Professor Emeritus Jerome (Jerry) Dees in 1994
Earlier this month, on August 15, 2024, Professor Emeritus Jerome (Jerry) Dees passed away, following a severe stroke in 2015. (His obituary is available here.)
Jerry retired from teaching in 2003, but he remained an active member of the department and the Manhattan community for many years — at department parties (hosting with Deborah Murray in their home near campus), around the offices of Denison Hall and then the English Counseling Services Building, and in Manhattan, particularly in Aggieville and often with a book and cup of coffee in hand.
A consummate scholar of Renaissance literature and meticulous editor of the Spenser Newsletter, Jerry was also a deeply engaged teacher. When I arrived in the department shortly before his retirement, I remember having detailed conversations about student learning and assessment of student writing — and subsequently holding in my mind the phrase “What would Jerry do?” when deciding a final grade for a student essay.
For many students, Jerry was a formidable force: he held his students to the high standards of thinking and writing that he expected for himself. His sense of humor and his curiosity, however, could buffer the sharp edges of his comments, and he was generous with his time and energy for those who sought his counsel or his help. As one student from 1989 wrote, “Overall, the most interesting and toughest I’ve had,” while another in 1990 remarked, “The toughest professor I’ve had so far, and possibly the best.”
Family, colleagues, and friends will be gathering on Saturday, September 7, at 3:00pm in the K-State Student Union Bluemont Room to celebrate Jerry’s life. A live-stream link is available upon request by contacting english@ksu.edu.
In the meantime, below is the citation drafted on behalf of the department by former Department Head and now Associate Professor Emerita Linda Brigham to accompany Jerry’s retirement in May 2003, marking his success and his commitment:
Arts and Sciences
Department of English
Jerome S. Dees
May 2003
The faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences honors Dr. Jerome S. Dees for nearly 30 years of service, teaching, and research in the English Department at Kansas State University.
Professor Dees obtained his baccalaureate from Cawtawba College of North Carolina in 1958, his M.A. from Florida State in 1961, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1968. He joined the Kansas State Faculty in 1976 as a specialist in Renaissance literature with particular expertise in the work of Edmund Spenser and the romance genre. He has spoken at scholarly gatherings in his field nationwide, and has published dozens of articles and reviews. From 1992 until 2001 Professor Dees edited the Spenser Newsletter.
Professor Dees has also served the College of Arts and Sciences, particularly on issues related to curriculum, academic standards, and the humanities. But is perhaps his service to students in the Department of English that most strongly marks his record. He was Director of the Undergraduate Program in English shortly after arriving at Kansas State in the 70s, and served several terms as Director of Graduate Studies between 1980 and 1997. Professor Dees has twice won the SAGE graduate teaching award, and he had mentored many of our best students – who do not, and cannot, forget him.
It is clear from his current agenda of pursuits that Professor Dees will continue to publish after he leave the English Department; he has works in progress on Sidney’s Arcadia, and on Lady Mary Wroth, among others. And we suspect that, after retirement, his garden will grow and flourish under his increased attention. But we will sorely miss the influence of his judgement and experience in the daily life of the English Department.
Deborah has asked that any donations be directed to the English Department’s Foundation account (F24275), indicating in the space provided “In memory of Jerry Dees.” Donations can be made online or by check.
We send our sympathies and support to all of Jerry’s family, colleagues, and friends, most especially to our colleague and his spouse, Deborah.
— Karin Westman, Department Head
K-State English 
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