One of Whitworth's most beloved former faculty members, Fenton Duvall, died peacefully in his Florida home on Nov. 11. He was 96. Duvall came to Whitworth in 1949 and served as professor of history, co-founder (with Professor Emeritus of English Clarence Simpson) of the Core program, and the first faculty member to lead an international Jan Term study program. He also served for four years as dean of students.
In a message to the campus community, Whitworth President Bill Robinson wrote, "Long before I ever muttered anything about a narrow ridge, Fenton was articulating and embracing the union of Christ-centered conviction and bold curiosity. Fenton, along with fellow legend Clem Simpson, left an imprint on Whitworth that still influences the way in which we select and support our faculty. The culture we treasure today was shaped significantly by Fenton Duvall."
In fall 2006, Duvall Hall was dedicated on the Whitworth campus. A group of alumni contributed generously in Duvall's name to the building fund and asked that the hall be named after their favorite professor and mentor. At the dedication, Duvall delighted the audience with his vibrancy and with his continued dedication to Whitworth. "His reflections and expressions of appreciation left us all looking at one another in amazement," Robinson wrote. "The clarity and power of his words were what we would expect at the prime of one's career."
At the building dedication, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Kathleen Storm remembered Duvall's contributions to Whitworth: "It was Whitworth's commitment to intellectual rigor and honesty that brought Fenton here," she said. "When he was interviewed several years ago, this is what he said about the spirit he'd found and valued at Whitworth: 'I believe you can truly have a Christian liberal arts college where the commitment to Christ is firm and strong and deep and positive. But at the same time you're not afraid to be open to ambiguities and paradoxes and the fact that we don't have all the answers.'"
"Fenton was warm and personable and always interested in campus life," Storm continued. "He cared deeply about how things were going at this place that he loved and served for virtually all of his professional life. He was a moving example of the power of love – he believed and lived the principle that disagreement should always be overshadowed by care and respect. He was deeply humble, and he challenged us in the academy to remain always cognizant of the limits of human understanding."
Memorial gifts to honor Duvall's life may be made to the R. Fenton Duvall Endowed Scholarship Fund at Whitworth University.
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