Walter W. Harp

Professor Harp was one of the most inspiring and gifted teachers (if not THE most) I have ever been
lucky enough to have. His vast knowledge inspired me to learn more and imbibed me with an insatiable love of learning. I only wish I had been able to talk with
him one last time and share one of the thought-provoking conversations that we had so often when I was his student. Professor Harp was the kind of teacher that made you smarter just by proximity to
him. He was one of my...

Dear Walter,
Thank you for being such a kind and inspirational teacher and person. The knowledge you have so generously shared with us will always be remembered by your students and friends at Berklee. Thank you for your great contribution to our learning and understanding.
We wish you peace.
Kayla

Walter's generous humanity is a state of grace towards which I am always aspiring. That my mourning is shared by so many who loved him so deeply is an aching comfort.

I am extremely saddened at the loss of Walter Harp. As my professor, he offered me a view of the world that I had not considered before and a picture of it that included me and others like me. peace

Letter to Walter Harp on November 4, 2005

Dear Walter,
Let me say a few things to you, my first real friend on the Fenway, a true colleague in the best sense of the word. To be a teacher is to be a human being; what better way to spend our lives than to enable the possibilites in others. These qualities, your openness and support, your optimistic spirit, your joy in all things, your insatiable desire for learning, your admiration for the work of your peers, your respect for...

I remember my World History classes with Walter with great respect. He taught me about a greater world out there outside my music. For years after my classes with him we continued to greet eachother on campus fondly over the years. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. We at Berklee will miss him a lot.

Walter was a dear collleague. Unfortunately I didn't know him well. We shared a passion for and exchanged books about teaching. In the times we passed each other in between classes, we would always share a warm, brief conversation, and always there was what seemed to me a glow radiating from him because of his just-finished class.

I indeed loved Walter as a teacher, as a mentor and friend. He inspired me.
Every now and then, I stop to pause over something he said. I wish I could be there to pay my respects at the memorial. He was such a special person who cared to teach the minorities' perspectives in history. I thank Walter for introducing Howard Zinn, openly discussing race and his South African experiences; for cherishing his Berklee students (making us feel very special as he left Harvard for us musicians);...

Dear Walter,
You sparked in me the flame of love for History and Humanity. After you the world around me became a fascinating journey.
I hold you dear in my heart