Dec. 23, 2003

Contact: Todd Cohen, University Relations, (785) 864-8858.

Statement by chancellor, colleague on death of Professor Joseph L. Conrad

Robert Hemenway, University of Kansas chancellor, and Stephen Parker, professor of Slavic languages and literatures, made the following statements in response to the death of Joseph L. Conrad, professor of Slavic languages and literatures. Conrad died Sunday of pancreatic cancer. A 1955 KU graduate and a Fulbright scholar, Conrad taught at Florida State University and the University of Texas before joining the KU faculty in 1966.

Statement from Hemenway:

"Joseph Conrad was a prominent American Slavist. His writings on Chekhov and Turgenev gained him a national and international reputation. His undergraduate course in Slavic folklore here at KU was a perennial favorite among students, always enrolling to capacity. He gave unselfishly of his time to the students and his colleagues as well as to the university. We are all deeply saddened by the news of his death. On behalf of the KU community, I would like to extend our condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed."

Statement from Stephen Parker, professor of Slavic languages and literatures, and a close friend of Conrad's:

"Joe Conrad's legacy vis-a-vis the university is twofold. He played the seminal leadership role in creating what is today one of the top 10 departments of Slavic languages and literatures in the nation. And perhaps most importantly, in a profession rife with bloated egos and preoccupation with self, Joe Conrad was other-oriented. In a humble and selfless manner, he mentored his faculty colleagues and gave of himself, his time and his knowledge to thousands of students over decades of joyous teaching and advising."