Death Of History Professor A Great Loss

To the editors:

I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Harvard College Professor and Professor of History William E. Gienapp (News, “Beloved History Professor Gienapp Dies,” Oct. 30). His class on the Jacksonian Era during my sophomore year showed me how dedicated a Harvard professor could be to undergraduates. In a section that met at 9 a.m. on Fridays, Professor Gienapp kept us laughing at election cartoons and convinced us that nearly every future reform movement had its roots in the Jacksonian period. In addition, his office in the upper reaches of Robinson Hall was a haven for discussing research papers and career plans.

As a middle school U.S. history teacher, I cannot cover the early 1800s or the Civil War without hearing Professor Gienapp’s kind and understated voice. He brought out “the better angels of our nature” in every minute of his teaching.

Sarah J. Schaffer Cooper ’97

Boulder, Colo.

Oct. 30, 2003