Fellow emeriti —

I am deeply saddened to report that our friend, colleague, and my Co-Chair on the Emeriti Steering Committee, David Bevington, died on August 2, 2019 at the age of 88. David was the Phyllis Fay Horton Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in English Language and Literature, Comparative Literature, and the College. After receiving both his undergraduate (in 1952) and graduate degrees (in 1957 and 1959) from Harvard University, David initially taught at both Harvard and the University of Virginia. David joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1968, where he entranced generations of undergraduates with his insightful explorations of drama (especially British drama of the Renaissance) and his captivating take on the writings of William Shakespeare. A master teacher, David was awarded the Quantrell Award in 1979.

David's scholarly accomplishments were diverse and impressive. He has a Wikipedia entry we can all be jealous of; I refer you to that page and the numerous celebrations of his life and work that have appeared in the last few days for all the details. Personally, I will remember David as one of the most genial and generous men I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

Rain or shine, David was a resolute bicyclist whose fame in Hyde Park as a cyclist was exceeded only by Dean John Boyer (who was twice his size and thus more obvious). David was also a dedicated violist and performed often with chamber groups and the University orchestra. According to David's wife, Peggy, "Evidently what other (better) players enjoyed about his chamber-music events was exploring this remarkable literature without fear of error. Take out the terror of perfection. The music is too good to be played timidly. ....  David didn't play well, but played knowingly and lovingly, and was usually the person who knew where we were and how to get in."

Although known for his love for and work in the humanities, David had an abiding interest in the natural sciences and surreptitiously audited a number of undergraduate classes in the sciences. He could hold forth on a surprising range of topics, especially in the physical sciences, and could be relied on in the Gomer Lecture series (which he hosted) to invariably ask an interesting and insightful question, regardless of the topic of the presentation.

David is survived by his wife of over sixty years, Peggy, three children, and five grandchildren. He will be sorely missed by the entire University community.

-Michael LaBarbera, Co-Chair, Provost's Emeriti Faculty Steering Committee; Member, Provost's Working Group on the Retiree Medical Plan

Read more about Prof. Bevington via UChicago News.