TRIBUTE TO DR. SAUL LERNER

DR. KATHLEEN A. TOBIN, PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS, AND ECONOMICS

Dr. Saul Lerner devoted fifty-five years of his career to Purdue, and for that we should be grateful. Knowing what we know about academic life, we find it difficult to imagine. Knowing what we know about the transformation of higher education in recent decades, we find it difficult to imagine. Knowing what we know about the continued call to defend the teaching of the liberal arts and humanities, we find it difficult to imagine. Yet, we all benefit from his perseverance.

Dr. Lerner loved reminiscing about the time he spent at Purdue Calumet, his mind teeming with institutional memory. He wanted to be remembered for the impact that he made, and we cannot fault him for that, but he was never one to exaggerate. He truly made an impact. He was here when the institution gained autonomy from the main campus, giving us the authority to develop our own undergraduate courses and programs. He contributed to institutional structuring and development of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of History and Political Science. He served as a Department Head, LASS Dean, Graduate Director, Graduate Advisor, Faculty Senate Chair, and Senate Parliamentarian. In that time, he played key roles in developing curriculum and hiring new faculty, and was always a devoted teacher.

Some considered Dr. Lerner too steadfast in his ways, unwavering in his approach to higher education. That was not the case. Rather, he held us all to impeccable academic standards and expected us to engage in intellectual curiosity. It is true that he questioned trends, or fads, as he might call them. For example, instead of embracing the new motto “Exceeding Expectations - Quality” set forth by administration some thirty years ago, he shook his head and asked, “What does that even mean?" And, notable, he never once referred to a student as a “customer.” He treated higher education very seriously and consistently challenged students to tackle reading and writing assignments at levels they had not imagined. He wanted them to be able to think for themselves, armed with a breadth of knowledge. He wanted them to learn as much as they could about the world around them and the past that influenced it When they found assignments daunting, he was always there to help.

He read incessantly and exposed students to reading multiple books in all of his classes. He taught courses in areas from the ancient world to modern America and increasingly centered his readings on economic inequality, the causes and effects of poverty, and genocide. Because of that, he carried with him a deep understanding of injustice, sadness, and innumerable cases of man’s inhumanity to man. Still, he greeted each and every one of us with a kind word. He brought intentionality to each encounter, and his intention was to remind us that finding joy in this life was truly important.

We knew that if we stopped for a chat, he might demand more of our attention than we were hoping to give. We had other things to do, after all. But in each of those moments he was trying to teach us something. Toward the end of his life, when his physical struggles became greater, I reminded myself to slow down, because these opportunities to listen and learn would not last forever. Now the time has come to remember all that he did for our students and for us with gratitude. Thank you, Dr. Lerner.