Gilbert Lawall

Professor Gilbert Lawall retired from the department in 2001 after a highly distinguished career. He received his B.A. in Classics from Oberlin College in 1957 and his Ph.D. in Classics from Yale University in 1961. He attended the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington D.C. (1963-1964), where he completed his book on Theocritus’ pastoral poetry, titled Theocritus’ Coan Pastorals: A Poetry Book, which was published by Harvard University Press. He taught at Yale University, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where upon arrival in 1969 he was the sole teacher of classical languages in a Department of Romance Languages and where he recruited classics faculty and helped establish a Master of Arts in Teaching Program in Latin and Classical Humanities (1970) and a Department of Classics (1972). He served as Department Head (1972-1975), as Chairman for a three-year term (1975-1978), and as Director of Graduate Studies (1993-2000). He also served as President of the American Classical League (1976-1980) and helped revive the study of Latin in the schools after the plummet of enrollments in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. He made presentations throughout the U.S.A. on the value of Latin study, and he coordinated state, regional, and national efforts to revive Latin in the schools. He also served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Classical Association of New England (1980-1987).

Professor Lawall also spearheaded innovation in Latin textbooks. He served as Chief Revisions Editor for the Scottish Classics Group’s Ecce Romani Latin program (four editions 1983-2009), tailoring it for American schools, and he added two companion readers, The Romans Speak for Themselves I and II, the chapters of which were authored by UMass MAT students. He helped Maurice Balme of York, England, revise his Athenaze in its first two editions (1990, 2003) for American schools, colleges, and universities. He edited, produced, and distributed Ecce Romani Newsletter and an Athenaze Newsletter. He also co-edited book-length Greek and Latin readers, containing works of Euripides, Plautus, Catullus, Horace, Seneca, and Petronius, and he served as Editor of the Longman Latin Reader Series, co-authoring two works in this series. He founded CANE Instructional Materials and edited numerous booklets of Greek and Latin texts, many authored by UMass MAT students, and some by professors at various institutions. He served as Chairman of the American Philological Association’s Editorial Board for Textbooks (1981-1984), and he was a member of the Board of Directors for the American Philological Association (1987-1989).

Professor Lawall consistently contributed in the areas of service and research. He was the founder and co-editor of the New England Classical Newsletter (1974-1993), the forerunner of the New England Classical Journal. He was also co-director of the New England Latin Placement Service (1975-2000). He published articles on Pindar, Theocritus, Apollonius, Herodas, Seneca’s tragedies, and Juvenal, as well as numerous book reviews. He read papers and delivered talks at many professional meetings, schools colleges, and universities. As Director of Graduate Studies in the UMass Classics Department, he organized MAT Seminars in Latin Education, open to graduate students, faculty, and teachers from the Pioneer Valley, and he initiated the (still extant) annual “Alumni/-ae, Cooperating Teacher Symposia,” at which graduates from recent years return to report on their teaching and outside speakers make presentations. At his home in Amherst, he conducted Sunday afternoon Greek and Latin classes for professional development of high school Latin teachers. In 1996 he organized sessions at the annual meeting of the Classical Association of New England, at the Institute of the American Classical League and an event at UMass Amherst – all celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the MAT Program with faculty, graduates, current students, and Latin teachers as speakers.

Professor Lawall received awards for distinguished service to the profession from the Classical Association of New England, the Classical Association of the Empire State, the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association, and the American Classical League, and he received an Outstanding Teacher Award from the UMass College of Humanities and Fine Arts.