To the Editors:
I am writing to express my profound disappointment with the decision not to rehire history professor Ronald Edsforth. In my four years at Dartmouth, I was constantly impressed with the faculty. Even among this distinguished group, Edsforth brought an exceptional level of energy and dedication. I met the news with dismay, and I feel compelled to express my thoughts on this serious matter.
In the fall of my freshman year, I took Edsforth's class on U.S. economic and business history. The class not only convinced me that Dartmouth's reputation for excellent teaching was well founded, but also that I should pursue a major in history. In the years following, Edsforth played a pivotal role in my development as a student of history. He generously offered his time and support as my advisor when I participated in the history department's foreign study program and when I wrote a senior thesis. As anyone who has written a thesis will attest, the experience is both challenging and fulfilling. It was an honor to spend my culminating experience as a Dartmouth student under the guidance of Edsforth.
I know that my experience with Edsforth was not unique. In the history department, he is a dynamic force that excites and inspires majors and non-majors alike. How could Dartmouth, a college with a well-deserved reputation for great teachers, let one of its best go? For the sake of its current and future students, I believe Dartmouth must reexamine this question.
