We are saddened to announce the death of Professor Emory Trosper, a respected and popular administrator and U.S. history professor. He passed away on December 23, 2011.
It was this time of year three years ago that Scott Wiley emailed to tell me that Emory Trosper’s health had taken a turn for the worst, and that if I had been planning to get in touch with him, I should do it soon. I wrote a letter that night, 19 December, and put it in a Japanese mailbox. I learned later that Emory had passed away on 23 December. I don’t know if he ever received my letter, and I suppose I never will.
Emory was one of my favorite people at the university. He spoke at the orientation I attended at Yokota in 1990. Since he was the Area Director for Australia, he spoke about Woomera. He said that it was in the middle of nowhere. That it was hot and that water had to be piped in from Adelaide, 500 kilometers away. That it was surrounded by snakes. That it had very large mosquitos and that the food was terrible. Afterwards I introduced myself and told him that Woomera sounded great, and that I would like to go. He said if I really wanted to go, I needed to remind him periodically, so before I left Yokota and throughout my following year in Korea, I sent him short, tongue-in-cheek letters reminding him of my fondness for mosquitos and bad food. The next year I was sent. After I came back, I told him that Woomera wasn’t anything like he made it sound. He chuckled and said in his quiet voice “Of course it wasn’t. I just tell the faculty that because they are always asking me to send them there.”
Over the following years, back when faculty still passed through Yokota on their way to somewhere else, I always made a point to go to his office to see him. After a few years and visits, he informed me one day “We’re friends now. You can call me Emory.” Since this seemed to be important to him, it was important to me. When I told him that I was going to be teaching in the Russian program, he was delighted to the point of becoming animated. He told me how he had studied Russian with the military at the beginning of the cold war. He then a swung around in his swivel chair, reached up and removed a book from the bookshelf, turned back and handed it to me, saying “This is for you.” It was the textbook he had used in his class in 1947. I was stunned. I told him that I couldn’t accept it. It was just too much. He should keep it. I could see that he was relieved. I sensed that he had gotten caught up in the moment and regretted offering it as soon as the words left his mouth. But he had offered it, so he couldn’t take it back. But since I had said no, he didn’t have to give it up. It was a real win, win, win situation: He had made a magnanimous offer; I had received a magnanimous offer; and he got to keep the book. It was a very nice moment. One that I’ll always remember.
In the letter I wrote to him three years ago, I mentioned that I assumed that he was aware that there had been a great deal of change in the Asian Division since he left. I went on to say “I guess change is inevitable, and sometimes change and changes are for the better. But being as objective as I can, I have to say that the changes have not been positive. There is no point in dwelling on the negatives. The changes have caused me recently to reflect though on my time (much of which overlapped with yours) with the Asian Division, and rather than feeling sad and nostalgic, I feel more a sense of having been very fortunate. I've come to conclude that I (we) were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. We got to take a job that provided us with more than a career; it provided us with a whole lifestyle, a lifestyle that was unusual and exciting, but also meaningful and of value to others. We got to live interesting lives at the edges of the American empire, and we got to help others by doing it. How fortunate we have been.”
And how fortunate many of us have been to have known Emory Trosper. A gentleman and a scholar, yes, but also a man who was kind and generous and funny and completely dedicated to the university and the students, staff and faculty who are a part of it. It’s an understatement to say, but it’s worth saying nevertheless that it was always a pleasure being with him. Always a real pleasure.
Emory was a fine fellow. In 1982, as Neil Foley and I were opening a new UMAD operation in Diego Garcia, word came from Yokota that Emory would be sent there to briefly inspect and support our efforts. Neil and I were of course completely dependent on the US Navy there. Emory was entranced by the sheer exotic and a little crazy nature of our situation, and to join in the spirit we all decided to forego his formall call on the Navy commander in favor of enjoying each other's company over a bottle of cordial--weren't we wicked?
Great recolections of Emory here Jerry, thanks for posting this. I first met Emory in August of 1975 at the old UM's Far East Division office at Tachikawa AFB. Later he and Joe Arden took the newly arrivied faculty to a terrific restuarant in Tokyo. Terribly impressed with Emory's knowledge and soft spoken manner.
Emory Trosper played a very significant role in my life as my boss for almost 7 years. He provided many opportunities for every person on his staff to grow personally and professionally. He was always very formal with us but each year at commencement he took the time to share a favorite UMUC memory with us and always choked up as he thanked us for helping pull commencement together under Mel's leadership. I stayed in touch with him and although I knew his health was failing, it never seemed possible that he wouldn't be around forever. Shortly after he passed away while moving my father to Georgia and going through boxes I discovered that Emory had been my fathers Hostory instructor in Vietnam. Thank you Jerry for sharing your memories.
When I arrived in the Far East Division (later renamed the Asian Division) in January of 1975, Emory was both Registrar and Acting Director, after the recent unexpected death of Ed Austin whom I never met .(Joe Arden became Director about 7 months later) I recall that Emory took the four of us new faculty to the Tachikawa AB Officers Club in Tokyo (near what was then Far East Division headquarters for U of Maryland) for our welcome dinner. It was "bingo night" with loud card calling and yells from the winners.. I vividly remember Emory saying ,"One thing you'll soon find out is that the military loves their bingo." Until I started teaching for Maryland overseas, I had never been on a US military base, either in the US or overseas, so it was, indeed, a time when I began to learn a lot. Emory was always available to give advice and assistance. .
Jerry Collins
It was this time of year three years ago that Scott Wiley emailed to tell me that Emory Trosper’s health had taken a turn for the worst, and that if I had been planning to get in touch with him, I should do it soon. I wrote a letter that night, 19 December, and put it in a Japanese mailbox. I learned later that Emory had passed away on 23 December. I don’t know if he ever received my letter, and I suppose I never will.Emory was one of my favorite people at the university. He spoke at the orientation I attended at Yokota in 1990. Since he was the Area Director for Australia, he spoke about Woomera. He said that it was in the middle of nowhere. That it was hot and that water had to be piped in from Adelaide, 500 kilometers away. That it was surrounded by snakes. That it had very large mosquitos and that the food was terrible. Afterwards I introduced myself and told him that Woomera sounded great, and that I would like to go. He said if I really wanted to go, I needed to remind him periodically, so before I left Yokota and throughout my following year in Korea, I sent him short, tongue-in-cheek letters reminding him of my fondness for mosquitos and bad food. The next year I was sent. After I came back, I told him that Woomera wasn’t anything like he made it sound. He chuckled and said in his quiet voice “Of course it wasn’t. I just tell the faculty that because they are always asking me to send them there.”
Over the following years, back when faculty still passed through Yokota on their way to somewhere else, I always made a point to go to his office to see him. After a few years and visits, he informed me one day “We’re friends now. You can call me Emory.” Since this seemed to be important to him, it was important to me. When I told him that I was going to be teaching in the Russian program, he was delighted to the point of becoming animated. He told me how he had studied Russian with the military at the beginning of the cold war. He then a swung around in his swivel chair, reached up and removed a book from the bookshelf, turned back and handed it to me, saying “This is for you.” It was the textbook he had used in his class in 1947. I was stunned. I told him that I couldn’t accept it. It was just too much. He should keep it. I could see that he was relieved. I sensed that he had gotten caught up in the moment and regretted offering it as soon as the words left his mouth. But he had offered it, so he couldn’t take it back. But since I had said no, he didn’t have to give it up. It was a real win, win, win situation: He had made a magnanimous offer; I had received a magnanimous offer; and he got to keep the book. It was a very nice moment. One that I’ll always remember.
In the letter I wrote to him three years ago, I mentioned that I assumed that he was aware that there had been a great deal of change in the Asian Division since he left. I went on to say “I guess change is inevitable, and sometimes change and changes are for the better. But being as objective as I can, I have to say that the changes have not been positive. There is no point in dwelling on the negatives. The changes have caused me recently to reflect though on my time (much of which overlapped with yours) with the Asian Division, and rather than feeling sad and nostalgic, I feel more a sense of having been very fortunate. I've come to conclude that I (we) were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. We got to take a job that provided us with more than a career; it provided us with a whole lifestyle, a lifestyle that was unusual and exciting, but also meaningful and of value to others. We got to live interesting lives at the edges of the American empire, and we got to help others by doing it. How fortunate we have been.”
And how fortunate many of us have been to have known Emory Trosper. A gentleman and a scholar, yes, but also a man who was kind and generous and funny and completely dedicated to the university and the students, staff and faculty who are a part of it. It’s an understatement to say, but it’s worth saying nevertheless that it was always a pleasure being with him. Always a real pleasure.
Talbott Huey
Emory was a fine fellow. In 1982, as Neil Foley and I were opening a new UMAD operation in Diego Garcia, word came from Yokota that Emory would be sent there to briefly inspect and support our efforts. Neil and I were of course completely dependent on the US Navy there. Emory was entranced by the sheer exotic and a little crazy nature of our situation, and to join in the spirit we all decided to forego his formall call on the Navy commander in favor of enjoying each other's company over a bottle of cordial--weren't we wicked?
Talbott Huey
Robert Bolland
Great recolections of Emory here Jerry, thanks for posting this. I first met Emory in August of 1975 at the old UM's Far East Division office at Tachikawa AFB. Later he and Joe Arden took the newly arrivied faculty to a terrific restuarant in Tokyo. Terribly impressed with Emory's knowledge and soft spoken manner.
Cyndi Inkpen
Emory Trosper played a very significant role in my life as my boss for almost 7 years. He provided many opportunities for every person on his staff to grow personally and professionally. He was always very formal with us but each year at commencement he took the time to share a favorite UMUC memory with us and always choked up as he thanked us for helping pull commencement together under Mel's leadership. I stayed in touch with him and although I knew his health was failing, it never seemed possible that he wouldn't be around forever. Shortly after he passed away while moving my father to Georgia and going through boxes I discovered that Emory had been my fathers Hostory instructor in Vietnam. Thank you Jerry for sharing your memories.
Ronald Schlundt
When I arrived in the Far East Division (later renamed the Asian Division) in January of 1975, Emory was both Registrar and Acting Director, after the recent unexpected death of Ed Austin whom I never met .(Joe Arden became Director about 7 months later) I recall that Emory took the four of us new faculty to the Tachikawa AB Officers Club in Tokyo (near what was then Far East Division headquarters for U of Maryland) for our welcome dinner. It was "bingo night" with loud card calling and yells from the winners.. I vividly remember Emory saying ,"One thing you'll soon find out is that the military loves their bingo." Until I started teaching for Maryland overseas, I had never been on a US military base, either in the US or overseas, so it was, indeed, a time when I began to learn a lot. Emory was always available to give advice and assistance. .
Ron Schlundt.