Harold Bershady, a Sociology professor that students have called "a wonderful and vibrant instructor," "Peter Pan," the "grandfather I never had" and "my favorite man at this university," is retiring after 40 years of teaching at Penn.
Though Bershady has served many administrative and editorial roles and published a number of books and articles, he is best known among students for his love of teaching and unique teaching style.
Upon his retirement, Sociology Professor Renee Fox said Bershady was asked to choose the topic for a day-long symposium to be held in his honor.
"When he was asked what he would like to have as a subject of a symposium, he chose the topic of excellence in teaching," Fox said.
"I think that's an indication of how important teaching always has been to him," she added. "He wanted to use this momentary place in the sun to emphasize on a University-wide level how important teaching is."
The Symposium on Excellence in Teaching was held last Friday, May 3, drawing about 75 students, faculty and friends, including about 20 former students who flew in to honor Bershady. Professors in departments ranging from Music to Physics spoke about their varied experiences in teaching.
"It was a tribute to his style of teaching and his caring of teaching," Sociology Department administrator Judy Christensen said.
During his career at Penn, Bershady worked in many roles, including Sociology Department undergraduate and graduate chairman and, most recently, chairman of the University Committee on Independent Majors.
The length of Bershady's career at Penn has given him a unique perspective on how the University has changed over the years.
"I think the University is much more cosmopolitan now than it was when I first came," Bershady said. "It reaches out all over the world, which I find quite wonderful."
Bershady has supervised 40 Ph.D. candidates over the years, and estimates the number of students he has taught at about 100,000.
"It would make a university all in itself," Bershady said.
Among these students was Judith Rodin, Penn's current president.
Now that he is retired, Bershady says he is going to "travel, visit my kids and grandson and shoot pool, go to movies in the afternoon when I want to without feeling any guilt at all and get up whenever I want to."
"And teach my grandson how to shoot pool," he added. "Did I mention shooting pool?"
And, with the status of professor emeritus, Bershady will also continue to speak at conferences and to author and co-author several works-in-progress.
Still, Bershady, who received the Lindback Award for excellence in teaching in 1993, said he will miss being able to interact with students -- something he calls "one of the great pleasures of my life."
"For me, teaching has never been a chore -- it's always been a pleasure," Bershady said.
"And it became very different as I got older, because I changed from being potential lover to father to grandfather over the span of those 40 years, and it makes different challenges and issues to my relationships," he added. "Teachers need students just as much as students need teachers."
