Liberal Arts Education Advocate & Scholar; Executive Director at Chang Chavkin Center; Author of "Rescuing Socrates"

New York, NY, USA
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000 Virtual Event: Please Contact More Fee Info

Roosevelt Montás Biography

Roosevelt Montás is an advocate for liberal education in the United States, recognized for his work in higher education and the humanities. Montás emigrated from the Dominican Republic to Queens, New York, at age 12 and first encountered Western classics as an undergraduate in Columbia University's Core Curriculum. In his writing, Montás recounts discovering editions of Socrates and Shakespeare in a neighborhood trash bin in Queens, an experience that sparked his interest in literature and set him on a path from local public schools to Columbia University.

Montás holds an A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. His dissertation, Rethinking America: Abolitionism and the Antebellum Transformation of the Discourse of National Identity, received the Bancroft Award from Columbia University. He has also been recognized with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student and the Dominican Republic's National Youth Prize. Montás specializes in Antebellum American literature and culture, with a focus on American citizenship.

As director of Columbia's Center for the Core Curriculum, Montás worked to maintain and develop foundational courses in the liberal arts. He launched a Great Books program for low-income high school students aspiring to be first-generation college students. Montás is known for his advocacy of a humanistic liberal arts education rooted in transformative texts and the Great Books tradition. He has argued that higher education should emphasize intellectual inquiry and critical thinking, rather than solely vocational training.

Montás is the author of "Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation." The book combines memoir and literary analysis, exploring the influence of Plato, Augustine, Freud, and Gandhi on his intellectual development. He is also the author of "Becoming America: Four Documents That Shaped a Nation" and co-editor of "The Princeton History of American Political Thought." His essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and other publications.

Montás serves as the inaugural executive director of the Chang Chavkin Center and the Laura Y. Chang and Arnold Chavkin Professor in Liberal Education and Civic Life at Bard College. In this capacity, he advocates for a broad-based liberal education for undergraduates and challenges the notion that liberal education is reserved for the elite. Montás emphasizes that students from marginalized backgrounds can benefit significantly from engagement with the foundational texts of the Great Books tradition.

BOOK Roosevelt Montás

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/13/2026.

Roosevelt Montás Videos

Roosevelt Montás |The Liberal Arts: why they matter more than ever

Roosevelt Montás |The Liberal Arts: why they matter more than ever

What is the effect of reading a whole curriculum of ‘Great Books’? Can prolonged exposure to such texts radically alter the course of a life? Can...

Roosevelt Montás Lecture at St. John's College

Roosevelt Montás Lecture at St. John's College

“Great Books Education: Two Millennia of Corrupting Youth & Challenging Authority” Livestreamed Friday, April 15, 2022 at 8 p.m. ET St....

Roosevelt Montás: Rescuing Socrates

Roosevelt Montás: Rescuing Socrates

Join us for a virtual conversation with Roosevelt Montás to discuss how a classical, liberal education is still spreading, both in-person and over...

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Roosevelt Montás is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Roosevelt Montás for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Roosevelt Montás generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are David M. Kennedy, Jeffrey Rosen, Peter Heather, Kelly Lytle Hernandez and H.W. Brands. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Roosevelt Montás for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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