At the General Faculty meeting April 8, Mary Donaldson-Evans, professor of foreign languages and literatures, reflected upon her teaching experience with Dr. Rene Coulet du Gard for the 22 years in which he served the University. At his retirement in 1988, he was awarded professor emeritus status.

In 1966, Dr. du Gard was the only native French speaker among the tenure-track faculty in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

Recalling her first impressions Dr. du Gard, she said, “I remember being grateful for his insistence on speaking French to his colleagues, as it afforded me regular practice in the language.”

Dr. du Gard also was a distinguished poet and novelist. Some of his concentrations included 19th-century French poetry, Mediterranean piracy, and Native Americans, which made up what Donaldson-Evans called an “eclectic scholarly interest.”

He addressed his students as “Mr.” and “Miss.” and enthusiastically played an integral role in promoting La Maison Francaise. His first priority was the students, and, even after his retirement, he continued to stay involved with young people as he accompanied two groups of fifth graders to France.

As a testament to his commitment to the learning process of foreign language, Dr. du Gard sponsored a creative writing contest, for which he contributed the cash prizes out of his pocket.

Summing up her mentor in few words, Donaldson-Evans said, “His energy was the stuff of legends.”

Dr. du Gard died Feb. 8, 2002.