Alice von Hildebrand was close to her PhD in philosophy when she began applying to Catholic colleges - all of which turned her down, despite her strong curriculum vitae, because they refused to hire a women to teach philosophy. Alice had only been in the country for 7 years, speaking French most of her life previously, and at this point desperately needed a job. Hunter College (for women) desperately needed a substitute philosophy professor, so Dr. Von Hildebrand began immediately what would become a very challenging 37 year career, finally accepting an early retirement with the lowest possible pension. For 14 years she was paid hourly, with no medical coverage, no tenure, and a teaching schedule that kept her until 10PM, precisely because she was a woman. Dr. Von Hildebrand won an award for excellence in teaching - competing against 600 professors. Alice von Hildebrand joins me on this episode of The Dignity of Women to share her great wisdom on femininity, feminism, and the greatness of faith that distinguishes the two.
Alice von Hildbrand
Alice von Hildebrand is a treasure to the Catholic Church, as was her late husband, Dietrich von Hildebrand. Both were philosophers and professors, and the two have brought great richness through their many years of teaching, writing, and their powerful example.
Alice Jourdain von Hildebrand was born in Belgium on March 11, 1923. She arrived in New York City in 1940 as a war refugee. Soon afterwards she met Dietrich von Hildebrand and began philosophy studies at Fordham University as his student where she took nearly 18 courses with him. The two were married in 1959 and collaborated on writing many books. Starting in 1947, she began teaching at Hunter College in New York City. After enduring 14 years of hardships from the college on account of her sex, she was appointed Professor of Philosophy, where she served for 37 years. Upon her retirement in 1984 she received an award for excellence in teaching by Hunter College after having achieved the highest student evaluation at the College.
In addition to her many years at Hunter College, she has also taught at the Catechetical Institute in Dunwoody, NY, Franciscan University of Steubenville, the Thomas More Institute in Rome, Ave Maria College, and at the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College.
Dr. von Hildebrand is the author of numerous books, including The Privilege of Being a Woman, Man and Woman: A Divine Invention, By Love Refined, By Grief Refined, The Soul of a Lion, as well as numerous published philosophical papers.
In 2004, with the support of Pope Benedict XVI, Dr. von Hildebrand joined several students of her husband in launching the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project (www.hildebrandlegacy.org) to ensure the long-term promotion and dissemination of her husband’s life and thought.
Alice von Hildebrand could be considered a radical for the traditional, the truth, and the faith. Her authentic look at womanhood as an intentional and crowning design of creation (The Privilege of Being a Woman) challenges both those who see women as the lesser sex and those feminists who seek to abandon or exploit the riches of their own sex.
Meeting a Legend
The fact that I recorded this podcast in-person often gets a shocked reaction from philosophy and theology fans alike. I must admit that I haven't fully processed it myself, and have resolved to be happy with gratitude alone.
Yet, it's not only the fact that I recorded it in-person that is amazing, but it's the way in which the whole thing came about, and the reality that it was recorded in Alice's living room - in the very same house that she and Dietrich von Hildebrand lived, and where he died!
When I began writing, after earning an MA in theology, the direction my work was headed became quickly evident. Having lived outside of the Church, and strongly influenced by the feminist movement and the philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir,
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