Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War”. Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day.
Special Veterans Day Observance at Deerfield
Guest Speaker: Prof. David Tarr, PhD, Army (retired)
Thursday, November 11th, 11:00 am
St. Giles Chapel
This service will feature patriotic music, honoring all who served, with special guest speaker Prof. David Tarr, Army (retired).
David W. Tarr is emeritus professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His education included a B.A. in Government at the University of Massachusetts and, following two years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, an M.A. and PhD. in Political Science, at the University of Chicago. He taught at Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College (1958-59), then served as a National Defense Analyst in the Congressional Research Service in Washington, D.C. (1959-62).
In 1963 he joined the faculty of the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he remained for the rest of his career. Among many roles, he served as chair his department, was research fellow at Harvard University, 1977, and chaired Wisconsin Athletic Board from 1979-1987. Professor Tarr’s work throughout his career focused on national security and American foreign policy concerns. His publications include American Strategy in the Nuclear Age (1966) and Nuclear Deterrence and International Security (1991). He was Director of the Center for International Cooperation and Security Studies until his retirement.
David and his wife, Mimi, moved to the Deerfield in 2013. His memoir Not Strictly Academic was published in 2017. His book of short stories, Sentimental Journey was published in 2020.