Gerald Gill

I just found out that Prof. Gerald Gill passed away last week. Prof. Gill (I never got up the courage to call him anything other than that) was one of my favorite professors at Tufts. I took his African-American History class as a freshman, which was one of the most challenging classes of my four years, and one of the most interesting. I remember more facts and stories from that class than probably any other class I took there.

Beyond his class, I had the priviledge of having dinner with him a few times and learning about his experiences in various parts of the country. In addition, he was very supportive of the activist community. We knew we could count on him for faculty support when needed.

Here's the announcement that Larry Bacow sent out to the Tufts Community:



To: Tufts Faculty and Staff

Date: July 27, 2007

Dear Colleagues,

This is a sad day as we learned of the passing of our dear friend
and colleague, Gerald Gill. Gerald was found in his apartment in
Cambridge last night by a friend. We do not yet know the cause of
death. We have just reached his daughter who lives in Mississippi.
We are providing his family with as much assistance as we can in
this time of sorrow.

Tufts loved Gerald and Gerald loved Tufts. Few faculty members have
had as large an influence on generations of students as Gerald. He
was a master teacher and a gifted scholar. His scholarly work was
broad and deep, focusing on race relations in Boston,
African-American opposition to the wars of the twentieth century,
and the history of African-Americans at Tufts. Like the good
historian he was, Gerald helped us understand Tufts and its history
in ways that many had not appreciated before. Twice voted the
Massachusetts Professor of the Year, Gerald was the consummate
teacher, always gently challenging and encouraging students to see
the world in new and different ways. He was a fabulous and much
sought after faculty adviser, the very first recipient of the
Lerman-Neubauer Prize for Outstanding Teaching and Advising. His
many other awards included the Arts and Sciences Multicultural
Service Award, the Allan Cormack Award for Outstanding Achievement
in Collaborative Research, and the Distinguished Service Award for
Outstanding Contributions to the Tufts Community from the Africana
Center, subsequently named the Gerald R. Gill Distinguished Service
Award.

No award can do justice to the many contributions Gerald made to
Tufts. Thoughtful, soft spoken, and incredibly generous with his
time, Gerald was a wonderful friend and colleague. He was a
constant presence on this campus since he first arrived in 1980. He
always pushed Tufts to be a better place, a more inclusive place,
one that is welcoming to all. For many of us it is difficult to
imagine Tufts without him.

The news of Gerald's death is still very fresh. Neither funeral nor
memorial service arrangements have yet been made. More details will
be forthcoming.

To all of Gerald's family, friends, and colleagues we extend our
heartfelt condolences.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Bacow
Jamshed Bharucha
Robert Sternberg
Andrew McClellan
Virginia Drachman



I'd love to hear your thoughts and memories of Prof. Gill.