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In Memoriam: Janis L. Pallister
October 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Dr. Janis L. Pallister, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of romance languages, passed away on October 18, 2008.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, she taught French at BGSU from 1961 until her retirement in 1985. The author of more than 30 books and hundreds of articles and reviews, she was know for her work in French Renaissance literature and in Quebecois literature and cinema. She was the founder and Creatiave Director of the Pallister Francophone Canadian Lecture Series.
A poet, translator, literary scholar, critic, philanthropist and champion of French-speaking artists around the world, Pallister’s contributions to the University and to the world of intellectuals are great. A tangible example on the BGSU campus is the Pallister Conference Room in Jerome Library, which bears her name in recognition of her longstanding and generous support of the library and her 1996 donation which funded the restoration of the building’s signature but decaying exterior murals.
Pallister was named Distinguished University Professor of Romance Languages by the BGSU Board of Trustees in 1979. The University Professorship is the highest honor given to BGSU faculty, awarded only to those who hold the rank of professor and whose creative and professional achievements have won national distinction beyond the limitations of a narrow field of interest.
Among her other awards:
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Ohio Education Association’s Human Relations Award
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BGSU Alumni Association, Honorary Alumnus
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University of Minnesota, Alumnus of Achivement
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Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Scholar award
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International Council for Francophone Studies Lifetime Achievement Award