Charles T. Gregory

GREGORY, Charles T.
b. 1 Nov. 1935; d. 10 Oct. 2006

Charles T. Gregory, Professor Emeritus of English at California State University, Sacramento, the originator of the campus's Film Studies Program, a strong supporter of student rights, a campus leader in the student protest movement of the late 1960's and 1970's, and a highly regarded specialist in twentieth-century British and American literature, died October 10. He was 70.

Professor Gregory received his B.A. from Notre Dame and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. After a four-year teaching stint at Indian State (Fort Wayne), he joined the English Department faculty at CSUS in 1966 and quickly developed a reputation as a popular teacher and outspoken critic of U.S. involvement in the war in southeast Asia.

Former Department Chairperson Mark Hennelly said, ''Greg was a humanist in the best sense of the wordwidely read, tolerant, humane. He was an authentic gentleman and a truly generous and gentle man.'' Another colleague, Professor David Madden recalled that ''Greg was the first person in the English Department to welcome me. He always remained a mentor and friend, and I have been forever grateful.'' His friend and colleague, Professor Emeritus Charles E. Nelson, said, ''Greg loved sports and films.'' Nelson added that ''Greg's real passion in sports was basketball. He was point guard for his high school basketball team in Morristown, New Jersey and was a loyal fan of the Boston Celtics, especially during the Larry Bird-Kevin McHale era. When we talked about films, his insights would sometimes startle me because they were so original. He was simply a great guy and an excellent colleague, and I will really miss him.''

Besides his passion for sports and film, Professor Gregory was an avid, and extremely astute critic of theatre, a taste he acquired as a little boy from New Jersey, who was taken to Broadway plays by his mother and aunt, for which he was always grateful to them. His passion for theatre never waned, and he traveled to England and throughout the U.S to see current productions until shortly before his death.

In the early 1970's, Professor Gregory coordinated the campus's Cultural Program Committee, which at that time was responsible for bringing well-known figures to speak on campus. He was particularly pleased to bring the renowned authority on mythology, Joseph Campbell, many of the leading poets of the time such as John Logan and Allen Ginsberg, as well as controversial musicians and politicians. He also sponsored critically-acclaimed European and Japanese films long before they were shown the local ''art'' theatre.

Since 1990, Professor Gregory wrote and published an irreverent yet deeply knowledgeable and insightful newsletter on basketball entitled ''Gregorys Game''to which he often invited his son, Sean, and other good friends to contribute. It had numerous subscribers from throughout the U.S.including several professional sportswriters. In later years, he also enjoyed writing articles on historical issues and interesting local residents for the ''Boulevard Park Newsletter.''

Early in his academic career, Professor Gregory became a strong advocate of student rights and remained so until his retirement in 2003. Nelson remembered going to parties ''at Greg's house where you always knew there would be an interesting mix of faculty and students. You could join any small group of two or three and soon be involved in an exciting and sometimes heated discussion. The experience could be exhilarating.''

Though Professor Gregory was well known for his frank and sometimes blunt criticism during discussions of English Department and campus-wide issues, he was soft-spoken and renowned for his dry wit and keen intelligence. He was much admired by both students and faculty for his courage and honesty.

When asked for a final comment about Professor Gregory, Nelson said, I think what Hamlet said about his late father very effectively describes what Greg meant to his family, colleagues and friends: 'He was a man. Take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.'''

Charles Gregory is survived by his longtime partner, Professor Stephanie Tucker; his son Sean, daughter-in-law Pamela; and five grandchildren: Madeleine, Evan and Fiona Gregory, of Napa, and Gwendolyn and Lucas Thompson, of Sacramento. In accordance with Charles Gregory's wishes, his family plans no memorial service.

Contributions in Professor Gregory's name can be made to the Western Service Workers Association (5040 Perry Ave., Sacramento 95820), whose causes he supported for over 20 years.