POLAND, Burdette (Bud) Crawford. Born November 24th, 1926 in Reading, PA to Burdette K. Poland and Georgianna Jenkins (Crawford), Bud passed away peacefully Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018 at the age of 91, in Santa Rosa, CA. Devoted husband to Nancy Jean (Aubrey, nee Felter). Beloved father of Bruce (Jodi Hunt), Amy (Bates P. Bates) and Ted (Kitty Jo Larson). Grandfather of Tyler, Conor, Jake, and Tom. Brother of Winnifred Poland Pierce, who preceded him in death in 2012.
Bud earned a bachelor's degree at Swarthmore College, and achieved his PhD in History at Princeton University. A WW II veteran, he enlisted in the US Navy and performed his service stationed in New Orleans, during which time he was enrolled at Tulane University.
A lifelong scholar, writer and lecturer, Bud began his teaching at Dennison College, moving on to the University of Nebraska, and finally to Pomona College, where he spent a distinguished 31-year career teaching Western Civilization and specializing in the revolutionary histories of Russia and France. He was awarded a Pomona College Wig Distinguished Professorship in 1986.
A unique and marvelous teacher, father, and husband, with a dry wit and gentle, generous and thoughtful spirit, Bud will be remembered and missed by those who knew him, and were inspired by him.

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Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Apr. 25 to Apr. 29, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for Burdette Poland

6 Entries

Clinton Cross

May 14, 2023

Bud Poland was a great professor. As I sit here, I am reading a letter he wrote me in 2001. I graduated from Pomona College in 1962. I want to forward the letter and a picture he sent me of his family to the appropriate relative. My email address is: [email protected].

Katharine Rawdon

June 30, 2019

The man who opened up the world of History to me as an unformed young student at Pomona. His lectures were wondrous, brilliant, and delivered with understated charm and dry wit. Those were the days; lucky we were.

Linda Lowenthal

September 21, 2018

Dr. Poland was simply the best professor I ever had, and I've had some excellent ones. I was incredibly lucky to be assigned to his Western Civilization discussion group when I was a Pomona freshman back in 1963. He was a brilliant and inspiring lecturer, and though he revealed very little about his personal life or opinions, I could sense his innate decency and respect for his students. I was never an academic standout, but his classes - and I took all of them - taught me to investigate many viewpoints, reflect, and analyze. His lessons have served me well. He was truly a fine man. My condolences to his family.

Robert Woods

June 25, 2018

Few people have been as important to so many as Bud. First as a professor, then as a colleague, and then too, I hope, as a friend, Bud emanated a sense of unswaying integrity, honesty, and respect for all and especially for truth and decency. He leavened it all with a deep love for his family, concern for his students, and honor to his profession. Wise and reflective (though he opined only when asked), he also enjoyed and appreciated music (from Rameau to Piaf), stories of his biker days, cinema, his long-foregone pipe ... and, of course, his and Nancy's new home in "God's country".

Easter had to be the perfect day for his leaving here; it is the perfect day to remember him anew each year for all of us whom he touched so profoundly.

"He only in a general honest thought/ And common good to all, made one of them./ So mixed in him that Nature might stand up/ And say to all the world, "This was a man."

Sarah Poland

June 5, 2018

Although I last saw Bud with my Aunt Evelyn,back in the late 70's, I heard a lot about him from Winnie Pierce, the keeper of family memories. My sincere condolences to his family.
Sarah Poland ( daughter of the late Sherman Poland)

Amy Bates

April 30, 2018

Dad had an enduring love of animals, especially of dogs, cats and horses; of travel; of languages. He spoke fluent French, passable German and Latin, and became fluent in Italian after he retired. He then studied Spanish and was getting quite good, when a T.I.A. hit him and wiped out all of his knowledge in one fell swoop - he never got it back. Dad also had a beautiful speaking voice, perfect pitch, and could whistle whole symphonies. He loved art and classical music and photography, and had his own darkroom as we were growing up. He adored motorcycles, and owned a couple amazing classics - a Beemer and a Triumph T21. He was a lifelong Democrat (Any Democrat is better than any Republican). He was extremely funny. He loved it when we kids excelled at something, but he never pushed us to go in any particular direction. He came from a broken home at a time when that "wasn't done", but he was an extraordinary father and husband.

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