BGSU alum and past Academy of Distinguished Alumni recipient Dr. Tom Goutierre inscribed a marble bench in front of Prout Chapel honoring four professors and hosted a breakfast on Friday, Sept. 19 to share more about the dedication.
The four professors inscribed on the bench were Robert W. Twyman, Dr. Stewart Givens, William Rock and Dzidra Shllaku.
“They would see me in the hall and be eager to provide any kind of assistance, encouragement or just conversation to show they were interested,” said Goutierre. “When a faculty member like that takes the time to demonstrate that he or she may have confidence in you, it does a tremendous amount to really build one’s self-confidence and that’s what these four did in an uncommon way.”
Goutierre says he had many great professors, but these four had the most impact on his career.
“I wasn’t a bad student, but I wasn’t an outstanding student and these four people spent extra time incorporating me in their discussions, engaging me in jokes and tales of their career and always made me feel like they wanted to encourage me and I felt that a great deal through each one in their own way,” said Goutierre.
Goutierre says he got the idea for the inscription last year while having lunch with his wife and Karmen Concannon, the director of development for university advancement. While walking to his car, he noticed the chapel and decided to check it out.
“We noticed that there were these two marble benches and one on the right had an inscription to four students, but there was no inscription on the one on the left,” he said. “It occurred to me that there should be something about the faculty, so I called Karmen some time later and said I’d like to purchase that bench with an inscription recognizing these four professors in particular.”
Goutierre said he was very happy after his idea got approved, as he had always wanted to find a way to visibly bring attention to and honor those professors.
The breakfast he is hosting is a way to highlight the newly inscribed bench. He invited his family members and the family members of the professors, as well as the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and chairs of the departments that impacted him.
“I wanted to have something just to commemorate this transaction and I really appreciate what Karmen and her team have done to make it possible,” said Goutierre. “I really wanted to have as many of their relatives as possible and I’m most appreciative because I really want those family members to know the impact these professors made upon me.”
Between the four professors, there are nine children and Goutierre says at least seven of the nine children will be attending the breakfast.
“I’ve talked to each of the nine children and I know they are touched by this,” he said. “I feel very privileged to be able to find a way to enhance the respect, honor and love that they have for their parents.”
