Presumably, Sir John (1912-2008) would have liked that first issue. A Tennessean, Yale graduate, and Rhodes scholar who rocked the world of investing by thinking globally and buying stock at "points of maximum pessimism" (when shares hit rock-bottom), he reportedly flew coach despite becoming a billionaire.
That debut "Thrift" issue mixed first-rate articles by scholars such as economist Deirdre McCloskey with a New York Times journalist's report on thrift shops, an interview with Steve Forbes, and a survey of Americans' saving habits.
It set the tone for a unique publication, nationally distributed three times a year, that combines a magazine's pizzazz and bold graphics with a scholarly journal's intellectual heft and authority.
Subsequent issues over the years have zeroed in on such concepts as "Loyalty," "Generosity," "Honesty," "Compassion," and, most recently, "Courage." On deck is "Grit." Some pieces appear in prestigious anthologies such as Best Spiritual Writing.
"These virtues are perennial," notes Schwartz, who was a researcher in moral development at Harvard before coming to Templeton in the mid-'90s. "They're universal. . . . We thought it would be nice to shed light on them."
"What I want to do with this magazine," explains Charlotte Hays, In Character's new editor, "is to make virtue as interesting as vice. Not to preach virtue, but to examine it."
There is a print edition available through subscription, and if the magazine is as good as I hope it to be, it would be great to have a hard copy collection, but I will start by exploring current and past issues at the In Character website. It's free (I think), and I am trying to be a bit more thrifty.
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