Peter Manning Burkholder

Professor Burkholder had a very dry sense of humor. He would slip humorous comments into his lecture, then watch closely to see whether any of us students had caught it as we furiously wrote notes.

In one lecture, he was talking about the cult of Orphic Enthusiasts, saying that they believed the soul left the body when one sneezed. He also innocently added that these Enthusiasts also were against the eating of beans, a prohibition that seemed rather mysterious to him.

My favorite professor!

Dr. Burkholder was a powerfully thoughtful and considerate man. He was always interested in an incredible variety of ideas and concepts, and tirelessly sought the understanding of each of them. He was truly insatiable in his love for knowledge and whole-heartedly dedicated to his work. He was a true philosopher and a great teacher. He is missed.

In the course of receiving my undergrad in Philosophy I had the opportunity to take a number of classes from Peter. His knowledge, dedication to the craft, his care for his students, and his understated wit and humor will be missed in this world. His character and well-earned merits enhanced CWU greatly. I will miss him.

It's been about 20 years since I last saw Professor Burkholder. I took a number of classes from him in the 90's. He was a genuinly caring professor. I always remember him as the "Logician". He will be missed.

I have only known Peter in the last few years as KathyMae's friend and a retired professor, but I enjoyed getting to know him a bit. As I read your entries, I wish I could have known him a little better. He seemed to enjoy coming to our family gatherings and we were always glad to see him at KathyMae's dinners.

I took 2 classes from Peter before he retired and then worked for him for 2 and a half years doing yard and house work. He was a devoted friend to me, an attentive care taker of his trees, and an ardent collector of books. I most admired him for his careful use of words--when he spoke I knew it would be kind, thoughtful, and exactly what he meant. I have become a better person for having cared for Peter.

I met Peter early in my career at CWU where we were on the Faculty Senate together. He was the only one who answered "present" (as opposed to "here") when the roll was called. It was a mark of his uniqueness that I came to appreciate over the years. He was a true intellectual who lived the "life of the mind" we professors always promote, and our university was fortumate to have him.

Corwin King, Emeritus Professor