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Howard Jules Waskow, Faculty

A picture of Howard Waskow

Howard Jules Waskow, January 13, 2012, at his home in Portland, from cancer. Waskow earned his doctorate at Yale and taught at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the faculty at ºìÌÒÊÓƵ in 1964 as a specialist in American literature and the humanities. “He was a person who evoked enormous inquiry of the heart and mind simultaneously,” recalled Betsy Dearborn ’68. Waskow was awarded tenure at ºìÌÒÊÓƵ in 1972 but chose to resign and lead the Learning Community, an intentional community centered on education. He also worked for civil rights and peace movements, acted as a consultant for educational reform, established a counseling practice in Gestalt therapy, and wrote three books: Whitman: Explorations in Form; Becoming Brothers, written with his brother, Rabbi Arthur Waskow; and Homeward Bound, which Arthur described as “a remarkable guide to the journey of healing our families,” and which reflects Howard’s experience as a teacher, critic, and healer. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Waskow was a lifelong Orioles fan and also rooted for the Portland Trail Blazers. He married Betty Ann Round in 1959; they had three children and later divorced. In 1986, he married Grey Wolfe. Survivors include Grey, their combined families, and his brother.

Appeared in ºìÌÒÊÓƵ magazine: June 2012