others on the waiting list who will then be able to take your place.

No-shows do NOT receive a ref­­­und! Cancellations probably do.

Sign up for events at https://pbknca.com/Events/ To register for an event if you don’t have Internet access,

please contact O’Neil Dillon, cell 510-207-8761.

Hurry, register for the San Francisco Mission Murals

November 30, 2025, 10:00 am

Murals first appeared in the Mission in the 1970s and soon became central to the area’s identity.  Over the decades artists have used the walls of the Mission, its buildings and even entire alleyways to give voice to matters of social and political importance to the neighborhood. You’ll start in beautiful Precita Park and be moved by the stories that inspired the murals, then finish in Balmy Alley where you will see a display of powerful works expressing feelings about immigration, war, gentrification, as well as healing and the celebration of women. This is an unforgettable walk, both visually dazzling and emotionally impactful. 

  When:  November 30th @ 10 am

  Where: Meet in front of Charlies Deli Cafe, 3202 Folsom St at Precita

  Cost: $30 members and their guests (part of which goes to scholarships), $35 others

  Length of tour - one mile, at the slow pace of about 1.5-2 hours. 

Info and registration https:/pbknca.com/event-6374886

Uprooted: The Mass Incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II, Jan 17, 2026, 10 AM  

We will gather for a docent led tour of this newly rebuilt and reopened exhibit focusing on the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. The exhibit explores how they responded to their forced removal and incarceration, ranging from quiet endurance to heroic valor to conscientious resistance. The exhibit also highlights Japanese Americans’ ongoing efforts to ensure no other groups experience similar civil rights violations. 

Interactive displays and unique artifacts donated by incarceration survivors supplement visitor favorites from the previous installation including a video introduction by George Takei and a replica barracks and guard tower. Features added in 2023 include a theater experience and an interactive display that allows visitors to hold virtual conversations with three survivors by using AI to match visitor questions with answers drawn from a bank of responses recorded in their own words.

When: Saturday Jan. 17, 2026 at 10 a.m.

Location: California History Museum

1020 O Street, Sacramento

https://californiamuseum.org/visit/visitor-information/ 

Cost: $20 for members; $25 non-members

Parking: On-street parking is available in metered on street spaces during the Museum’s regular business hours Tuesday through Sunday. On weekdays and Saturdays, parking is also available in the hourly garage located at 1500 10th Street across the street from the Museum (now accepts credit card in addition to cash).

 Group size: 20
PBKNCA rep: Jim Richardson

39th Annual Asilomar Conference Feb. 13–16, 2026. Save the weekend!

Register now for 2026 at pbknca.com/event-6076572, 

We now have the speakers lined up! See more information about them and their talks at  pbknca.com/event-6076572. You can register there as well, or use coupon on page 8.  For more information, click the links, or contact Deirdre Frontczak, (707) 546-4238, dfrontczak@scu.edu.

“Education is the most powerful weapon we have to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

A new year, is–thankfully – a time for new beginnings.  So, as we mark the 250^th anniversary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, this is a good time to recall our mission as a fellowship of learners, dedicated to the love of wisdom as the guide of life.  As our Secretary Fred Lawrence reminds us, “The energy that gathers on campuses across the country is more than seasonal – it is a reaffirmation of the value of academic community.” This is the energy that animates our gatherings, renews our spirits, and brings us together in a spirit of discovery and exploration.

In keeping with that spirit, please join Phi Betes and friends from across California for our 39^th annual gathering at the Asilomar Conference Center, Presidents Day Weekend, Feb. 13-16, (which this year includes Valentine’s Day!).  Come relax with friends in a historic state park and coastal retreat. Come recharge your batteries on the lovely Monterey coast. Come and venture onto horizons you’ve perhaps not considered before. We are planning a full weekend of learning, inspiration and fellowship; come to renew old friendships and make new ones, walk on the beach or on the trails, or just enjoy the glorious state park.  This weekend is designed around you – if you’re new to Asilomar, come find out for yourself.

If you have questions on this year’s program, outlined below, please contact dfrontczak@scu.edu. For registration or logistics, please contact Barry Haskell at bghaskell@comcast.net. Registration is $150, which goes toward scholarships for our graduate students. Costs will be similar to last year, about $683 per person, double occupancy, and includes all nine meals and parking. All registered participants will receive a link to reserve their Asilomar accommodations, including meals; please check your email. (Remember, to be part of the PBKNCA package, do not reserve directly with the facility.) 

A sneak peek at what’s planned for 2026:

Friday evening - Seeta Chaganti, 2023 Teaching Excellence Awardee, Professor of Medieval Literature, UC Davis 
Carceral Angels: Medieval Sheriffs and Modern Police Abolition 

In recent months and years, modern policing has raised urgent questions for western societies:  Who do police represent, and where does their power come from?  What traditions have shaped these structures, and do they fit our current realities? Do we understand the historical roots of our assumptions about “law and order”? And are our policing practices consistent with the values that a democratic society seeks to uphold?  Reminding us of the medieval origins of our “carceral angels”, Prof. Chaganti challenges us to reconsider our views of, and support for, modern policing action today.

Saturday morning - Thomas P.  Lyon, Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan 
 Rebuilding Institutional Trust through Corporate Political Responsibility 

There is a global crisis of trust in institutions, with only 36% believing the next generation will be better off. Over 60% have issues with business, government, and the wealthy. Business can help rebuild that trust, since many (still) view it as competent and ethical – but it will take work. Prof. Lyon’s talk will discuss corporate political responsibility, and its role as one possible solution to a seemingly intractable societal problem.

Saturday afternoon - Christine Kurtz, Master Beekeeper
Bees, Bees, Bees! Would you like to learn more about our most important pollinators and their problems?

A long time Sonoma County resident, Christine Kurtz is a master beekeeper with 20 plus years of beekeeping experience under her belt. She is a believer in regenerative and treatment-free all-natural hive management and strongly supports locally adapted bee colonies. She patiently educates local beekeepers and encourages them to share their knowledge and their bees. 

Saturday evening - Giovanni Peri, Professor of Economics, UC Davis 
Immigrants’ and Refugees’ economic success and contribution to the US economy 

Dispelling myths that they displace US workers and depend on welfare, 25 years of research show that immigrants and refugees in the US quickly achieve strong economic integration and success, and that their inflow contributes to the employment and economic growth of local US economies as well as to entrepreneurship, innovation and growth of its companies. They bring different skills, increase demand and dynamism and in the recent year, the US economy, including its workers, would have benefitted from more immigration, rather than less. 

Sunday morning  - Francisco Jimenez, Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages and Literature, Santa Clara University 
Living and Writing a Migrant’s Life

Our images of immigrants are often colored by those we see on the news.  In this talk, Professor Jimenez shares a personal narrative rooted in his experiences growing up in a family of migrant workers, and how those formative years have shaped his writing. The talk will explore the intersections of farm labor, migration, identity, and storytelling, reflecting on the challenges and resilience that marked his upbringing—experiences that echo in the lives of many migrant families today. To bring these stories to life, he will share childhood photographs from that period, and screen The Unbroken Sky, a 24-minute dramatic film adapted from his own memoirs.

Sunday afternoon - Mohan Gurunathan, Food systems / sustainability (Stealth Startup; MIT)
The Earth on our Plate: Why Changing our Diet Is Essential to Saving our Planet 

The impact of agriculture on our planet far exceeds that of any other human activity. Yet, most of us rarely give it a second thought when we sit down to eat.  In this presentation, we’ll explore the surprising connections between our daily food choices and some of the world’s most pressing issues: climate change, deforestation, species extinction, water scarcity, pollution, world hunger, human health, and many other serious environmental and social issues. You’ll learn how simple dietary changes—adopted on a societal scale—can help solve many of humanity’s greatest challenges and play a critical role in preserving our planet for future generations. 

Sunday evening  - Susanna Faas-Bush, Ph.D. Candidate and 2025 Scholarship awardee (Hardardt award). Classical Archaeology, UC Berkeley
Reconstructing Everyday Life in Pompeii: The Mysteries of the Boscoreale Treasure

On April 13th of 1895, a worker on private excavations just outside of Pompeii reported something dazzling - a buried hoard of over 100 coins, golden jewelry and silver dining ware found at an otherwise modest Roman villa/vineyard. The drama of this find, and its subsequent sale to the Louvre, would far overshadow the rest of the villa’s excavation. This rich archaeological material has never been fully explored; moreover, Susanna Faas-Bush has discovered more than 300 additional pieces from the collection, stored separately in Pompeii but forgotten for decades – a discovery, she states, that “has never gotten the attention it deserves.” 

Monday morning - Jim Richardson B.A., M. Div., PBK: UCLA 1975, California History / Politics 
The Remarkable Life and Legacy of Willie Brown 

Born in racially segregated Texas in 1934, Willie Brown rose to become the Speaker of the California State Assembly in the 1980s and ’90s — and arguably the most powerful African American politician in the country at the time. With a flair for clothes and controversy, Brown was certainly among the most entertaining political figures of our age. Brown went on to serve two terms as mayor of San Francisco. 

View the full program or sign up at pbknca.com/event-6076572 

Asian Art Museum "Great Works" Tour

March 2026. Date, time, and details TBD

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco – Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture, houses one of the most comprehensive Asian art collections in the world. There are more than 18,000 works of art in its permanent collection, some as much as 6,000 years old. 

 Enjoy a private docent-led tour through the newly reopened 3rd floor galleries to discover the Asian’s rich collection in a new display. The Asian’s collection showcases diverse and intriguing cultures as well as sacred and secular art.  

 The “Great Works” tour is the perfect introduction to the Asian Art Museum’s collection and a superb way to experience the collection over and over again in the future. This tour is crafted to focus (in depth) on a relatively small number of artistic masterpieces, which exemplify their particular aspect of Asian art. 

 Visit the museum’s other exhibits on your own afterward, and enjoy a lunch in the museum restaurant. Special exhibits are available for an additional $10 at the time of the visit www.asianart.org/

University of California Botanic Garden in Peak Western Hemisphere Bloom. April 2026. Date, time, and details TBD

Nestled at the top of Strawberry Canyon, the 34-acre UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley contains the largest collection in North America of wild-collected plants from nearly every continent, with an emphasis on species from Mediterranean climates.

Here you’ll see an incredibly biodiverse landscape containing more than 10,000 kinds of plants, including many rare and endangered species. A priceless resource for research, conservation, education, and enjoyment—the Garden offers something new to see and learn with every visit.