Gordon, Dane, -2020

biographical statement

Dane Gordon is RIT's historian. He wrote the first edition of RIT's history in 1982 which included the history from it's beginning in 1829 through 1982. The second edition includes the first edition but brings it up to the current date, adding 1983-2006. Born in London, Professor Gordon became active in theater and writing poetry and served with the Royal Navy during World War II. After the war, he studied at the University of Cambridge, the University of London, and the University of Rochester, receiving degrees in history, divinity, and philosophy. He became associate minister at Central Presbyterian Church, in the building that now houses Hochstein School of Music. His career with RIT began when he was asked to fill in for a philosophy professor, and he soon was invited to join the faculty. Over his career, he coordinated international conferences on philosophy, traveled to more than 40 countries, and wrote and edited books on philosophy, the philosophy of religion, political thought, and Old Testament studies, in addition to two editions of the history of RIT. In 1997, he earned the Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching, RIT’s highest honor for teaching. He was active in the Genesee Valley Presbytery for more than 50 years and had published several books of poetry, dealing largely with the interaction of philosophical thinking and religious thought. Professor Gordon retired from RIT in 2000 having served at a professor of philosophy, department chair, and acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts. In 2014, he and his wife, Judith, committed $300,000 from their estate plans to create The Dane R. Gordon Endowed Fund for Philosophy Student Success. The fund aids students conducting research and scholarship leading to the completion of their philosophy degree, supports philosophy students pursuing academic internships that further their professional and career goals, and supports the Dane R. Gordon Lecture Series in the Department of Philosophy that hosts distinguished philosophy scholars who address the RIT and Rochester communities. In 2016, the Dane R. Gordon Seminar Room in Liberal Arts Hall was dedicated to him. Dane Gordon passed away on January 22, 2020 at the age of 94.

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