The CAMWS Ovationes

Herbert W. Benario

More than fifty years ago, at the annual meeting in Richmond (1949), an orator delivered a Latin address honoring distinguished members of the Association.  So began one of the happiest traditions of our yearly gatherings, which became regularized over the following decade.  The presentation of the ovationes, leading to the identification of the recipients, which precedes the President’s address, has become one of the highlights and most anticipated events of each meeting.

Obviously, the pattern of these citations has changed over the years.  Early on, the name of each honoree was given almost at the beginning of the declamatio; more recently, the name has been delayed to the very end, and the auditors attempt to identify the subject of the address from subtle — and not—so—subtle — hints.

The ovationes were not published during the initial dozen years or so.  Indeed, there existed no formal framework for their preparation and delivery.  During the academic year 1958—59, the Association established a new standing committee, the Committee on Merit, which remains to the present day.  Its chairman is the Association’s orator.  The Committee’s charge was as follows:

Its first action is to regularize as a tradition the recent practice at the annual dinner of presenting ovationes of distinguished persons, usually seniores of CAMWS and often such seniores belonging to the general locale of the meeting; on occasion, this honor has been accorded persons outside the Association. It has also been agreed that these ovationes should receive public notice through publication in CJ. (CJ 54, 239)

First publication, however, did not occur until 1962, and a lapse of several more years ensued, until the routine appearance of the ovationes began.  Since 1966, there has been a continuous run, with the exception of those pronounced in 1973, which fell victim to the Journal’s publishing difficulties in the early 1970s.  It has become customary to honor only members of the Association and to choose an annual triumvirate, two from college/university ranks and one from among secondary school teachers, although this practice has occasionally been honored in the breach.

Since the fasti of honorees now embrace the names of more than one hundred persons, recognized over a period of more than a half century, the Association offers its members this brief essay, which reveals, together for the first time, the names of all oratores, all honorees, and an exemplary text (or texts) from the pens of each orator.  We may then recall some of our past titans, recognize the power of memory, and, to a degree, become laudatores temporis acti.

If I may paraphrase Tacitus, from the conclusion of the Agricola:

nam multos veterum velut inglorios et ignobiles oblivio non obruet.  omnes posteritati narrati et traditi superstites erunt.

ORATORES

William C. Korfmacher, St. Louis University, 1950, 1952, 1955—1961, 1966*

Norman J.  DeWitt, Washington University, 1951

Bruno Meinecke, University of Michigan, 1962—1965

Paul L. MacKendrick, University of Wisconsin, 1967—1969

Edward L.  Bassett, University of Chicago, 1970—1972

Joseph M.  Conant, Emory University, 1973

Arthur F.  Stocker, University of Virginia, 1974-1985**

Herbert W. Benario, Emory University, 1986—1989, 1992—2001

Alexander G. McKay, McMaster University, 1990-1991

James M. May, St. Olaf College, 2002-

*Korfmacher was President in 1952, and evidently presented the ovationes in that capacity.  There were none in 1953 and 1954. For 1957, the following notation is recorded:

Ovationes pro consuetudine societatis collegis bene merentibus oblatae. (CJ 52, 255)

**In 1981, Stocker himself was honored with an ovatio, prepared by Edward E. Best, University of Georgia

Honorees

  1. Martha Abbott 1991
  2. D. Herbert Abel 1966
  3. Walter R. Agard 1959
  4. Annie Virginia Cook Aldridge 1976
  5. James W. Alexander 1973
  6. Charles L. Babcock 1982
  7. Tamara Bauer 1988
  8. Grace L. Beede 1965
  9. Herbert W. Benario 1979
  10. Janice M. Benarlo 1986
  11. Lillian Cay Berry 1957
  12. Edward E. Best, Jr. 1991
  13. Clarence P. Bill 1950
  14. Ladislaus J. Bolchazy 1999
  15. John Breuker, Jr. 1997
  16. Ward W. Briggs, Jr. 1996
  17. Naidyne Brown—Bridwell 1995
  18. Jeffrey L. Buller 1996
  19. Marie Carducci 1999
  20. Wilbert L. Carr 1956
  21. Eleanore Cooper 1959
  22. Lucile Cox 1968
  23. Irene J. Crabb 1959
  24. Christopher P. Craig 2003
  25. Vivia Craig 1971
  26. Maurice P. Cunningham 1975
  27. Dorothy Daniel 1987
  28. Cathy P. Daugherty 1996
  29. Henrietta Davis 1981
  30. Sally Davis 1990
  31. William W. de Grummond 1994
  32. Kay de Pue 1978
  33. Raymond L. Den Adel 1982
  34. Helena R. Dettmer 2002
  35. E. B. de Sauze 1950
  36. Norman J. DeWitt 1950
  37. Norman W. DeWitt 1952
  38. Paul F. Distler, S.J. 1967
  39. Sister Mary Bede Donelan 1968
  40. Alfred P. Dorjahn 1963
  41. Carter Stubbs Drake 2000
  42. Gertrude C. Drake 1972
  43. Mary S. Duerson 1970
  44. Fred S. Dunham 1951
  45. James E. Dunlap 1959
  46. Kathy Elifrits 1993
  47. Gerald F. Else 1973
  48. Gerald M. Erickson 1971
  49. Gertrude Ewing 1969
  50. Chauncey E. Finch 1965
  51. Clarence A. Forbes 1971
  52. Margaret M. Forbes 1967
  53. Brent M. Froberg 1985
  54. Ruth Froberg 1980
  55. George Edward Gaffney 1998
  56. G. Karl Galinsky 1984
  57. Michael Gagarin 1995
  58. Russel M. Geer 1956
  59. Leon Golden 2001
  60. Norma W. Goldman 1989
  61. Anne H. Groton 1999
  62. Jane H. Hall 1984
  63. John F. Hall 1999
  64. Barbara A. Hill 2001
  65. Karelisa V. Hartigan1998
  66. Geraldine Hodges 1977
  67. Clark Hopkins 1967
  68. Annabel Horn 1960
  69. Roger A. Hornsby 1980
  70. John N. Hough 1964
  71. Elizabeth Hunter 1975
  72. Stanley A. Iverson 2001
  73. J. Ward Jones, Jr. 1988
  74. Ross S. Kilpatrick 1995
  75. Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr. 1994
  76. William C. Korfmacher 1968
  77. Edith M. Kovach 1970
  78. Bobby L. LaBouve 1992
  79. Richard A. LaFleur 1985
  80. Lillian B. Lawler 1963
  81. Harry J. Leon 1958
  82. Winifred C. Leutner1950
  83. Daniel B. Levine 1996
  84. Roy E. Lindahl 1990
  85. Eddie R. Lowry 2000
  86. Paul L. MacKendrick 1974
  87. Donnis and Gladys Martin 1960
  88. Alexander C. McKay 1978
  89. James J. Mertz, S.J. 1964
  90. Charles C. Mierow 1961
  91. John F. Miller 1998
  92. Mark P. 0. Morford 1983
  93. Anna Lydia Motto 1988
  94. Clyde Murley 1955
  95. Paul R. Murphy 1969
  96. William J. Napiwocki 1989
  97. Bert H. Narveson 1978
  98. Oscar E. Nybakken 1970
  99. Clyde Pharr 1951
  100. F. Carter Philips 2000
  101. Jane E. Phillips 2003
  102. Oliver C. Phillips II 1993
  103. Ethel Poston 1974
  104. Norman T. Pratt 1972
  105. William H. Race 1999
  106. Hunter R. Rawlings 1984
  107. Kenneth J. Reckford 1983
  108. Graydon W. Regenos 1966
  109. Meyer P. Reinhold 1987
  110. Michele V. Ronnick 2002
  111. Harry C. Rutledge 1981
  112. J. D. Sadler 1980
  113. Richard Scanlan 1974
  114. Gareth L. Schmeling 1981
  115. Raymond V. Schoder, S.J. 1979
  116. Gerda Seligson 1979
  117. Thomas J. Sienkewicz 2002
  118. Christine Sleeper 1982
  119. Gertrude E. Smith 1955
  120. Margaret Smith 1969
  121. Nellie Angel Smith 1962
  122. Marcia M. Stille 1983
  123. Arthur F. Stocker 1981
  124. Marian West Stocker 1986
  125. Selatie E. Stout 1958
  126. H. Lloyd Stow 1976
  127. Waldo E. Sweet 1975
  128. Theodore A. Tarkow 1997
  129. Kathryn A. Thomas 1997
  130. Graves H. Thompson 1977
  131. C. Wayne Tucker 1987
  132. Robert W. Ulery, Jr. 1994
  133. B. L. Ullman 1958
  134. A. Pelzer Wagener 1957
  135. Margaret Weaver 1985
  136. Dorrance S. White 1957
  137. Lucy A. Whitsel 1964
  138. Michelle P. and Robert M. Wilhelm 1992
  139. William H. Willis 1972
  140. Susan Ford Wiltshire 1986
  141. Herbert C. Youtie 1962
  142. “the young teachers of Classics” 1955
  143. “the staff of the Department of Classic sat the University of Texas throughout its history” (honored with Leon) 1958
  144. “All the Editors of CJ” 1961
  145. “All the State Vice—Presidents of CAMWS” 1961

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