Change
and Continuity:
The Ohio State Department of Geography
This
issue of GeoSpectrum marks the passing of Ned Taaffe. For
the first Taaffe Colloquium since his death, I
said some words which are set out in written form
at the end of this GeoSpectrum. I begin with
those thoughts here, but then move to the broader
context of this department, which provided the
platform for Ned as we know him.
First,
Ned Taaffe made unique and pivotal contributions
to the Geography profession, contributions matched
by few. If not for Ned, today’s Geography
could be very different, and his activities undergird
the health and robustness of our profession. This
is not simply an abstraction. Each of us
should recognize that, at a personal level, we
all benefit from
this dimension of Ned’s legacy.
Second,
considering Ned’s impact on the Ohio State
University Department of Geography, its current
excellence is very much his creation. We
continue to reflect Ned’s vision -- not simply
that of thirty years ago -- but reformulated in
light of contemporary realities, and carried on
by younger faculty. It is rare that one person
so dramatically shapes an academic department;
only Carl Sauer or Mac McCarthy come to mind as
a parallel. But Ned did this, and we remain
in his debt.
Third,
Ned’s vision and effectiveness continue today,
and the aura of Ohio State Geography remains a
part of our professional persona. Others
carry on the tradition established by Ned, but
he is the founder, father, progenitor, visionary. Hence,
I strongly believe that honoring Ned is the right
thing to do as a person and fellow-professional.
Having
restated what I’ve said elsewhere, but now
in the midst of writing the present column, I realize
that Ohio State Geography is more generally an
institution that has grown over
its nearly one-hundred year existence; that we
are a community;
that our evolution embodies elements of continuity and change;
and that Ned is very much a part of, not an aberration
from, the institutional trajectory.
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