Memories of Dotty Hall

In the fall of 1988, the first year the FYP was required of the entering class, I began teaching with Dotty Hall in Reiff College on a three-person teaching team along with John Valentine, who was in philosophy then. In those days, one person was the chair of the college and, since I had been a pilot faculty member in the FYP and so supposedly knew how everything was to work, I was the chair. There were forty-five FY students in Reiff. Those years teaching together were the key to my memories of Dotty. They created a bond between us, certainly. Before that, I knew her a bit but I certainly didn't know her well. Like many then, she was out of her comfort zone in joining the faculty of FYP since it required her to teach reading, writing, and speaking--skills she said she hadn't been trained in nor really did her department. My job was to disabuse her of such hesitations. We did that together, and despite a very long time in the FYP with lots and lots of teaching partners, I would say that teaching with Dotty was the highlight of my team-teaching. Ever warm, interested, caring, inquiring, and thoughtful, Dotty always put our students and their experiences first. She contributed immeasurably to what we did in Reiff College. She pushed, intent always on shaping the whole person. She succeeded.
Bob Thacker, Canadian Studies and English