Dr. John Wyatt

Dr. John Wyatt was a guide, mentor, and friend who introduced Montessori philosophy to members of our management team. In 1994 John was appointed as the Dean of Curriculum at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Gustad and Yumi were his students while they were in the Master of Architecture program at Taliesin. After graduation they both continued as faculty members and worked closely with John helping him implement the Alexandria program which he had introduced into the Montessori curriculum. John introduced Monthana to Montessori by asking her to read a collection of Maria Montessori books in order to understand the Montessori philosophy. He strongly believed that knowledge should not be delivered but acquired through self motivation. Yumi continued being a very close family friend after John left Taliesin. John had once told Yumi that the most important duty of an educator is to create moral human beings. We continue to strive to make this happen.

Biography

Dr. John Wyatt held a Ph.D. in comparative languages and literature from the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a professor of classics and comparative literature at Beloit College (WI) from 1971 to 1996 and visiting professor at the University of Chicago from 1979 to 1996. He was the Founder and Director of the Intensive Greek and Latin Programs (Institute for Classical and Medieval Thought and Languages), University of Chicago,(1979-1997). He was also the Founder and Director, Center for Language Studies, (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, ESL), Beloit College (1982-85). From 1982-1991, he was the Translator and Associate Artistic Director at the American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin, during which time he translated and directed the production texts of various plays including Chekhov's Seagull, Sophocle's Oedipus Rex, Plautus' comedy The Asses, Ibsen's Enemy of the People and Goldoni's A Servant of Two Masters (Honolulu). John Wyatt developed the Beloit College "Help Yourself" Program curriculum as a Montessori education module known as “Keepers of Alexandria.” He was the Educational Curriculum Designer for North American Montessori Teachers Association in Cleveland till he passed away on June 26th 2008.