Kathleen Barber was one of the best professors I ever had, from K-12 through Stanford and graduate school.
In those days (early ’80s), we registered in the gym using a little oaper card and walking around from table to table to fill it with courses.
I was a one-year senior and knew nothing about NMH at that time.
Some counselor saw me signing up for generic (required) U.S. history, and told me (why me, I’ll never know) that I should instead sign up for Conflict and Consensus.
So I did.
Kathleen being demanding meant I couldn’t get ‘As’ without taking my academic game up several notches from what I had been used to. The first step was understanding what that even meant, after she gave me a C- on my first exam (when I thought I had done decently).
Ouch!
I came to understand that she expected us to be able to (for example) compare and contrast the views of five scholars on, say, Reconstruction — from memory, citing relevant historical events, as well. She taught us how to do that.
Her toughness led me to buckle up, find a study buddy, and get very serious about meeting the challenge she gave us. Ulltimately, it led me to win the history award. She led us, she pulled us; yes, she *demanded* we *all* take it up several notches. She got us all in fine thinking shape.
Now when I read scholars like Gerald Horne, who turn “well-known” events like “the Revolutionary War” on their heads through their original research, I think of her. She taught us rigor. She taught us how to write.
She also hosted me once after I graduated, when I came back to campus to visit. That was above-and-beyond generosity I will never forget.
She was a gift to the NMH community and everyone who passed her way.
She made great use of her life.
And Frank, I remember her talking about you to us. It aounded soecial. She was probably a tough mom, but you featured.
Arlene Griffin ’78
While discussing current events recently, I had been telling my 30-year-old about how amazing my Conflict and Consensus professor was back in 1976 as she taught us how to view history from different perspectives. I am sorry to learn Ms. Barber is gone from this earthly plane, but I know that her inspiration lives on through the many students whose lives she touched as an amazing teacher and an amazing human.
Kathleen Barber was one of the best professors I ever had, from K-12 through Stanford and graduate school.
In those days (early ’80s), we registered in the gym using a little oaper card and walking around from table to table to fill it with courses.
I was a one-year senior and knew nothing about NMH at that time.
Some counselor saw me signing up for generic (required) U.S. history, and told me (why me, I’ll never know) that I should instead sign up for Conflict and Consensus.
So I did.
Kathleen being demanding meant I couldn’t get ‘As’ without taking my academic game up several notches from what I had been used to. The first step was understanding what that even meant, after she gave me a C- on my first exam (when I thought I had done decently).
Ouch!
I came to understand that she expected us to be able to (for example) compare and contrast the views of five scholars on, say, Reconstruction — from memory, citing relevant historical events, as well. She taught us how to do that.
Her toughness led me to buckle up, find a study buddy, and get very serious about meeting the challenge she gave us. Ulltimately, it led me to win the history award. She led us, she pulled us; yes, she *demanded* we *all* take it up several notches. She got us all in fine thinking shape.
Now when I read scholars like Gerald Horne, who turn “well-known” events like “the Revolutionary War” on their heads through their original research, I think of her. She taught us rigor. She taught us how to write.
She also hosted me once after I graduated, when I came back to campus to visit. That was above-and-beyond generosity I will never forget.
She was a gift to the NMH community and everyone who passed her way.
She made great use of her life.
And Frank, I remember her talking about you to us. It aounded soecial. She was probably a tough mom, but you featured.
Arlene Griffin ’78
While discussing current events recently, I had been telling my 30-year-old about how amazing my Conflict and Consensus professor was back in 1976 as she taught us how to view history from different perspectives. I am sorry to learn Ms. Barber is gone from this earthly plane, but I know that her inspiration lives on through the many students whose lives she touched as an amazing teacher and an amazing human.