John McDermott, distinguished professor of philosophy and humanities, has died at the age of 86.
McDermott, named one of the 50 most influential living philosophers in 2016, spent more than four decades of his life teaching at Texas A&M. His time at the university included stints as as head of the Philosophy and Humanities department in the College of Liberal Arts and the Humanities in Medicine department in the College of Medicine.
In a statement announcing McDermott’s death, University President Michael K. Young said the professor was a great inspiration and friend.
“He believed in the centrality of the humanities as a means to a great education because it defines what it means to be human,” Young said. “John McDermott never lost sight of our core mission of teaching what it means to live a good life and how to live it, the very heart of Aggies and indeed of all humanity.”
This article will be updated as new information becomes available.