Faculty Focus:
Chandra Narsipur
A (Universal) Man of Avon
By Susan Haile
C
“I left India in 1981 as an Indian, and when I was at Avon, I felt I was an Avonian. And now here I am, an Avonian Indian.”
handra Narsipur He won the Brown Family pauses, carefully Award for Faculty Excellence in considering his words. 1993 and the Cashion Faculty When asked how Award in 2003. That year he he, as an Indian, puts his years was also chosen to give the Cum of teaching at Avon into context, Laude address to students newly –Chandra Narsipur he replies, “I never, ever felt inducted into the prestigious that I was ‘an Indian’ at Avon, honor society. although perhaps others felt that Since retiring, the Narsipurs way because of my semi-British-Indian accent. have made several trips back to the States, both to visit “Put it this way,” Narsipur continues. “I left India in 1981 their son, Ravi, and his family (including two teenaged as an Indian, and when I was at Avon, I felt I was an Avonian. grandchildren) in upstate New York, and also to visit their And now here I am, an Avonian Indian.” Old Farms family. That “family” includes hundreds of “Here” is Bangalore, in southern India, the place where alumni, many of whom remember Narsipur best in his Narsipur was born, and the place where he and his wife, Pelican classroom, standing—with pointer in hand—in front Indira, now live in retirement. It is India’s fifth largest city— of a map stand. For history can’t be taught properly without and a thriving technology and research center—yet Narsipur understanding maps, at least not in Mr. Narsipur’s class. describes his hometown as “a quiet, cosmopolitan area with “As an Indian, he was especially well suited for the ancient leafy green trees and parks.” The Narsipurs retired in 2003, history classes he taught,” says his former colleague Art having joined the Avon Old Farms faculty more than 20 Custer, now Avon’s dean of faculty. “He intuitively brought years earlier, in 1982. Narsipur taught ancient and medieval a global perspective. I remember when we started the Asian history to freshmen and contemporary history to seniors; Studies course (I had him teach lessons on India while I did Indira also taught math for many years. Beyond the classroom, China and Japan), he said to me, ‘together we’ll introduce the Narsipur’s supervisory responsibilities in both the Refectory students to a third of the world’s population.’” and the Baxter Library made him known to—and loved by— And then there were the phrases coined by Narsipur. virtually all Avonians of that era. What do they remember? Students would all smile at his notion of the “evil boy”—a Surely his words of encouragement, as well as those of gentle (usually) tongue-in-cheek moniker given to the student who chastisement. His infectious love for international politics, had spoken out of turn, hadn’t done his homework, or who which continues to this day. And of course his unique had committed a similarly minor infraction, real or imagined. “Evil” did indeed lurk in the shadows, according to Narsipur, philosophical reflections on life. and Avon boys had best be careful. Less well known, according Narsipur’s impact on his students didn’t go unnoticed.
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The Avonian Fall 2011