Lawrence Today magazine, Spring 2004
At the first University Convocation of
2003-04 President Richard Warch announced the appointment of Paul
Cohen and Timothy Spurgin to endowed professorships.
Cohen, professor of history, was named to the Patricia Hamar Boldt Professorship
in Liberal Studies, and Spurgin, an associate professor of English, will
hold the Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professorship in English Literature.
Appointments to endowed professorships are made in recognition of academic
distinction through teaching excellence and scholarly achievement. Lawrence
currently has 47 endowed chairs.
A specialist in modern Europe, modern France, and intellectual history, Cohen
joined the Lawrence faculty in 1985 and was promoted to full professor in
1999. He is the author of two books, Freedom’s Moment:
An Essay on the French Idea of Liberty from Rousseau to Foucault and Piety
and Politics: Catholic Revival and the Generation of 1905-1914 in France and
is a member of the editorial board of the journal Contemporary
French Civilization. In 1999, Cohen was recognized with Lawrence’s Freshman
Studies Teaching Award. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Clark University
and earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago.
The Boldt Professorship was established in 1989 in honor of Patricia
Hamar Boldt, ’48, LL.D ’03, who was awarded an honorary degree
by Lawrence at the college’s 2003 Commencement in recognition of her
long-time community service and volunteer efforts. Holders of the Boldt Professorship
exemplify her commitment to the
ideals of liberal education in their teaching, scholarship, and service to
the community.
A member of the faculty since 1990, Spurgin’s scholarly interests focus
on 19th-century English literature, especially the works of Charles Dickens,
as well as literary criticism and theory. His scholarship has been published
in the academic journals Dickens Quarterly, Dickens Studies Annual, and minnesota
review. He received Lawrence’s Young
Teacher Award in 1993 and the Freshman Studies
Teaching Award in 1994 and has been the recipient of the
college’s Babcock Award for “giving generously of his time and
energy to assist students” on three occasions, the most recent in 2003.
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Carleton College, Spurgin earned his
doctorate in English at the University of Virginia.
The Buchanan Professorship was established in 1994 by Bonnie Glidden Buchanan, ’62,
and her husband, Robert Buchanan, ’62, in recognition of her love of
and interest in English literature and in appreciation for the special brand
of liberal
arts education Lawrence provides. Both Bonnie and Robert have been active
volunteers for the college, serving the Alumni Association and the Board
of Trustees, respectively.