Milbank Chapel was overflowing with friends, family, colleagues, and former students of Professor Judith Berman Brandenburg, who passed away on January 26 from colon cancer at age 61. They were there to memorialize Brandenburg, who was a Professor of Psychology and Education and former Academic Vice President and Dean of the College.

Acting President Darlyne Bailey spoke on behalf of herself and President Arthur Levine, who wrote a short letter for the service. Though Bailey said she was not able to get to know Brandenburg very closely in the short time they had worked together, she noted that Brandenburg "saw gaining ground as a function of being a ground breaker." Brandenburg was the first woman Academic Vice President and Dean of Teachers College and Bailey is the first African-American woman to hold that position.

Bailey also quoted a passage from a letter written by Brandenburg as a farewell from her position as Dean. It said, "I hope that by now I have acquired and helped to shape a bit of institutional memory. I treasure Teachers College and working with all of you."

President Arthur Levine's letter expressed his profound sadness at the news of her passing. He wrote: "No one gave me better counsel than Judith from the moment I arrived at the College as she was leaving the Deanship through our last meeting in the fall. She was fun to be with, unless I disagreed with her. But other than that, she had been through everything I had been through and knew the score and had the wisdom that comes with distance."

Published Monday, Apr. 7, 2003