Paul Klemp, professor emeritus in the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Department of English, passed away on April 15, following complications from heart surgery.

Details will follow about a campus memorial, once arrangements have been finalized.

Klemp

To all who knew him, Paul was a fixture on campus, a touchstone for decades of students taking courses in writing, English, and the humanities. Paul began teaching at UW Oshkosh in fall 1988, and he retired in 2017. He taught a wide variety of classes, but some of his favorites included Bible as Literature, Mythology, and John Milton, earning him the affectionate moniker “Dr. Satan.” Perhaps most of all he enjoyed teaching Introduction to English Studies, a course he often co-taught with his colleague and friend Dr. Margaret Hostetler, together introducing hundreds of students to passionate appreciation for the written word. Paul also enjoyed teaching first-year Honors composition classes, and he advised numerous Honors theses. He relished providing experiential learning opportunities for countless students he recommended as tutors in the Writing Center or as editors for the Oshkosh Scholar. No matter who he taught and no matter the subject, he made deep connections with his students and helped them become clearer, better thinkers than they ever imagined they might become.

Paul’s outreach across the University was extensive, and he fostered a deep sense of collegiality as he made countless friends with members of other departments. Along with his extensive work on departmental committees, Paul also served as both associate chair and chair of the English department. His ample self-deprecation made Paul joke that his greatest contribution as chair was getting the splash guard installed on the wall beneath the paper towel holder in the Radford Hall restroom.

After earning his PhD at the University of Toronto, Paul taught at Penn State and at Oklahoma State University. No matter where he served as faculty, his devotion lay in scholarship, as his extensive publication record bears witness. Paul also was the associate editor of the Milton Quarterly, the preeminent journal for Milton and 17th-century literary studies. As professor emeritus, Paul continued his scholarship. His work with the Milton Quarterly never slowed, and his love of all things Italian pushed his research on Dante and Italo Calvino. His love of these two authors propelled Paul to gain fluency in Italian, and he was just finishing an article on Calvino when he went in for surgery.

Not surprisingly, Paul received numerous awards and honors. He twice won the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Endowment for Excellence: The Oshkosh Northwestern Endowed Professorship. He also won the Rosebush University Professorship. For his teaching, he won the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Distinguished Teaching Award, the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Science Distinguished Teaching Award, and an Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success.More important than all of the awards and accolades, though, were the friendships that Paul built at the University. He met regularly with former students for coffee and for hours-long talks. Paul stayed in close contact with his colleagues in the English department and across campus. He was most in his element when challenged by a student’s or colleague’s good argument. Paul loved nothing more than having a hearty laugh or sharing his love of rock and blues with friends.

Editors note: Thanks to Karl Boehler, Lecturer, UWO Department of English, and Crystal Mueller for this contribution.