ACETA
Introduction
In memory of the members and friends of ACETA who have died, we dedicate this page as a space to celebrate their lasting legacy on the organization and on its members.
If you have information regarding a member or friend of ACETA who has passed away and would like to recognize them here, please send along your remembrance to ACETA Web Facilitator, Jamie King at jaking@jeffersonstate.edu.
In Memory of Dr. Philip D. Beidler
Image courtesy of the University of Alabama Department of English website (https://english.ua.edu/people/phil-beidler/)
Dr. Philip D. Beidler, professor emeritus at the University of Alabama, passed away on April 20, 2022. Dr. Beidler was the 1999 recipient of the Eugene Current-Garcia Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Literary Scholar – an award presented by the Monroeville Literary Festival and chosen by the ACETA Executive Steering Committee. His commitment to the teaching of American literature spanned 45 years and his publications included books and articles on topics ranging from Vietnam, early Alabama books, and race in the Atlantic world to magical realism, film, and the power of memory. His connections to the scholarly endeavors of others continued beyond his traditional career and included support for other faculty nominated to the Eugene Current-Garcia Award.
Pam Horn, ACETA’s 2022-2023 Vice-President, recalled “that he was a consummate scholar is doubtless from his work; he was also a kind teacher who remembered student's names for years and who had great patience with youthful ignorance.”
Dr. Beidler’s legacy will live on in the work of his friends, family, and students, and ACETA extends our sincere condolences to them.