Fond remembrances of Lynn, his life, and his work are welcomed here.
9 Replies to “Fond remembrances of Lynn, his life, and his work are welcomed here.”
Before I met him, Lynn was described to me as direct and sometimes abrupt. Both were true, but I discovered many other aspects of his personality over the years.
-Ages ago when I was a young staff member, Hampshire had informal summer faculty/staff softball games that included any interested students on or around campus. Lynn was competitive and loved to win, but mostly he just loved to play. I was anything but a skilled and experienced player, but the games were fun and the concept of such faculty/staff interaction seemed revolutionary to me. On more than one occasion when Lynn was pitching, he would stop the game to offer tips from the mound on my batting stance and swing, and he was as thrilled as I was when I managed to get a hit. Clearly he wanted everybody to have as good a time as he was having.
-When I was new in the NS office, a faculty member came looking for computer help. I had to confess that I didn’t know how to perform the task, and it was rather pointedly suggested that I learn in a hurry. Lynn came in the same day with a somewhat related request, and I had to confess my ignorance once again. With no sharpness whatsoever he looked at me and said, “May I show you?” He did indeed show me, and for sometime afterwards I would find computer tips and copies of chapters from computer texts in my NS mailbox. I knew from whom they came. Personally, I found Lynn to be uniquely supportive of staff members.
-During the period between my stints in NS, my mom was an unhappy resident in an assisted living setting in upstate NY. I brought her here to spend Thanksgiving with my family and me. She was as great walker, so we came to campus to give her a bit of a tour. As we passed CSC, we encountered Lynn. I introduced him to my mother, and he took her hand and spoke to her about the college, NS, and me. He could not have been sweeter or more courteous. It truly made my mother’s day, and she glowed when telling others about their conversation later. You can imagine how appreciative I was.
Yes, Lynn could be cantankerous and some found him intimidating, but look at it this way: you never had to wonder how he felt about an issue. I truly respected the man and am grateful I got to know him. He will be greatly missed.
I am saddened to think of Hampshire without Lynn.
My thoughts have echoed the sentiments of what others have written here. Without Lynn, Hampshire would not have worked for me. When I arrived at Hampshire, I had dropped out of Northwestern, which had been a less than stellar match for me, despite its strengths in theatre and biology, two of my interests. Without Lynn, not only would I likely not have become a scientist, I may very well have become one of those Hampshire cautionary tales – unfocused, never addressing weaknesses, with grandiose Div III plans that never come to fruition.
Lynn was passionate about the January term Gene Cloning class he developed. When I last saw him several years ago (at the Hamp 45 tribute to him), he was frustrated that it had been modified to be a semester long class. His point (and I concur) was that only by having contiguous days in a lab can you get a feel for whether you might find such work rewarding. Below is what I wrote at the time. I hope others will take up this cause both as a remembrance of Lynn and because of the benefit to students.
Dear President Lash,
I am writing regarding Lynn Miller and his status at Hampshire. It is difficult to overstate the influence Lynn has had on my career. Lynn was my advisor and instructor in a number of classes. Lynn identified and encouraged areas of interest/strength brilliantly, and consistently pushed me to remedy areas of weakness. He was the exactly the kind of mentor/teacher that makes the Hampshire approach work at the highest level. I urge you to let him continue instructing, advising and running the “Gene Cloning” course in the format of his choosing. The latter deserves special comment. The “Jan Term” version of this course was especially valuable in giving students a realistic experience of working in a molecular biology lab, and was a strong influence on many students.
I have spent significant time at a number of institutions, including Columbia University, Princeton University and the University of California Irvine. Lynn is as good an instructor/mentor as I have seen. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if you would like me to expound on these remarks.
I learned a tremendous amount from Lynn Miller and used that information throughout my career. He gave me a terrific technical background for the work I pursued in my PhD. However, more importantly, he gave me the confidence and determination to pursue questions with perseverance. I am a biology professor now and often think of Lynn’s unflagging commitment to his students. His commitment was staggering and I can only hope to emulate that dedication with my own students.
Lynn Miller transformed me from a bright but disorganized first-year student into a productive and intellectually disciplined scientist, setting me on a path to a Ph.D. in Ecology. As my Division II advisor and my teacher in at least three courses, he taught me to think and speak carefully, support my arguments effectively, and write clearly and forcefully. He also taught me to box out effectively on the basketball court.
I changed careers after graduate school, and I’ve been teaching high school mathematics for 36 years. Lynn’s unique blend of rigorous intellectual standards and personal warmth has guided me for my entire career. I would not be the effective teacher I am without Lynn’s model to guide me.
I wonder who I would be today had I never met Lynn Miller….I do know I would not be a scientist today were it not for his encouraging me to pursue science despite the shortcomings, in math and science and thought, I always saw in myself. Lynn taught me to consider what I was capable of not what I wasn’t. In so doing he taught me how to measure myself and gave me space to grow. I still hear Lynn yelling at me, “Think Proctor!”, every time I’m about to take a shortcut or otherwise do something I think I shouldn’t. He has become part of my conscience, and I’m forever grateful for having been mentored by him at Hampshire.
Diana
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had Lynn as my advisor while I was attending Hampshire. He was a superb mentor and friend, and I took almost all of his courses even though they were outside of my primary areas of interest. I wrote to Lynn when he retired, and I am including part of my letter to him here.
“The memories of you are many, but two immediately stand out. The first was when I decided to do an independent study on prostaglandins. I was certainly engrossed in the subject, but had little idea how to do the research. You drove me over to the Amherst College library and spent several hours showing me how to use the resources that I would need, including Index Medicus. After that I was on my own to do the work, but my project could not have succeeded without your initial investment.
I also remember that you, Mike Sutherland I became interested in a book whose title I have unfortunately forgotten, but whose scientific conclusion we all found to be suspicious. This led to a seminar consisting of two professors and one student, which few of my friends attending other colleges could believe. This was an unparalleled educational experience.
From time to time I have read some current student reviews, and see that over time little has changed. There are the accolades, and the criticisms, most of which seem to be a variation of ‘Miller’s course is really hard and he expects me to do the work’. Those make me smile every time.”
I have had no teacher who had greater respect for learning and for his students than Lynn. My wife Sally, who got to know Lynn as well, offer our condolences to his family.
I owe my career to Lynn Miller. He was my adviser at Hampshire and, while tough as nails, gave me the confidence I needed to believe I could become a scientist. And I did. Thirty-six years and still going with a world-renowned science company, without him it would never have happened. I will always be grateful to him for that gift and remember him as such a funny guy; so full of life, critical thought, energy, and rebellion. I have no doubt he will be sorely missed by many. Brings tears to my eyes to hear the news.
Lynn was my Div 1 advisor, and I kept him as an advisor through my entire time at Hampshire. His course, New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers, is the reason I work in public health. But Lynn is the reason I’m pursuing a career where I can better the lives of others. I remember him as a ferocious reader of scientific literature, but also novels and poetry. He often played classical music on the radio in his office. He was intelligent, giving, hilarious, and a total rebel. He would hate me for saying all of these nice things about him; Lynn would never want to be accused of being nice. I can’t imagine Hampshire without Lynn; he will be sorely missed.
I recently heard the tragic news about Lynn Miller. I offer my deepest condolences to his family. He was a wonderful man and mentor. I learned alot about life from him. May he rest in peace.
Before I met him, Lynn was described to me as direct and sometimes abrupt. Both were true, but I discovered many other aspects of his personality over the years.
-Ages ago when I was a young staff member, Hampshire had informal summer faculty/staff softball games that included any interested students on or around campus. Lynn was competitive and loved to win, but mostly he just loved to play. I was anything but a skilled and experienced player, but the games were fun and the concept of such faculty/staff interaction seemed revolutionary to me. On more than one occasion when Lynn was pitching, he would stop the game to offer tips from the mound on my batting stance and swing, and he was as thrilled as I was when I managed to get a hit. Clearly he wanted everybody to have as good a time as he was having.
-When I was new in the NS office, a faculty member came looking for computer help. I had to confess that I didn’t know how to perform the task, and it was rather pointedly suggested that I learn in a hurry. Lynn came in the same day with a somewhat related request, and I had to confess my ignorance once again. With no sharpness whatsoever he looked at me and said, “May I show you?” He did indeed show me, and for sometime afterwards I would find computer tips and copies of chapters from computer texts in my NS mailbox. I knew from whom they came. Personally, I found Lynn to be uniquely supportive of staff members.
-During the period between my stints in NS, my mom was an unhappy resident in an assisted living setting in upstate NY. I brought her here to spend Thanksgiving with my family and me. She was as great walker, so we came to campus to give her a bit of a tour. As we passed CSC, we encountered Lynn. I introduced him to my mother, and he took her hand and spoke to her about the college, NS, and me. He could not have been sweeter or more courteous. It truly made my mother’s day, and she glowed when telling others about their conversation later. You can imagine how appreciative I was.
Yes, Lynn could be cantankerous and some found him intimidating, but look at it this way: you never had to wonder how he felt about an issue. I truly respected the man and am grateful I got to know him. He will be greatly missed.
I am saddened to think of Hampshire without Lynn.
My thoughts have echoed the sentiments of what others have written here. Without Lynn, Hampshire would not have worked for me. When I arrived at Hampshire, I had dropped out of Northwestern, which had been a less than stellar match for me, despite its strengths in theatre and biology, two of my interests. Without Lynn, not only would I likely not have become a scientist, I may very well have become one of those Hampshire cautionary tales – unfocused, never addressing weaknesses, with grandiose Div III plans that never come to fruition.
Lynn was passionate about the January term Gene Cloning class he developed. When I last saw him several years ago (at the Hamp 45 tribute to him), he was frustrated that it had been modified to be a semester long class. His point (and I concur) was that only by having contiguous days in a lab can you get a feel for whether you might find such work rewarding. Below is what I wrote at the time. I hope others will take up this cause both as a remembrance of Lynn and because of the benefit to students.
Dear President Lash,
I am writing regarding Lynn Miller and his status at Hampshire. It is difficult to overstate the influence Lynn has had on my career. Lynn was my advisor and instructor in a number of classes. Lynn identified and encouraged areas of interest/strength brilliantly, and consistently pushed me to remedy areas of weakness. He was the exactly the kind of mentor/teacher that makes the Hampshire approach work at the highest level. I urge you to let him continue instructing, advising and running the “Gene Cloning” course in the format of his choosing. The latter deserves special comment. The “Jan Term” version of this course was especially valuable in giving students a realistic experience of working in a molecular biology lab, and was a strong influence on many students.
I have spent significant time at a number of institutions, including Columbia University, Princeton University and the University of California Irvine. Lynn is as good an instructor/mentor as I have seen. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if you would like me to expound on these remarks.
I learned a tremendous amount from Lynn Miller and used that information throughout my career. He gave me a terrific technical background for the work I pursued in my PhD. However, more importantly, he gave me the confidence and determination to pursue questions with perseverance. I am a biology professor now and often think of Lynn’s unflagging commitment to his students. His commitment was staggering and I can only hope to emulate that dedication with my own students.
Lynn Miller transformed me from a bright but disorganized first-year student into a productive and intellectually disciplined scientist, setting me on a path to a Ph.D. in Ecology. As my Division II advisor and my teacher in at least three courses, he taught me to think and speak carefully, support my arguments effectively, and write clearly and forcefully. He also taught me to box out effectively on the basketball court.
I changed careers after graduate school, and I’ve been teaching high school mathematics for 36 years. Lynn’s unique blend of rigorous intellectual standards and personal warmth has guided me for my entire career. I would not be the effective teacher I am without Lynn’s model to guide me.
I wonder who I would be today had I never met Lynn Miller….I do know I would not be a scientist today were it not for his encouraging me to pursue science despite the shortcomings, in math and science and thought, I always saw in myself. Lynn taught me to consider what I was capable of not what I wasn’t. In so doing he taught me how to measure myself and gave me space to grow. I still hear Lynn yelling at me, “Think Proctor!”, every time I’m about to take a shortcut or otherwise do something I think I shouldn’t. He has become part of my conscience, and I’m forever grateful for having been mentored by him at Hampshire.
Diana
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had Lynn as my advisor while I was attending Hampshire. He was a superb mentor and friend, and I took almost all of his courses even though they were outside of my primary areas of interest. I wrote to Lynn when he retired, and I am including part of my letter to him here.
“The memories of you are many, but two immediately stand out. The first was when I decided to do an independent study on prostaglandins. I was certainly engrossed in the subject, but had little idea how to do the research. You drove me over to the Amherst College library and spent several hours showing me how to use the resources that I would need, including Index Medicus. After that I was on my own to do the work, but my project could not have succeeded without your initial investment.
I also remember that you, Mike Sutherland I became interested in a book whose title I have unfortunately forgotten, but whose scientific conclusion we all found to be suspicious. This led to a seminar consisting of two professors and one student, which few of my friends attending other colleges could believe. This was an unparalleled educational experience.
From time to time I have read some current student reviews, and see that over time little has changed. There are the accolades, and the criticisms, most of which seem to be a variation of ‘Miller’s course is really hard and he expects me to do the work’. Those make me smile every time.”
I have had no teacher who had greater respect for learning and for his students than Lynn. My wife Sally, who got to know Lynn as well, offer our condolences to his family.
I owe my career to Lynn Miller. He was my adviser at Hampshire and, while tough as nails, gave me the confidence I needed to believe I could become a scientist. And I did. Thirty-six years and still going with a world-renowned science company, without him it would never have happened. I will always be grateful to him for that gift and remember him as such a funny guy; so full of life, critical thought, energy, and rebellion. I have no doubt he will be sorely missed by many. Brings tears to my eyes to hear the news.
Lynn was my Div 1 advisor, and I kept him as an advisor through my entire time at Hampshire. His course, New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers, is the reason I work in public health. But Lynn is the reason I’m pursuing a career where I can better the lives of others. I remember him as a ferocious reader of scientific literature, but also novels and poetry. He often played classical music on the radio in his office. He was intelligent, giving, hilarious, and a total rebel. He would hate me for saying all of these nice things about him; Lynn would never want to be accused of being nice. I can’t imagine Hampshire without Lynn; he will be sorely missed.
I recently heard the tragic news about Lynn Miller. I offer my deepest condolences to his family. He was a wonderful man and mentor. I learned alot about life from him. May he rest in peace.
Regards,
Satya