You probably have never heard of Edmund Berkeley. He and his wife were prestigious writers of biographies and he was an excellent botanist and teacher. His collected papers can be found at the University of Virginia at the web address at the end of this essay.The photo to the left may well be his grandfather. I don't know for sure but Ed looked a lot like this southern gentleman.
I met him when I signed on in 1972 to be the founding chair of the Math/Science Division at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Ed was there before me, and had turned down the job I got. He just wanted to teach and write. Well, he taught me some things, I can tell you. In this embryonic institution, Ed was the senior faculty member. He was the oldest, the most experienced and the highest ranking. He was as self-actualized a man as I have ever met.
Ed had a kind of southern demeanor. Deliberative in responding to situations, and always thought through a situation before making any comment. He had an accent that put him from the central Virginia area with tinge of new England about it. He usually waited to be asked to offer an opinion, and then was to the point.
As he theoretically worked for me (in fact I used him as a sounding board many times) we had quite a few discussions about this and that. At one point in the early days of the institution the faculty were having problems figuring out their role in governance and were hesitant to bring up issues that they saw as possible career terminators. Faculty didn't know the administration and vice-versa. There was no history at this brand new institution. And many of the faculty were young and inexperienced in education.
Ed always stepped up and asked the tough questions, and pursued when the answers were less than forthcoming. I once asked him about that and he simply said that being the senior faculty member obliged him to take the point on issues that could be contentious. He said that he was as secure as he needed to be and was not afraid of consequences. Thus he told me always take the part of the weakest when you are the strongest. To my shame I must admit I have not always lived up to that model, but as my career progressed I came more and more to understand what he meant.
Ed Berkeley was a man of honor and courage, and a man of conviction. We would all do well to emulate him when possible.
UVa address for Ed Berkeley archives: http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/uva-sc/viu00598.document
Photo from: www.evergreenmanorhouse.org/
Although I am not a full-time faculty member, I am a member of the TU team. I am honored to be on the team you care so much about.
ReplyDeleteYour memories of Ed are indeed relevant to the climate of our campus, and I, too, am guilty of taking the quiet road to job security. I am reminded all too often how low on the totem pole I sit, so in order to continue receiving my bi-weekly paycheck I bite my lip (most of the time) and keep on keeping on. I am sometimes ashamed by my lack of action to stand on the stump and question authority. I truly am.
As always, I learned another lesson from you today. Thanks for inspiring me to look outside of myself.