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Professor of French John C. O'Neal has edited a volume of essays on Rousseau for  Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century (SVEC), a publication of the Voltaire Foundation in Oxford, England. Titled The Nature of Rousseau's 'Rêveries': physical, human, aesthetic, the volume brings together the work of international specialists to explore new approaches to the defining feature – the 'nature' – of the Rêveries. In essays which range from studies of botany or landscape painting to thematic or stylistic readings, authors re-examine Rousseau's intellectual understanding of and personal relationship with different conceptions of nature.

The Utica Observer-Dispatch published Professor of French John C. O'Neal's essay "A revolutionary idea: the French as our friends" in its viewpoints section (Dec. 23). In this piece, O'Neal summarizes the recent speech of French President Nicolas Sarkozy before the joint sessions of Congress and sees "a veritable sea change in French-U.S. relations."

Professor of French John C. O'Neal's article "Understanding and Interpreting Confusion: Philippe Pinel and the Invention of Psychiatry" is among the articles included in volume XXVI (2007) of Lumen. Travaux choisis de la Société canadienne d'étude du dix-huitième siècle. Selected Proceedings from the Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, pp. 243-258. 

Tanguy L'Aminot, editor of Etudes Jean-Jacques Rousseau and director of the study group at the Sorbonne focused on the work of this 18th-century Swiss thinker, has announced the publication of volume 16 in this series, for which Professor of French John C. O'Neal wrote an article: "La confusion de la société dans la Lettre à d'Alembert sur les spectacles et la question de la modernité de Rousseau" (pp. 253-266). As an honorary associate member of the Centre d'Etude des XVIIe et XVIIIe Siècles at the Sorbonne, O'Neal participated in the work of this study group in 2003-2004. He is chair of the French Department at Hamilton.

At the annual meeting of the Northeast American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (NEASECS), held at Dartmouth College in October, Professor of French John C. O'Neal was elected president of the Society. His last term as president was in 1992-1993. Currently, O'Neal is also serving as president of the Society for Eighteenth-Century French Studies, which is the French caucus of the national society, the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies. NEASECS has the largest membership of the regional societies affiliated with the national society. He chairs the French Department at Hamilton.

In "The Eighteenth Century: An Entire Other World," Professor of French John C. O'Neal recounts his experience in the field of eighteenth-century studies research, tracing the threads that have tied together his scholarship over the past three decades. Solicited by the editor of the volume, Carol Blum, this article appears in Etre dix-huitiémiste II, published by the Centre International d'Etude du XVIII Siècle in Ferney-Voltaire, France in 2007.

Professor of French John C. O'Neal traveled to Washington, D.C. in August to serve on the Romance Studies panel of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). College and university professors as well as independent scholars compete for the fellowships program funded by NEH. The Endowment received some 1400 fellowship applications for the 37 different panels this year. Currently, 12-month fellowships provide $50,400 in support for research projects. The panel in Romance Studies on which O'Neal served consisted of five members, four of whom came from large research universities. They reviewed a total of 44 proposals. NEH estimates that one out of every 10 proposals will ultimately receive funding.

John C. O'Neal, professor of French, presented a paper in French on the question of the soul in the writings of Rousseau and the philosophes at the biennial meeting of the Rousseau association in Lyon, France in June. This was the same colloquium O'Neal hosted at Hamilton in June of 2005. One of the highlights of the France meeting was an excursion to Chambery and the home of Mme de Warens, who had a tremendous influence on Rousseau's life. Rousseau spent some of his happiest moments at Les Charmettes in Chambéry with Mme de Warens, which he describes in detail in his Confessions.

The French Ministry of National Education, Teaching, and Research has promoted John C. O'Neal, professor of French, to the rank of "officier" in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. He was named a "chevalier" (or knight) in 1998. (The three ranks in this order are "chevalier," "officier," and "commandeur.") Founded in 1808 by Napoleon, the order originally recognized teachers but later included other figures in the fields of letters, the arts, and the sciences. The promotion signed by the French minister of education, Gilles de Robien, and dated February 1, 2007 awards O'Neal for his "services rendus à la culture française" (services rendered to French culture). The envelope containing the promotion arrived recently via the French embassy for cultural services in New York City.

John C. O'Neal, professor of French, was elected president of the Society for Eighteenth-Century French Studies, which is the French caucus of the national society. The election took place at the organization's annual spring meeting, held in Atlanta this year.