Professor Edward Gleason of the English department has been teaching at Saint Anselm since 1968, making him the senior most professor at the College. At the end of this semester, his forty seventh year will come to a close and he will retire, leaving a long legacy of literature studies in his wake.

Professor Gleason has been educated up and down the east coast, receiving his bachelor’s degree from Providence College, followed by a master’s from North Eastern University and a doctoral degree from Catholic University in Washington D.C.

This expansive education has been put to good use for the students of Saint Anselm College. Gleason has taught numerous courses throughout the years, such as Creative Writing (both fiction and poetry), Post-Modern Irish Literature, Post-Modern American, Jazz Poetry, and 19th Century American Literature.

Along with that, he was Department Chair of the English department from 1990-1995.

When he first arrived at the college, he began with teaching 19th Century American Literature. This is one of the courses he is teaching in his final semester, creating a sense of cohesion as he looks back on his career.

Professor Gleason noted this in relation to a staple novel of the course, saying, “The voyage of the Pequod and my voyage with Moby Dick has been the capstone; and so it has come full circle.”

This sentiment expresses a love for his profession, which can also be found in the way he discusses his other courses. Jazz Poetry has been his favorite course to teach.

Despite only having taught it in 2012 and 2014, he delighted in the ability to combine the great passion he has for both jazz and poetry and share them with students.

He also professed appreciation for the Creative Writing courses because, as he stated, “they put me in touch with students’ creative intelligence, which is fun to see evolve.”

As for Post-Modern Irish Literature, he said that is was also gratifying.

This is no surprise; the four sabbaticals he took were all in Ireland. The first one he was a visiting academic at Trinity College in Dublin, and the remaining three he spent in Cork.

Beyond specific courses, Professor Gleason said that his favorite part of being at Saint Anselm College was the interaction with the students:

“I have enjoyed when students respond to ideas I throw out in class. That’s what fires me, when I get students to react. It suggests that there is a dynamic active in the classroom and shows a mutual respect; them for me and I for them.”

Because Professor Gleason has been on campus for such a long time, he has seen the college shift over the years.

One of the most notable changes is the physical plant, which was “quaint and beautiful” when he arrived and has since become “expansive and beautiful.”

The second change is the caliber of his colleagues, expressing that there have been excellent additions throughout the years.

This semester is certainly a bittersweet one for Gleason, which he expressed by saying that it has been “especially emotional to get to feel what the seniors feel as they move on.”

He has also gained a new appreciation for the Commencement address, which he believes Bob Schieffer excelled in last year at the 2014 Commencement, having spoken to the seniors in a humorous, challenging, and informative way.

After forty seven years at Saint Anselm College, Professor Gleason said that next he will “Play a lot of jazz music, maximize use of my recording studio, travel to Ireland and beyond, write more poetry, and take more photographs.”