Alumnus pays tribute to mentor by naming CWRU in his estate
Whenever Kent Cartwright, PhD (GRS 鈥�79, English), encountered a new literary problem in his 40 years in academia, he always asked himself one question: 鈥淲hat does Bob think about this?鈥�
He was referring to the late Renaissance scholar Robert Ornstein, a professor at Case Western Reserve University from 1966 to 1989 and chair of the English department from 1966 to 1968.
Ornstein was Cartwright鈥檚 dissertation director, and the pair developed a bond that lasted long after Cartwright鈥檚 years as a student.
鈥淵our dissertation director will always be your teacher, your mentor, but Bob was also my friend,鈥� said Cartwright, now professor emeritus of English at University of Maryland, College Park, where he taught for 35 years. 鈥淚 read and reread everything he wrote, went to him for advice and tried to emulate him in the classroom. He had a profound impact on my life.鈥�
Cartwright worked closely with Ornstein both in and out of school, working as his grader as well as serving as his research assistant on three educational films. The experience inspired the alumnus to begin giving back to Case Western Reserve just two years after graduation, and he has remained a dedicated supporter ever since.
Now, he and his wife are making a lasting tribute by naming the university in their estate plans.
Though the endowment will be named the Kent and Pamela Cartwright Fund, the bequest honors Ornstein by benefiting the Department of English at CWRU鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences.
鈥淗aving chaired the English department at University of Maryland for six years, I know an open-ended gift is the most helpful in advancing a department鈥檚 mission,鈥� the alumnus said. 鈥淢aybe it will provide research support for faculty members and special activities for students, but ultimately, it鈥檚 up to the department鈥攁nd that鈥檚 what Bob would have done.鈥�
Cartwright is not one for praise, and was 鈥渇labbergasted鈥� to receive the College of Arts and Sciences鈥� Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need people in the future to remember me or know who I was; it鈥檚 not about that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l all be forgotten someday, but if you can do a little good, that鈥檚 what counts.鈥�
Originally published in the summer 2024 issue of Forward Thinking magazine