The Engelhardt Experience

Abstract

There is no way to understand H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. and all he has done without an appreciation of his tremendous wife, Susan. Susan is extremely bright; works virtually non-stop in multiple capacities; knows the rules of grammar inside and out (and is not afraid to correct others); she is kind, loving, insightful, and knows how to say what people need to hear even when they don’t want to hear it; she is a shining example of what it means to be a Christian; and, as anyone who knows Tris can imagine, Susan is unbelievably patient. Susan has made it possible for Tris to do so much of what he has done, not only in terms of teaching, publishing, and speaking, but of being a true mentor and friend. Of his many, many accomplishments, I want to share a bit about his great love for others as evidenced through his work as a teacher and mentor. Tris has taught and mentored many students and countless others who have found themselves under his tutelage, often by first finding themselves in the line of fire at a conference where Tris responded to their papers or asked a question that sounded like it was meant to disembowel them. I suspect that everyone who has been fortunate enough to experience Tris’ love for and dedication to students and scholars would agree that we truly would not be the same, as people, as teachers, and as scholars, without the benefit of “The Engelhardt Experience.”