Vol. 19, No. 7	Oct. 14, 1999

Art professor remembered at General Faculty Meeting

A memorial tribute to Byron Shurtleff, professor emeritus of art, was presented at the semiannual General Faculty Meeting Monday by Martha Carothers, chairperson of the art department.

Mr. Shurtleff, who died Oct. 5 at the age of 70, taught photography at the University from 1965 to 1991. Although he was passionate about his discipline, his colleague Carothers said he would "wish to be remembered as a dedicated teacher. He had a gift for inspiring students."

Carothers said Mr. Shurtleff's students noted that he was "down-to-earth and linked the course closely to everyday life." His "in-depth discussions about photographic documentation were truthful, informative and an intelligent way of approaching society," she said.

When the master of fine arts degree at the University was approved in 1976, Mr. Shurtleff designed the photography darkrooms for the graduate students, and he spent many hours obtaining exhibition spaces for his students' work, she said.

Mr. Shurtleff was known for his fine work as a documentarian of the Delaware seashore and other regional areas. According to Carothers, Mr. Shurtleff "may best be summarized by the title of one of his last research presentations, "The Photographer as Political Catalyst."

-Cornelia Weil