把教室当作他的讲坛, Professor Emeritus Larry 梅雷迪思 could captivate his students in just a few words. During his 33-year tenure at 正规博彩十大网站 he left a lasting impression on thousands. To those whose lives he touched, he is more than a professor. 他以前的学生这样描述他:

“一个现代文艺复兴时期的人.”
“天使.”
“一个传奇.”
如果他是希腊神话中的人物, he would be a hybrid cross between the centaur trainer of heroes Chiron, 和狄俄尼索斯, 酒之神, 戏剧和宗教狂喜.”

虽然最后一个描述可能听起来很奇怪, 给那些认识梅瑞狄斯或上过他课的人, 实际上非常完美. 没有任何世俗的比喻可以形容他.

现在, 以一种非同寻常的爱慕之情, more than 50 Pacific alumni have come together to honor the beloved professor by establishing the 劳伦斯·梅雷迪思授予人文学科教授一职. This marks the first time in university history that so many alumni have contributed to endow a professorship.

“我真的很荣幸，”梅雷迪思说. “My goodness this is wonderful that people are reacting this way to my teaching career so I’m really pleased about that. 我也不想要别的方式.”

The fund will provide support for re搜索 and scholarly activities for a faculty member in 太平洋学院 who has distinguished contributions in teaching, 在人文领域的学术和服务. 这也将确保梅雷迪思的遗产得以延续.

1973年的校友皮特·卡罗尔, ’78, 西雅图海鹰队的主教练, and his wife Glena ’77 formed a lifelong friendship with Larry and his wife Pat after taking 梅雷迪思’s Religion of the Body class. 那年春天，梅瑞狄斯 officiated the couple’s wedding with Pat serving as a witness.

“That's how much we thought of him and we wanted him to be part of our love and part of our history and our future and fortunately for us, 拉里一直都是我们生活的一部分,皮特·卡罗尔说. “He is a consummate professor and when you're with him you're in the presence of a special energy and you feel like you're still in class. 任何他开始谈论的话题, you can't wait to hear what he's going to say next and I think that's really the mark of a great teacher.”

“他的智慧在当时是显而易见的，”格莱娜·卡罗尔说. “我们当时还年轻，容易受影响. It was obvious and he's just continued to share his wisdom with us throughout our lives. We’re very fortunate to have maintained that connection with a professor going all the way back to UOP days.”

The Carrolls were also the lead donors behind the endowed professorship.

"We love him so much and we love all that he's ever stood for and ever meant to people so we would like to extend that opportunity to others,皮特·卡罗尔说. 

梅雷迪思, 谁在8月92岁, joined Pacific in 1966 when he was recruited from his position at Albion College by then Pacific President Robert Burns to help 成立卡里森学院. Callison was one of the first cluster colleges in the nation and emphasized international relations with faculty and students traveling annually to the far east.

的显著特征 Callison的重点是非西方研究, 要求学生在国外度过大二. 梅雷迪思 travelled to India with students on several occasions and, 还有帕特和他们年幼的儿子, joined students in Japan where he was a professor in residence. “你必须这么做. 你不得不离开. 教学不可能孤立在一个地方，”梅雷迪思说. During their stay in Japan he made it a point to visit each student’s home or place of residence all over the island while Pat made sure their boys kept up with their schoolwork. 在一起, they homeschooled their children in the mornings and took them to visit shrines and temples in the afternoon. “Everybody had to be exposed to another way of seeing the world. 这太有启发性了. 我很荣幸能参与其中.”

在后来的岁月里, 他获得了富布赖特教学奖学金，并在格拉茨任教, 1984年在奥地利和日惹, 1992年的印度尼西亚.

在太平洋, 梅雷迪思 served as dean of the chapel and a professor of the humanities and religious studies. He transformed the chapel into the epicenter of campus by integrating it into the curriculum. 以思想自由、教学前卫著称, 他开设了宗教和现代文化等课程, 耶稣的生平, 宗教，体育，宗教和电影. Classes were punctuated by guest lectures from influential figures, 包括安吉拉·戴维斯, Timothy Leary, Dolores Huerta和Charles Schulz, 谁经常留下来和学生一起吃午饭.

One class was usually all it took to solidify his place in the hearts of his students.

贾斯汀·金格里，96年, ’99, 谁是校友筹款活动的先锋, 还记得他第一天上梅雷迪思的课吗. 梅雷迪思 asked if anyone ever wondered if Jesus could have been married. 全班都惊呆了. Gingery被卖掉了. 从那天起, he made it a point to pick his schedule based on whatever 梅雷迪思 was teaching that semester.

Gingery grew up in a single-parent household and credits 梅雷迪思 with helping him through a difficult time in his life. “他对我来说就像父亲一样. There’s not one aspect of my life that I don’t model after him,在罗斯维尔做律师的金格里说. “关于这个人，我怎么说都不为过. 他是一个牧羊人，他把我带到和平的草地上.”

对梅雷迪思夫妇来说，学生们过去是——现在也是——家人. “His interaction with students beyond the classroom was an important part in our lives and the students’ lives,帕特·梅雷迪思说. Before each Thanksgiving break, the couple hosted students at their home. “We would serve a big pumpkin dessert and they would laugh and talk and tell stories. 他们来过我家很多很多次.”

Reunions beyond the classroom continued well after students had graduated. On a few occasions, 梅雷迪思 even travelled on the road with Coach Carroll and his team. These visits usually included playing catch on the football field or a game of basketball.

“拉里的手很好，”卡罗尔说. “He could catch the ball in the back corner of the end zone and he has a 篮球场上经典的勾手扫球.”

“嗯，他说得对。”梅瑞狄斯笑着说.

But it’s his legacy as a teacher, mentor and friend that will stand the test of time.

梅雷迪思说:“我从教学生中学到了很多. “学生时代是一段宝贵而短暂的时光. 我是他们生活中的客人, and really the whole tenor of that meeting is up to both of us, 但学生才是这一切的中心. 邀请你进去的是学生，一旦邀请你进去, 这对我们俩来说都是美好的时光. 这是世界上最伟大的工作.”

捐赠者可以向该基金捐款 给在线 或与Janice Bross联系 jbross@tzxxw.net or 925.323.6094.