After nearly 70 years in education, ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ās Wolverton announces retirement
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.āDistinguished ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ Professor of Classics RobertĀ E.ĢżāBobā Wolverton,Ā Sr.Ģżis announcing his retirement after approximately 70 years in education.Ģż
Wolverton, 94, will step down from his full-time role in the Department of Classical and ModernĀ LanguagesĀ andĀ Literatures effective June 30. He plans to focus on writing his autobiography and return to ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ classrooms on a part-time basis in future semesters.ĢżWolverton has been a fixture on the ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ campus since coming to Starkville as the universityās vice president for academic affairs in 1977.Ģż
āI couldnāt have found a better fit for me,ā Wolverton said. āI have a wonderful relationship with ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„, the city of Starkville and so many people.ĢżI couldnāt have found a better place to develop myself and do things I never thought I would be doing.āĀ
In addition to serving as vice president of academic affairs, Wolverton has served as a department head and professor at ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„, as well as president of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate.ĢżĀ
āDr. Wolverton has served as the touchstone for more than a generation of faculty at ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„,ā said Rick Travis, dean of ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ās College of Arts and Sciences. āHis life-long dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, the love of wisdom, the intellectual development of students and preparing them for a life well-lived is at the heart of the mission of the College of ArtsĀ andĀ Sciences. That is why we named our highest award the āRobertĀ E.ĢżWolverton Legacy Award.ā We celebrate his retirement with the hope that it is only for a short time before he can return to us on a part-time basis and continue his work with our students and faculty.āĀ
AmongĀ WolvertonāsĀ many honors, he has been named a John Grisham Master Teacher,Ā theĀ universityāsĀ highest honor given for excellence in classroom instruction. He also has been honored with the ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ Alumni Association Faculty Achievement Award and College of Arts and Sciences Humanist Award. In 2015, ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ announced that the rotunda in Old Main Academic Center would be named in his honor.Ģż
Wolverton holds a bachelorās degree in classics from Hanover (Indiana) College, a masterās from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina. He has been on the faculty at the University of Georgia, and Tufts and Florida State universities.Ģż
In the community, Wolverton has served in leadership roles with Starkville Community Theatre,Ā Starkville Public Library,Ā Starkville Friends of the LibraryĀ and the Starkville-¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ Symphony Association, among others.ĢżHe is also a member of the Starkville Area Education Hall of Fame.Ģż
Wolverton said he believesĀ Classics remainĀ relevant in society,Ā and he has been encouragedĀ by ¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ās support for the field.ĢżHe added that his love of the field and of his students are a big part of what has kept him teaching well into his 90s.ĢżĀ
āIāve said that if youāre doing what you love and you love what youāre doing, the chances are youāll be very successful,ā Wolverton said. āWhenĀ I look back at all the things that have gone on here, I have to say that Iāve had so much joy, mainly because of my colleagues and the students. Students are always a great source of inspiration. They come up with ideas and are full of optimism typically. They keep all of us pretty young.āĀ
¶ą¶ąÖ±²„ is MississippiāsĀ leadingĀ university, available onlineĀ atĀ .Ģż