The first annual Seymour Riklin Memorial Lecture will begin at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, in the Bernath Auditorium of David Adamany Undergraduate Library.

Martha C. Nussbaum will speak on "Feminist Internationalism: A Defense of Universal Values." Nussbaum is the Ernst Freund professor of law and ethics and teaches in the University of Chicago Law School, philosophy department and the Divinity School.

Lawrence Lombard, chairman of the WSU philosophy department, says Seymour Riklin was for many years an important figure in the humanities community of metropolitan Detroit.

He continues, "Martha Nussbaum is a well-known and highly respected figure both inside and outside the profession of philosophy. I think it is altogether appropriate that Professor Nussbaum be the first Seymour Riklin Memorial Lecturer."

Saul Wineman, formerly professionally known as Paul Winter, also will offer remarks about his friend, Riklin at the lecture.

Riklin was born in Russia in 1914 and raised in Detroit, where he graduated from Northern High School and from Wayne University (later Wayne State) with a bachelor's degree in 1936. He received a master's degree in English from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Michigan.

Riklin taught at the University of Michigan and Case Western Reserve University before he came to Wayne State, where he taught humanities and was on the staff of the University Center for Adult Education.

In 1962 became assistant director of Detroit Adventure, then the Arts Council of Metropolitan Detroit, housed in the Rackham Building. He also led a literature discussion group open to the public as were all the programs he organized. His film series became the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

During the 1950s and `60s Riklin produced a television series called "Conversations in Depth" for the Public Broadcasting Service and was host of many radio programs on WDET, such as "Comment" and "This I Like." The latter program was re-broadcast by 30 commercial and educational stations in 10 states and Canada.

For live radio he gave brief historical commentaries about special holidays and was an occasional guest of J.P. McCarthy on WJR. Early in his career he edited the books, "Children Who Hate" and "Controls from Within," written by Fritz Redl and David Wineman; he also edited program notes for the Detroit Symphony.

In the mid-1970s, Riklin returned to the classroom as an associate professor in the University Studies-Weekend College program. He was twice a winner of the Adult Education Association of Michigan Teacher of the Year award.

After his "official" retirement in 1985 he taught philosophy for Henry Ford Community College, Oakland University, the Center for Creative Studies andWayne State. Ill health forced him to retire a second time in 1991.

Called a Renaissance man by many, Professor Riklin's passion for knowledge and learning never abated. During the year before his death, he had a tutor come to his home to teach him a foreign language. He died in 1996.

Dolorais Riklin and friends made the lecture series possible.