This is the first installment of the “Guide to Great Books Colleges,” a new segment produced by The Western Canon Podcast. The “Guide to Great Books Colleges” is a practical resource for students and parents to the colleges and universities in the U.S. that offer students an education rooted in the Western literary and philosophical tradition. In this segment, host Jordan Alexander Hill takes listeners on a tour of those schools out there that still expose students to "the Great Conversation of history." The institutions included in this monthly segment are schools that have high expectations and standards; schools dedicated to transmitting critical thinking skills and wisdom; schools that teach students how to read well, write well, and think well; and schools that help students discover the good, the beautiful, and the true. In “Part 1,” Jordan offers a defense of the traditional liberal arts education and reviews three of our nation’s premier Great Books colleges. The first three to make the list are the University of Chicago, St. Olaf College, and Hillsdale College.