Higginbotham Takes Medical Leave

Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, professor of Afro-American studies and of history, is taking the semester off to recover from recent surgery. Other department officials have picked up her teaching and administrative duties.

The Department of Afro-American Studies informed its students of her medical leave of absence in an e-mail message last Wednesday.

"Higginbotham has had an operation and will be out for the fall semester to fully recover," the e-mail message read.

"She's doing well and will be returning in the spring," an official in the department said yesterday.

Before her operation in late October, Higginbotham, who was also acting head tutor for the department, had been teaching one class.

Patricia A. Sullivan, a visiting lecturer and an associate of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute, assumed responsibility for the seminar, History 1660, "Using Primary Sources in African-American History." Sullivan, who took over Higginbotham's duties Oct. 27 and who will be teaching until the end of the term, said the transition has been smooth.

"[Higginbotham]is organized, she's a fabulous historian, and she has a very rich syllabus," she said. "It's a very structured course. I'm just following her script."

Since Higginbotham's surgery, students enrolled in the course have attended guest presentations by genealogist author Frank Dorman and an archivist at Harvard Business School's Baker Library.

"Obviously I am most concerned about Professor Higginbotham's health. Her full recovery is everyone's primary concern," said Andrew K. Mandel '00, a student in History 1660.

"But I know a lot of us were disappointed to hear she would not be teaching the course because her stellar reputation is the reason we enrolled in the class in the first place," said Mandel, who is also a Crimson editor.

Peter T. Glenshaw, assistant director of the DuBois Institute, said Professor of Fine Arts and Afro-American Studies Suzanne P. Blier will take over Higginbotham's tutorials.

Higginbotham will resume her post as head tutor when she returns in the spring, Glenshaw said.