A sense of wonder, a reverence for nature and an understanding of humanity have driven Professor John Elder in 37 years of devoted teaching and ravenous learning at Middlebury College. When a man that “has all the human qualities that you think of defining virtue” is leaving a professorship after almost four decades, “we’re going to really really miss him,” said Christopher Shaw, associate director of the Fellowships in Environmental Journalism.
Shaw first met the renowned scholar at a lecture Elder gave in 1995.
“I haven’t heard anybody who could speak so clearly about the then-current issues in enviromentalism and conservation that was so clear and sharp but was also so grounded in scholarship,” said Shaw. “I dont remember a thing he said that day, but I do remember the feeling he left with me, which was, I have to get to know this guy.
Elder will now be retiring from the College, to innumerable expressions of profound affection from students, faculty, and alumni. Originally appointed as a professor in the English department in 1973, John Elder was later given a dual appointment in the Environmental Studies department to reflect his burgeoning interest in the environment. Over his career, Elder has offered courses on topics as diverse as local Vermont towns, modernist literature, Shakespeare, food justice and Wordsworth and Basho.
In an interview, Elder reminisced on his early days as professor and his instant love for Vermont upon arrival, “I loved the combination of natural environment — woods, wildlife, the beauty of the mountains and the lake — with the high quality of the cultural environment, little compact villages with library and music and a chance to know your neighbors … Fairly early on, I decided ... that I wanted to stay and make my career here.”
Elder expounded on a sense of wonder that propelled him “to study literature and to study the earth … we are drawn forward by wonder that motivates us [and] goes out ahead of us.” This gift of attentiveness has inspired Elder in his pursuits of an impressive range of disciplines, as he led English departments around the country to embrace a new environmental literature movement.
Daniel Brayton, associate professor of English and American literatures, also praised Elder for his “profound and ebullient” influence among academia. “John is one of the pioneers of ‘ecocriticism,’ or environmental literary scholarship, said Brayton.
Though his academic prowess has dazzled fellow literary scholars for many decades, it is Elder’s passion for teaching and personal interest in his students that endears him to the Middlebury community, winning him the Vermont Professor of the Year award in 2008.
Jue Yang ‘11.5 reflected on Elder’s enthusiasm for both academic and personal development as she wrote on her experience in his nature writing course, “I realized from talking to John that I am in a trusting community where I grow, not only intellectually, but also in a broader spectrum ... I will walk away from this class not only with a deeper appreciation of my surroundings and the relationship between them and myself, but with hope that life would be more meaningful than ever.”
Simone Dinshaw ‘11 acknowledged Elder as “a light” to those who knew him. “He inspires you, he teaches you, and he helps you find the stories that are buried inside of you ... I feel honored to have had the opportunity to have been in his class this semester, to have basked in his light for a while.”
Brayton shared a cherished memory of what he called “John’s puckish side” on a hike up Mount Abe.
“We walked and talked at a fast pace, and he told me many things about how animals survive the Vermont winter,” said Brayton. “After a quick snack at the summit, John turned to me and said, ‘This is how we get down!’ He then took a flying leap onto the steep, icy trail we had come up and slid on his seat for about fifty yards down the mountainside. I had no choice but to follow.”
Elder will spend his free time finishing a book on the future of Vermont’s communities, sugaring with his two sons in Starksboro and practicing the whistle, flute and bagpipes with his wife, who plays the concertina.
John Glouchevitch ‘10.5 could only say this much: “I’m pretty sure that when I die, I’ll wake up somewhere beautiful and go for a long, long walk with John Elder. That is the best I can say it.”
Elder retires after 37 years at the College
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