Dear Bruni, Even though many decades have passed since I sat in your classes, you are with me often, your voice in my ear as I look at a work of art in a museum or ponder a difficult question. Just last night, I was cleaning my desk and came across a set of worry beads that I received as a graduation present. I showed them to my 12-year-old son (explaining them as an early form of "fidget spinner") and described how you would command the front of the lecture hall, beads in one hand and pointer in the other, as you worked through a set of slides. That image, so vivid, stayed with me because it's from you that I learned how to make a talk interesting by making the past live in the present.
You reminded us that we should always listen to those who are looking at the material for the first time, because they might see something we have overlooked. Your support for those of us in the major who chose not to go on to get our doctorates was rare and so very much appreciated.
From identifying Greek sculpture to chairing a jury and everything in between, you have been a role model and an inspiration. Thank you for these and so many other life lessons.
Brunilde Ridgway, Rhys Carpenter Professor Emeritus of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, is celebrating her 90th birthday. In honor of this milestone, her former students, colleagues, and friends have been invited to share memories of their beloved mentor, teacher, and friend. View the list of messages.