Larry started his career at William & Mary because he believed in its unique commitment to teaching and research. He turned down jobs at a some of the best research universities in the U.S. because he believed in the value of a liberal arts education. He wanted to teach. Now 32 years in, he has dedicated himself to students, expecting a lot from them and giving a lot to them. Leveraging his personal connections and recommendations, he has helped loads of students launch careers in national politics, receive fully-funded graduate educations and more.
I'm going to brag about my husband now. This is my blog so that's my right.
For months, I've watched him prepare to serve as program director for William & Mary in Galway 2019. He did the expected: he subscribed to the Irish Times while immersing himself in readings about Irish politics, he planned a weekend trip to Derry in Northern Ireland, and he worked his way through sometimes overwhelming administrative detail to arrange for 22 students to have a successful four weeks in Ireland.
Really, this blog post is about what he didn't have to do but did anyway.
In the midst of the madness of nailing down the excursions and meals and roommate lists and course readings, he told me he'd be taking the students on a day trip to Washington, D.C. He wanted them to visit the Irish Embassy. I told him he was nuts. Getting 22 students to D.C. would involve a charter bus, 95 N traffic, lunch, dinner and an itinerary totally dependent on officials who may have to cancel at the last minute. As hard as I tried, I couldn't convince him to abandon this idea. I viewed it as an annoying extra, he knew it was essential to the academic experience. Of course, he was right. The D.C. trip was a smashing educational success - the students met the Irish ambassador to the U.S. and visited the Northern Ireland Consulate too. That's what teachers do...they mold an already great experience into something even better.
This post is also about what he could have done but didn't.
We visited Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin and it turned out to be a perfectly combined social and political lesson for the students. On the side, Larry spoke to our tour guide to explain what the students would be studying while abroad. Then, he stepped back. The photo here tells it all...he's at the rear of the group, making sure they all get in to the museum. Next, he could have done what I've seen plenty of professors do - he could have dominated the scene, demonstrated his knowledge vis-a-vis the tour guide, asserted his role as teacher. He did not. He did what great teachers do - he set the stage, stood back and let it happen.
I married a great teacher.