A very special memorial for a beloved professor
A Memorial for Lee Frost-Kumpf
On Monday evening, Oct. 20, 2008, just as the sun was setting, UIS faculty, staff, and friends gathered outside the Public Affairs Center to dedicate a tree and bench in memory of beloved UIS faculty member Lee Frost-Kumpf, who died in 2003.
“Those of us who knew Lee,” says Hilary Frost-Kumpf, “agree that the PAC coffee shop would have been the best place for a memorial. Since we couldn’t plant a tree there, we put it just outside in the space between PAC and University Hall.”
Hilary thinks Lee would appreciate the setting: “It is an area of high traffic, which fits Lee, who always was in the thick of activity on campus. No memorial in a quiet, remote setting would do for him.”
She hopes the bench and the tree — a Sophora japonica, also called a Scholar Tree — will be a place where students, faculty and staff engage in lots of lively conversation. Such an enthusiastic exchange of ideas will capture so much of what Lee loved to do.
Remembrances
- As Julie Slack, former UIS staff member said in remembrance of Lee, “He always brought energy, wit and intelligence to whatever he did, whether it was a discussion over lunch, strategizing for a meeting or just shooting the breeze when he dropped by my office to chat.”
- And according to Cecilia Cornell, history professor, “(Lee) was such a vital force on campus, and his enthusiasm was contagious.”
- Lee’s insatiable curiosity helped make him a great teacher and scholar. Joel Lieske, a fellow student of political studies at the University of Cincinnati, said, “He got genuinely excited about all sorts of ideas, not just political ideas. In this sense, he was a true intellectual.”
- Lee’s ready enjoyment and love for people made him an exuberant and welcome presence. “What a magnificent person Lee was — filled with vitality, enthusiasm and boundless intellectual curiosity!” said Amy and Malcolm Levin. “He was a deeply cherished friend and colleague to both of us.”
- Perhaps most of all, generosity sums Lee up — generosity of spirit, of friendship, of intellect, of kindness. “He was always there to help in word and action, taking on all he could to bring understanding to the world,” said Susanne W. Catana, fellow doctoral student at The Ohio State University.
Take a Minute to Remember
If you took a class from Lee, if you worked with him, served with him, or even just knew him, you know how special he was. One way to honor him would be to add to his scholarship fund, The Lee Frost/Kumpf Scholarship Fund. You can find this fund through the Give Now link at left, listed under the Scholarships section.
But now you have another way to honor Lee. The next time you’re on campus, grab a hot cup of coffee--he liked hazelnut flavoring--head out to Lee’s memorial bench under the scholar tree and raise a toast to this wonderful man.
The plaque near the bench says it so well:
