Calvin Loses Two Legendary Professors

July 6, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Two legendary Calvin College professors have passed away.

Ervina Boevé and Richard Tiemersma both began at Calvin in the 1950s and both left indelible marks on their alma mater during their tenures in the communication arts and sciences department and English department respectively.

Boevé passed away on July 1 at the age of 81 after a short battle with acute erythro-leukemia. Tiemersma passed away July 4 at the age of 87. Services to honor and celebrate both professors will be held this week at the Calvin Chapel.

During her 37-year tenure at Calvin, Boevé directed more than 100 theater productions, some at a time when theater was still viewed with some suspicion by the Calvin constituency. She was once asked what she would say if one of her students became a professional in the theater world. Her tart reply: "He better be a good one."

Tiemersma could be equally direct during his 28 years at the college. In fact Calvin once sent out an alumni survey in the form of a blue book with Tiemersma's name on the front and received an unprecedented response. One former student said simply: "I didn't dare not return it."

After retirement both Tiemersma and Boevé were honored by the Calvin Alumni Association with its Faith & Learning Award, an annual honor that is given to a former faculty member who has successfully and consistently integrated faith and learning in the classroom.

In a 1995 interview with the Grand Rapids Press, Tiemersma described his teaching philosophy.

"I am a Christian and a Calvinist," he said plainly. "My knowledge is strained through the gut of Calvinism. It is not neutral teaching. Like (Matthew) Arnold and (John Henry) Newman, I believe that a true liberal education enriches the entire person. I wanted my students to take full advantage of the opportunity that a grounding in the liberal arts can give and the rich life that it can provide. I have always wanted to pass on to new generations the personal philosophy and way of looking at things given to me by my mentors."

Boevé helped Calvin theater gain acceptance as an academic pursuit, with a major being established in the mid-1970s.

"I always believed that you could be as good of a Christian in the theater as you could in any other field," Boevé once said. "I felt strongly that whatever we do should be done to the best of our ability. That has always been one of my guiding principles."

The service for Boevé will be held on Friday, July 7 at 7 pm in the Calvin Chapel. Visitation for Tiemersma will be from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm on Friday, July 7, at Zaagman's on Burton Street. A memorial service will be held in the Calvin College Chapel at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 8. Time with the family and light refreshments will follow in the undercroft.

For the full story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/boeve_tiemersma.htm
Pronunciations - Boevé is BOO VAY and Tiemersma is TEE MURS MA

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Received on Thu Jul 6 07:54:55 2006