By Chris Brown & Mallory Bowman
To some, the late Dr. Paul Weber was a mentor. He was also a scholar, a writer and a teacher. But most of all, he was a friend.
Many of the people whose lives he touched gathered at Jim Patterson Stadium Sept. 30 for a party í- a salute, in fact – to honor Weber, a professor of Political Science at the University of Louisville, and his 30-year teaching career.
Weber battled a rapidly spreading form of cancer until early last week, when he passed away late Sunday night. “Paul was healthy until the end of March this year,” said Maddie Reno, his wife of 28 years. “He was diagnosed March 31, 2005. We didn’t even know he was sick.”
Even though the mood of the party was upbeat, the event had a somber undertone. It seemed that the guests were more aware of Weber’s illness than he was. “He’s always been upbeat, cheery, and I’ve never seen him mad,” said Marsha Shields, director of Paralegal Studies at U of L. “They just don’t get any better. The man’s almost a saint.”
Until his illness drained his strength, Weber was an active member of the university community, teaching classes through the spring 2005 semester. Weber served as an undergraduate adviser and former chair in the Political Science department, former chairman of the Grawemeyer Awards program, founding director of the McConnell Center for Political Leadership and a pioneer in the field of religion and politics.
But it wasn’t just his achievements that made Weber memorable – it was his dedication to people. “He was one of the finest people I’ve ever known, and truly beloved by his students,” said U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a statement on Oct. 10.
“You’ve really left a legacy,” said Don Miller to Weber at the gathering. Miller is a local attorney and former student of Weber’s. “There is really not a day that goes by when I don’t think about something you’ve told me.”
“He gave me the confidence I needed to reach my goals,” Miller told the crowd. “I was the first person in my family to go to college and he helped me every step of the way. He’s one of the most important influences in my life.”
Weber even opened his home to his students, teaching a class from his living room one semester. “I worked during the day, and the students came over before I was home,” recalled Reno. “They would go into the kitchen and have dinner ready when I came home. We would eat, and I would sit in the living room while [Weber] taught and take the class too.”
But students weren’t the only people Weber touched. Perhaps one of the closest friends Weber made at the university was Dr. Phil Laemmle, a colleague in the Political Science department who plans to retire after the spring 2006 semester. At the party, Laemmle stood behind Weber, his arms wrapped around him, reminiscing about the man he so highly regarded. “This is my bestest friend,” Laemmle said. “He’s such a good guy and he’s helped so many students. This is a guy that has had so much influence.”
Weber sat in his wheelchair at the gathering, mustering what strength he had left for the day to spend a few hours with some of the people who knew him best. As they shared humorous stories and even a few embarrassing memories of Weber’s unique life and personality, he looked on, smiling.
“No matter where I end up,” he told the guests with a chuckle at his celebration, “I’ll be watching over all of you.”
“The intangible thing that I will miss is his laugh,” said Dr. Tricia Gray, a Political Science professor who was an undergraduate student U of L when Weber was department chair. “He and Laemmle both have such a distinctive laugh.” Gray also said she would miss Weber’s remarkable good spirit.
In an interview with Laemmle after Weber’s passing, he spoke of sharing more than just experiences in academia with Weber – the two shared life experiences.
“We’re relatively the same age, and he and I were both very interested in undergraduates,” he said. “We shared a lot of experiences together, like being newlyweds, getting the first house and, of course, teaching.”
Laemmle said that both in and out of the classroom, Weber went above and beyond his calling. “Dr. Weber was different in the fact that he took the three duties of a U of L professor – teaching, service, and scholarship – and did them all very in depth,” Laemmle said. “He knew his theology and his politics. A lot of the work he did was really cutting edge stuff. He and I never talked theology because he would always win those arguments.”
His research work in theology and politics, coupled with his integral role at the university is what many say will make it so difficult to fill the hole Weber left behind. Laemmle’s upcoming retirement makes the task all the more difficult, especially since Laemmle works closely with many undergraduate students in his department and serves as Master of Ceremonies at U of L Commencement ceremonies.
“Can we fill that gap with Laemmle and Weber gone? No way in hell I could do that. No way in hell anybody could do that,” said Dr. Gary Ziegler, chairman of the Political Science department. “You can’t expect the person who comes in to the university to act like Weber at first, but hopefully they’ll get involved with the university and be to it what Weber was.”
Ziegler said the Political Science department is currently searching for new faculty members to fill three positions in the department, including those vacated by Weber and Laemmle. Even though it is a somber time, the department is planning for the future. “We’re looking for good teachers, good scholars, and for someone who can really connect with students,” Ziegler said.
But before looking forward, family and friends had the chance to say goodbye at Weber’s funeral Mass, held Friday at St. Francis of Rome in Louisville. Friends and family agree that Weber will not be forgotten, and rightfully so. “It’s always hard to replace anybody, and Weber will be extremely difficult to replace,” Laemmle said. “Things will always be different without him.”
