Maine Humanities Council

by Tom Lizotte

The news that longtime Professor of English and American Studies Charles W. Bassett had died on Oct. 19, 2010, in Waterville came as a punch in the gut to any Colby College student who had the privilege of being in his classroom during a legendary career that stretched from 1969-2005 on Mayflower Hill.

“Charlie” was South Dakota’s gift to Colby, a son of the Great Plains who became an institution in Maine. He taught the most popular course at the college, on the 20th-century American novel. He started Colby’s highly respected American Studies program. He represented Colby on the board of the Maine Humanities Council. He was the finest teacher of his era, the one alumni recall with fondness decades later.

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Robert L. Woodbury

Bob Woodbury had been off the MHC Board for two years when he died on September 12, 2009, but he had been in close contact with many staff members during that period as an informal adviser and friend. Bob spent his life helping others, often as an educator. In Maine, as a faculty member and then President of the University of Southern Maine, founder of the Edmund Muskie Institute of Public Affairs, and Chancellor of the University of Maine System, his impact on education in the state was tremendous. He took his knowledge to the MHC Board during the first decade of this century, helping to direct the organization through a period of growth and transition. We will all remember the wisdom, kindness, and sense of humor that were always present in Bob, making any conversation with him a great discussion.