In Memoriam: Marion Trousdale

Long-time member of the department Marion Trousdale recently passed away in her home in California.

Marion taught in the department from 1961-1998.  A Shakespearean scholar of international stature, she was the author of the highly regarded Shakespeare and the Rhetoricians (UNC Press, 1982), as well as numerous, much cited articles.  Along with colleagues such as Robert Coogan and Jane Donawerth, she gave the department tremendous strength in Renaissance rhetoric.  Marion also created the Renaissance Reckonings speaker series, which eventually was renamed as the Marshall Grossman lecture series.  Personally, she was known for her hospitality and cosmopolitanism.  As Kent Cartwright notes, if you exchanged an email with Marion her reply could be coming from London, the south of France, Pasadena, or down the hall.  She was a deeply committed colleague, a good departmental citizen, and for some years the de facto leader of the Renaissance group.

Our thoughts are with Marion's family and friends.