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www.mtsusidelines.com
SIDELINES CUSTOMS 2010
McDaniel’s leadership won’t soon be forgotten By MARK BYRNES Guest Columnist
Shortly after becoming associate dean in 2006, I accompanied Dean John McDaniel to give welcoming remarks to a group of high school students visiting campus. I’d heard him do that sort of welcome several times, so I fully expected him to quote Shakespeare—which he did. I was surprised, however, when in the next breath he quoted Kenny Chesney, certainly a talented fellow but not quite in the same league as the Bard. Never knowing exactly what he might say or do next was one of the many endearing things about John McDaniel. Among the most erudite people on campus, he never took himself too seriously. I remember the time
when, on his first day back from a vacation in Maine, he arrived at the office wearing a hat with a gigantic stuffed lobster on it. And the time when, at a banquet celebrating international culture, he donned a grass skirt and danced the hula. And the time when, at a crowded meeting about a review of the university being done by an organization with the acronym SACS, he commented that all SACS is good SACS. I first met Dr. McDaniel in 1981, when as an MTSU undergraduate student I took one of his popular Shakespeare courses. The impression I formed of him then is much like the one I have now, after nearly 30 years have elapsed and I have had the good fortune to work with him daily. He was a highly intelligent, incredibly learned,
witty and caring man. Dr. McDaniel came to MTSU in 1970 as an assistant professor of English. In 1978, he was made chair of the department, and became the dean of the College of Liberal Arts in 1984. He served in that position until his death, a stretch of more than a quartercentury. The average tenure for a university dean is around four or five years, so Dr. McDaniel’s longevity indicates just how successful he was. Much of a dean’s time is spent with faculty members and administrators. To overcome that fact, which he saw as a major drawback of the job, Dr. McDaniel continued to teach his Shakespeare courses through most of his years as dean. Doing this kept him in close touch with the academic cycle of the uni-
versity and, more importantly, the students. He thoroughly enjoyed his students, even the clueless ones (including the young woman, who halfway through a course entitled Tragedies of Shakespeare, remarked that she enjoyed the plays but wondered why they all had to end so unhappily). Moreover, he never forgot that serving students is the primary mission of the university. For most students, a college dean is an enigmatic figure. The title seems familiar, they realize that the position carries some power, but they aren’t entirely sure what deans do. I can report what John McDaniel—recently called “the dean of all deans” by President Sidney McPhee—did. He demonstrated his devotion to MTSU
in myriad ways. He cared about students. He mentored innumerable faculty members and department chairs. He gave wise counsel to people at all levels across campus. He helped found a statewide organization of Arts and Sciences deans. He made quips. He told stories. He was unflappable. He faced adversity with equanimity. He demonstrated an incredible generosity of spirit. And he loved his family. John McDaniel worked at MTSU for 40 of his 69 years in existence. His legacy will be wide and enduring. He will be deeply missed. Mark Byrnes is a political science professor and interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts. He can be reached at mbyrnes@mtsu.edu.