Goodrich C. White Professor of American Studies Dana White remembers when former Emory Professor of English and American Studies and Dean of Emory College Peter Dowell stood up to speak at his retirement ceremony in 2009. The entire College faculty stood up for a standing ovation.
“I have never seen that before or since,” White said. “That just shows the level of respect we all had for [Dowell].”
Dowell died on March 16, according to a March 22 article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Dowell joined the Emory faculty in 1963 after he studied English at Princeton University and received his Ph. D. in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. He stayed at Emory until his retirement in 2009.
Joanne Brzinski, senior associate dean for Undergraduate Education, said Dowell also played a crucial role in the creation of Emory’s African American Studies Department.
“For an entire generation of Emory students, he was the face of the College,” Brzinski said. “Dowell was a man who cared very deeply about giving every student the chance to achieve his or her goals.”
During his 46 years at Emory, Dowell also served as English Department chair, associate dean starting in 1988 and then senior associate dean until 2003. In these roles, he was responsible for academic records, advising and programming.
In 2010, Dowell was honored with the Emory Distinguished Faculty Emeritus award, according to a March 30 University Press Release.
Executive Associate Dean Michael Elliot, who Dowell hired as an assistant English professor in 1988, said Dowell went above and beyond in taking on new roles and tasks at Emory.
“He was utterly devoted to Emory students,” Elliot said. “[Dowell] was someone who was able to think about their needs in the context of what Emory could offer.”
White, who worked with Dowell beginning in 1970, taught a number of courses with him, most notably “Baseball in American Culture,” which they turned into an online seminar.
“Not only was Peter a dedicated teacher, he was a lot of fun and had a lively personality,” she said.
Priscilla Echols, associate dean for Undergraduate Education, said Dowell had an “overflowing and generous heart.”
Echols added, “I enjoyed every minute of the 15 years I worked for him and learned from him.“
Nagueyalti Warren, African American Studies professor of Pedagogy and director of Undergraduate Studies called Dowell “the best person in the world with whom to work,” admiring his kindness towards students.
“His hearty laughter used to fill White Hall with joy,” Warren said of her friend. “I will miss him terribly.”
Elliot added that Dowell was one of the few people who truly understood Emory.
Elliot added, “You need people like [Dowell] to hold an institution like Emory together while going through periods of such change.”
On April 11, a memorial celebration will take place at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church at 11 a.m., according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Dowell is survived by his wife, Valerie, his son, granddaughters, brother and sister.
—By Samantha Goodman
