Spanish Faculty News

The Jeffrey B. Ferguson Memorial Teaching Prize honors the memory of an accomplished scholar and beloved Amherst College professor.  The inaugural Karen and Brian Conway ’80, P’18 Presidential Teaching Professor at the college, Jeff Ferguson taught in the Department of Black Studies for more than two decades.  The departmental curriculum that he designed, and his skills and dedication as a teacher, provided the opportunity for countless students to develop foundational intellectual skills that transformed their lives and contributed to their success—during their time at Amherst and beyond.  Professor Ferguson enabled students to become close readers and persuasive writers who grounded their scholarly work in sound argumentation and thorough research. The Ferguson Prize is awarded to Amherst faculty members who see teaching as an art and vocation, engage in pedagogical innovation in their courses, have a significant impact in their department or program and on the broader curriculum, help students develop foundational skills in the finest liberal arts tradition, inspire students and colleagues alike to cultivate the life of the mind, and have a lasting impact on students’ intellectual and personal development.

James Maraniss, Professor of Spanish, Emeritus, died on January 9, 2022. Jim began at Amherst in 1972 after receiving his doctorate at Princeton. He was a voracious reader and scholar, writing the libretto for an operatic adaptation of Calderón de la Barca's La vida es sueño (Life is a Dream) in collaboration with Lew Spratlan, Peter R. Pouncey Professor of Music, Emeritus, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Jim was also a longtime translator for Antonio Benítez-Rojo, Amherst Professor of Spanish and noted exiled Cuban writer.  Jim had a deep sense of community, adored his native Wisconsin, and was a born storyteller. In courses on Golden Age Literature, the Generations of '98 and '27, European Theater, Poetic Translation, Spanish Film and the Spanish Civil War, Jim inspired generations of students with his sprawling intellect and generous nature. With his wife Gigi and their beloved corgies, Jim retired to his oasis in Chesterfield in 2015, but could still be seen occasionally visiting the Amherst campus he loved. His colleagues in the Spanish Department and across campus will remember his spirit and celebrate his life and contributions to our Department.

The New York Times wrote this article about his passing.