Great Barrington — Bernard F. Rodgers Jr, Vice President and Dean of Simon’s Rock College of Bard, has announced his retirement from his positions as Vice President and Dean. His retirement from these positions will become effective at the end of the current academic year in June, 2004. He will continue to hold a teaching position at the College.
“We are profoundly grateful for the many years of exemplary service Bernie has given to Simon’s Rock and respect his desire to seek more time for his own writing and teaching,†said Emily H. Fisher, chairman of Simon’s Rock’s Board of Overseers. “His deep dedication to the institution, its students, and its mission is reflected in the astonishing achievements of his 19 years as Dean. He has our most sincere gratitude.â€
“I could not have wished for a better colleague, and Simon’s Rock could not have had better leader for the last 19 years,†said President Leon Botstein. “Bernie has made extraordinary contributions to this community of learning and its intellectual vibrancy, as well as to the college’s rise in national recognition and the growth of its physical plant. He has led the college with an unerring sense of purpose and commitment, and we are happy that he will continue to play an important role in the Simon’s Rock community as a member of its faculty.â€
Rodgers will continue to teach English at Simon’s Rock. A search for a new dean will begin immediately.
Bernard F. Rodgers Jr. has been the dean of Simon’s Rock College since 1987; he came to the college as dean of academic affairs in 1985. Prior to joining Simon’s Rock, he was special assistant to the chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago and an assistant director of the Commission of Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. He taught at and chaired the College Acceleration Program of City Colleges of Chicago—a program that offered courses for college credit to high school seniors—and was a lecturer, evaluator, and consultant for projects sponsored by the NEH, the Illinois Humanities Council, and the Chicago Public Library.
He was awarded a Ford Foundation dissertation fellowship while at the University of Chicago and spent 1979-1980 as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in American literature in Lublin, Poland. Dr. Rodgers is the author of several books, including Philip Roth (Twayne United States Author Series, 1978) and Philip Roth: A Bibliography (Scarecrow Press, 1974; revised and expanded edition, 1984).
A member of the national Book Critics Circle, his essays and reviews on modern American literature and culture, as well as on writers such as Aharon Applefield, Milan Kundera, Czeslaw Milosz, and Salman Rushdie, have been published in Fitzgerald/Hemingway Annual, Magill’s Literary Annual, Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Masterplots II, Critique: Studies in Modern Fiction, Chicago Review, the Chicago Tribune, Illinois Issues, the Berkshire Eagle, and The World and I, and broadcast on WBBM-AM and WNIB-FM in Chicago.
Dr. Rodgers has been chair of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, vice president of the board of trustees of Fairview Hospital, a member of the board of directors of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, a corporator of the Berkshire Museum and Berkshire Health Systems, and a visiting team chair for the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, an M.A. degree from the University of Bridgeport, and the B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from Mount Saint Mary’s College.
Simon’s Rock College of Bard is the nation’s only four-year college of the liberal arts and sciences specifically designed for younger scholars. Established in 1964, it accepts students after the 10th or 11th grade of high school into a program leading to the two-year Associate of Arts and four-year Bachelor of Arts degrees. In 1979, Simon’s Rock merged with Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
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Dalton Day Returns This Saturday
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town's popular Dalton Day festival is returning this weekend after a year's hiatus.
The event will kick off this Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. in the field in front of the Senior Center.
The community celebration was established in 2023 by the Cultural Council in an effort to increase resident participation at town meetings while also showcasing the area's welcoming, diverse, artistic and sporty atmosphere. In 2024, the event brought together 300 residents.
"The primary mission of Dalton Day is to foster a strong sense of community, build civic pride, and bring residents together through a shared celebration of local culture, music, and food," said Jeannie Ingram, Select Board member and cultural council chair, and Lori Venezia, executive assistant to the town manager.
The event provides an accessible and free platform for "civic education, community bonding, and supporting local businesses, artisans, makers, and culture more broadly," they said.
The festival strengthens the fabric of the town both civically and economically by connecting grassroots organizations with residents, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and providing free, family-friendly entertainment.
It also serves as an opportunity for community members to meet with local officials and a couple of state officials. State Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Leigh Davis will be coming from Beacon Hill to speak at the event.
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Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
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