Our Name

Many of our nation's colleges and universities, including Yale, Michigan and Harvard, have included the Latin veritas in their mottos, signifying a pursuit of truth, unattached, it seemed, to anything in particular.

Our name, The Veritas Forum, references our desire to explore the original understanding of veritas. We seek to explore, discuss, engage, inspire, question, and enlarge our view of true life together.

veritas: 1. Truth, truthfulness, verity; the true or real nature, reality.
A Latin Dictionary. Lewis and Short.
fo·rum: 1. a. A public meeting place for open discussion.
b. A medium of open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper or a radio or television program.
2. A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation.
The American Heritage Dictionary
...I've learned something about the history of Veritas this year. Originally it was paired on the (Harvard) University's coat of arms with the University's real motto "In Christi Gloriam." Veritas meant divine truth, truth reached ultimately not through reason but through faith.
PRESIDENT LAWRENCE H. SUMMER'S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS,
HARVARD COLLEGE 2002