John Gerber 1908 - 2003

HAUPTMANN, GERBER, WILBOURN

Posted By: Marguerite (email)
Date: 7/2/2003 at 12:53:40

Iowa City, Iowa

John Christian Gerber, 91, of 359 Magowan Avenue, died following an extended illness.

Memorial services and burial in Oakland Cemetery will be at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the University of Iowa Foundation for the John C. Gerber Professorship. Arrangements are with Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service.

John Gerber was born January 31, 1908, in New Waterford, Ohio, the son of Christian and Mary Leonora Hauptmann Gerber. He married Margaret “Peggy” Wilbourn on July 31, 1913, in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Professor Gerber received his B.A. in 1929 and his M.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1941, he received his Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Chicago. In 1979, he received an honorary degree as Doctor of Letters from Morningside College.

He taught at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Chicago prior to receiving his Ph.D. Professor Gerber was with the University of Iowa Department of English for 34 years, serving as head of the department from 1961-1976. He was Director of the School of Letters from 1967-76 and the Millington F. Carpenter Professor of English 1975-1976. In 1976, he became the Millington F. Carpenter Professor Emeritus of English. From 1976-1984, he was Professor of English at the State University of New York in Albany where he served as Department Chair from 1976-1981.

John had visiting professorships at the University of California in 1949, the University of New Mexico in 1952 and 1957, the University of Southern Illinois in 1959, the University of California – Berkeley in 1960-1961, Trinity College in 1960 and 1963 and the University of Colorado in 1965. He was also a guest lecturer at universities in the Philippines, Egypt, France, South Korea and China.

He received numerous academic awards including: Award for Distinguished Service from the Iowa Council of Teachers of English in 1972; Executive Committee Award from NCTE in 1966; Founder’s Award from the Conference on College Composition and Communication in 1976; Festschrift: American Humor in 1977; Academic Laureate for Continued and Sustained Service to the University from SUNY in 1984 and State of New York Legislative Resolution of Commendation in 1984. The Gerber Lounge in the English Philosophy Building at the University of Iowa was dedicated by the University of Iowa English Faculty and the Gerber Professorship was created by the English Department in 1998.

Particularly interesting among his recognitions was a citation from Governor Mario Cuomo to John for his lifelong devotion to his profession and academic excellence upon his selection for the 1984 Academic Laureate Award.

His professional affiliations were many including the Mark Twain Circle of America and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998; serving as Chair of the American Literature Section in 1969 and on the Executive Council for the Modern Language Association from 1972-1975 and National Council of Teachers of English of which he served as President in 1955.

While at the University of Iowa, he was active on many committees: American Association of University Professors serving as Iowa Chapter President in 1948; Iowa Center of the Arts serving as Coordinator from 1984-1986 and Friends of the University Libraries from 1994-1997.

John authored many books, including Mark Twain; A Pictorial History of the University of Iowa; O Marvelous Model T; Teaching English at the University of Iowa.

John is survived by two daughters, Barbara Gerber Barrett of New York City and Ann Gerber Sakaguchi and her husband Hiroshi of Sebastopol, California;
four Grandchildren, Rachel Gerber Barrett, John Morio Sakaguchi, Kaya Margaret Sakaguchi and Sasha Ann Barrett; and two great-grandchildren, Devin McClain and Jordan Christine Barrett.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Peggy, and one brother, Louis.

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