The Life of Woodward

Why Retire Now?
Woodward: I think I made the decision over a number of years—a year and a half. It was a decision based on loving teaching, loving advising, but wanting to have more time to do everything. After my transition year it will be 33 years at Drake, and I went to work in 1959. And since then I've sort of catalogued my time in the workforce. There's all these things I want to do, need to do.

Why the sabbatical portion before your retirement actually begins?
W: That's the way Drake has worked it out. Rather than just say you retire, they give you a transition year. This is the last year they'll be doing that, because they haven't figured out the financial part. [The decision] was not induced by that, it was just there and I took it.

What are you plans for the next year and beyond? Travel, writing? Monarch stuff?
W: Plans for next year include more free time to travel, to write to research. I'd research the monarch butterflies if I had more time, and I'm not being facetious about that. I'll have more time to talk to the wildlife biologists at Neal Smith. I just talked to them last week about expanding my research there, and I'm really excited about that.

I'll go to D.C.— my project is the '60s—to try to make something definitive, which would be a personalized account of the news in the '60s, the way we worked and lived in the nation's capital during that time. It will describe my work at the [Washington] Star, and the way I was involved in some major stories. I'll work with the microfilm at the Star, look back at it. There's people I want to talk to that I haven't talked to in a long time. I found out that the complete library of the Washington Star ended up in the Washington, D.C. public library, uncatalouged; it's like going into the Web now and finding information. So this will be a combination of the personal recollections, stories I worked on and things I researched about the '60s.

I wasn't at the Star when Kennedy died, but I have these recollections that are unlike anyone elses', I did things that no other people did.

How long will it take for you to finish?
W: Too long. I've been working on it since 1960. The way I'm thinking about is that it's for the daughters—the two daughters. They were both born in the '60s.

What will you miss about teaching?
W: Students—all students. You can probably tell that all students are my favorites. This is something all teachers think about—any teacher who likes to teach and who likes students. I have heard of some teachers who don't like students, but I can't imagine why you would be in a profession where you come in direct contact everyday with all these inquiring minds and not like to teach. I also like to advise. I like to stick my nose into students lives and give them advice even when they don't want it.

Will you maintain involvement with Drake and the J-School?
W: I will be operating under the radar screen—as you know I do come to work early and I probably will be coming in sometimes working early. But in the daylight hours during this period, I won't be seen extensively. In theory, I'm supposed to be doing research, right? I'm looking forward to the year.
I've talked to the dean about continuing my Monarch butterfly page on the Drake Web site as long as there are Monarchs and Woodward around. Probably, the Monarchs will be here longer than I will be. I have also talked to the dean about having sort of elongated office space. But if I'm not here to defend my territory, maybe there won't be an office.

When and how will your office be cleaned out?
W: I have no answer. Once I thought that I would start carrying a couple books a day home, but then I always carry more books in. Every summer, you wouldn't know it, I take out six to 10 large plastic bags of stuff and dump them out without taking anything home to save. It's going to take some time, but this year I probably won't do much. Teaching, in my view, takes so much time; I don't have a lot of time to do the sorting. It will probably be next year in the hours when a lot of other people aren't around. If I come in and start talking to people, I wont be able to go through all the piles.

INSIDE

Front Page

Welcome to our Web site, dedicated to the most distinguished Robert Woodward.
Page 1A

Woodward's Top 10

Woodward clues us in on the top...
Page 1C

Memories of Woodward

Everyone has something to say about their professor, coworker and friend.
Page 1D

Woody's Web Work

View Woodward's personal Web site, his class sites and more.
Page 1E

It's a Party

Come celebrate Woodward's retirement with us.
Page 1F

Fundraiser

We're raising money. Help us out.
Page 1G