Professor makes impact at Purdue

As the semester comes to a close, the official Purdue days of a truly great man and educator will come to an end. With his retirement, Calvin Schrag will leave a void in the Purdue community only the fond memories of colleagues and invaluable lessons learned by his students will fill.

Dr. Schrag is a unique man and philosopher. With a mind whose brilliance often leaves his students in awe, he never let his erudition get in the way of clarity of thought and excellence in teaching. At a time when obtuseness and aloofness passes for profundity, Dr. Schrag's clarity and approachability set him apart in a class of his own. His clear style, patience and willingness to listen (and I remember him listening even when I was clearly wrong) have burnt an indelible image in my memory of what a great teacher should be. I have heard time and again students say that talking to him is like talking to a benevolent grandfather, the wisdom of whose words slowly sink in over the course of weeks.

I feel both humbled and privileged to have come into contact with Dr. Schrag while at Purdue and to have learned from his books and from his demeanor what philosophy and humanity could be like. Quietly and with his unique brilliance, Dr. Schrag touched the lives of his students, some of whom now sport graying hair and still speak fondly of one of the few who can truly be called a great master. He leaves Purdue a better place for having been here and will continue to serve as an example of scholarship and humanity to those whose luck affords them an opportunity to cross paths with him.