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| GRESHAM RILEY AWARD RECIPIENT 1995 |
William R. Hochman
The story goes something like this: it is the spring of 1955; a young
World War II veteran, Ph.D. in hand, is hired by a small liberal arts
college in Colorado. He arrives mid-semester, just in time to take over
from his predecessor in the history department, Lew Worner, as Lew becomes
Dean of the College. It is hard today to imagine a nervous Bill Hochman
facing that first class. That spring was the beginning of a memorable
journey-- for Bill and for more than a generation of his students.
March 1995 marked William R. Hochman's 40th anniversary at the College.
Through all of those years as Professor of History and now as Dean of
the Summer Session, Bill has inspired both students and colleagues with
his unrelenting commitment to learning. Bill represents the best in teaching:
challenging students to examine ideas, helping them understand their place
in history and inspiring in them a life-long love of learning. He has
provided steady leadership among the faculty during four exciting and
challenging decades, always keeping focused on the essential importance
of what we do at the College. Once forged, his relationship with students
remains strong, making Bill Hochman one of the most requested professors
by alumni not only to attend their class reunion dinners but also to lead
"traveling college" discussions for alumni clubs across the
country.
What did this man do that so impacted the lives of his students? Why did
alumni choose him to be the first recipient of the Gresham Riley Award?
He touched their lives, minds and characters. He made them think. Says
Bill Stafford' 63, a former student, "Bill Hochman is a great teacher
and an inspiration. He taught me that a sense of history is an essential
ingredient of contemporary public policy."
Bill has the respect and admiration of students and faculty alike. Says
Eli Boderman, Professor of Sociology, "Bill and I have taught together
for almost twenty years, and he is the perfect collaborator. The freedom
we feel in arguing tenaciously for our different positions - and our ability
to remain such good friends - conveys an important intellectual lesson
to our students: disagreement can be respectful and exciting Bill's warmth,
verve, and intensity, even after so many years, makes our joint teaching
as exciting to me today as it was twenty years ago."
The Riley Award, created to recognize a member of the Colorado College
faculty or staff who had a lasting impact on the students of the college,
will be given to many deserving people in the years to come. But in the
words of Gresham Riley himself, "it is entirely appropriate that
this award should first be given to Bill Hochman."
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