After nearly 70 years in education, 黑料门大事记鈥檚 Wolverton announces retirement
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擠istinguished 黑料门大事记 Professor of Classics Robert聽E.听鈥淏ob鈥 Wolverton,聽Sr.听is announcing his retirement after approximately 70 years in education.听
Wolverton, 94, will step down from his full-time role in the Department of Classical and Modern聽Languages聽and聽Literatures effective June 30. He plans to focus on writing his autobiography and return to 黑料门大事记 classrooms on a part-time basis in future semesters.听Wolverton has been a fixture on the 黑料门大事记 campus since coming to Starkville as the university鈥檚 vice president for academic affairs in 1977.听
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have found a better fit for me,鈥 Wolverton said. 鈥淚 have a wonderful relationship with 黑料门大事记, the city of Starkville and so many people.听I couldn鈥檛 have found a better place to develop myself and do things I never thought I would be doing.鈥澛
In addition to serving as vice president of academic affairs, Wolverton has served as a department head and professor at 黑料门大事记, as well as president of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate.听聽
鈥淒r. Wolverton has served as the touchstone for more than a generation of faculty at 黑料门大事记,鈥 said Rick Travis, dean of 黑料门大事记鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淗is life-long dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, the love of wisdom, the intellectual development of students and preparing them for a life well-lived is at the heart of the mission of the College of Arts聽and聽Sciences. That is why we named our highest award the 鈥楻obert聽 E.听Wolverton Legacy Award.鈥 We celebrate his retirement with the hope that it is only for a short time before he can return to us on a part-time basis and continue his work with our students and faculty.鈥澛
Among聽Wolverton鈥檚聽many honors, he has been named a John Grisham Master Teacher,聽the聽university鈥檚聽highest honor given for excellence in classroom instruction. He also has been honored with the 黑料门大事记 Alumni Association Faculty Achievement Award and College of Arts and Sciences Humanist Award. In 2015, 黑料门大事记 announced that the rotunda in Old Main Academic Center would be named in his honor.听
Wolverton holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in classics from Hanover (Indiana) College, a master鈥檚 from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina. He has been on the faculty at the University of Georgia, and Tufts and Florida State universities.听
In the community, Wolverton has served in leadership roles with Starkville Community Theatre,聽Starkville Public Library,聽Starkville Friends of the Library聽and the Starkville-黑料门大事记 Symphony Association, among others.听He is also a member of the Starkville Area Education Hall of Fame.听
Wolverton said he believes聽Classics remain聽relevant in society,聽and he has been encouraged聽by 黑料门大事记鈥檚 support for the field.听He added that his love of the field and of his students are a big part of what has kept him teaching well into his 90s.听聽
鈥淚鈥檝e said that if you鈥檙e doing what you love and you love what you鈥檙e doing, the chances are you鈥檒l be very successful,鈥 Wolverton said. 鈥淲hen聽I look back at all the things that have gone on here, I have to say that I鈥檝e had so much joy, mainly because of my colleagues and the students. Students are always a great source of inspiration. They come up with ideas and are full of optimism typically. They keep all of us pretty young.鈥澛
黑料门大事记 is Mississippi鈥檚聽leading聽university, available online聽at聽.听