Professor Riccio

I spotted this news item on the Charleston Times-Courier's site yesterday:

Seeing the name "Barry Riccio" brought back some memories for me.

Some background:

Barry D. Riccio joined the Eastern Illinois University History faculty in 1995. The author of Walter Lippmann, Odyssey of a Liberal (1994) and numerous articles, Barry was a devoted student of American ideas, politics, and culture. At Eastern he proved almost immediately himself an outstanding teacher and wonderful colleague. Following Barry's death from cancer in 2001 at the age of 46, his friends, family and colleagues established the Barry D. Riccio History Fund in his honor. In conjunction with the EIU History Department, the fund sponsors a lecture series with an emphasis on the history of ideas. Beginning with our inaugural lecture in 2003, the generosity of fund donors has allowed us to bring many of the leading lights of American intellectual history to Eastern Illinois University.

I was in one of Professor Riccio's classes at EIU back in the Fall of 1996.

If I remember correctly, it was an Honors section of a History class -- pretty sure U.S. History.

I remember that the course was very interesting.  Professor Riccio led his class in a way that really fostered open communication and sharing of ideas.

We all knew he had cancer.  

Towards the end of the semester, he had to leave (rather suddenly, I recall) for treatment.  Honestly, I don't even remember how that class finished up.  Who took over for him?  Did we even have a final? 

We were all concerned about him.

Little did I know that he would never return to teaching at EIU:
http://www.dennews.com/news/eastern-suffers-loss-of-former-history-professor/article_59de190a-88f1-5bc3-b5b0-51089d894c34.html

Later on, I found out he was in an experimental treatment program.

And even later on, I found out that he had passed shortly after my stint at Eastern.

What I didn't know (until this week)... "the rest of the story" -- what a brave and valiant fight.....

http://www2.arch.uiuc.edu/RunningForOurLives/default.htm

How inspiring!

Thanks Professor Barry for the time you invested in me/us during that abbreviated semester.

Out for now.....

Matt