Alumni Spotlight: Dr. H. Keith H. Brodie '54
Not many people can attribute their path in life to a specific moment, but Duke University President-Emeritus Keith Brodie can. At the urging of Country School English and history teacher Mr. Bensen, Keith picked up Sinclair Lewis’ Arrowsmith which inspired him to pursue a career in medicine.
From Milton Academy to Princeton, and then to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, this 2001 NCCS Alumni Award winner taught at Stanford University before moving to Duke University in 1974. Initially brought on as chair of the department of psychiatry, Keith was named chancellor of Duke in 1982, and then president of the university in 1985. Since the completion of his term as president, Keith has continued his teaching and clinical work at Duke. He currently serves as Professor and President-Emeritus of Duke University.
Q. How did your experience at Country School shape your path?
A. Country School inspired me to value education, to develop intellectual curiosity, and to become a teacher. I developed a keen interest in science, and the contributions it could make to medicine and the relief of human suffering. I learned the value of mentorship, and the role great teachers play in shaping a student's destiny.
Q. What did Country School teach you that you’ve carried with you?
A. Country School taught me to ask questions to enable me to fully understand. It taught me what my strengths and weaknesses were. I was terrible at sports, but good in science. The school also taught me the value of developing a skill set of woodworking, the elements of stage lighting, electrical connections, the importance of fuses, the use of color to inspire a mood, and the creation of stage sets.
Q. What are some of your favorite Country School moments?
A. Great moments included staging “Our Town,” building stage sets with Bob Hubby for “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” plus Art Bean's reading of “Barabus.”
Q. What advice would you give to current Country School students?
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
