After reading Memoirs of a Happy Failure by Alice von Hildebrand several years ago, I had the privilege of interviewing the great Belgian-born philosopher, professor, and author. I wanted to know more of the story behind some of the themes of the book, which began with her escape to the United States during World War II and focused on the challenging years she spent teaching—and resisting the growing relativism in academia—at Hunter College in New York City.
Von Hildebrand’s…