Fred Sommers

Frederic Tamler Sommers, known as Fred Sommers, was an American philosopher born in New York City on January 1, 1923. He passed away on October 2, 2014, at the age of 91. Sommers initially focused on ontology but later dedicated his work to the revival of classical logic. He studied under Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik in the 1950s. Sommers earned his BA and PhD in philosophy from Columbia University, with his doctoral dissertation titled "An Empiricist Ontology: A Study in the Metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead." He began his academic career at Columbia University as an assistant professor from 1955 to 1963. In 1964, he moved to Brandeis University as an associate professor, becoming a full professor in 1966. From 1965 until his retirement, he held the Harry Austryn Wolfson Chair of Philosophy. After his retirement, he was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Brandeis until his death. Fred Sommers was married to Christina Hoff Sommers, also a philosopher. He was the father of Tamler Sommers.