Melvin Landsberg, Professor Emeritus, long time faculty member of KU’s English Department, passed away on Saturday morning, March 5th, at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Born in Bronx, New York to Frank and Anna Landsberg, Melvin attended the New York City Public Schools, and went on to the City College of New York, majoring in History. He then earned his Master’s degree in History and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University.
Before taking up his first full time teaching post, Melvin embarked in 1959 on a seminal year of travel in Europe. After a brief teaching stint at the University of Washington, Melvin arrived in Lawrence, Kansas in 1961 as a faculty member in the Department of English where he taught until his retirement in 2009.
Melvin was a scholar of the 20th century author John Dos Passos. His political biography, John Dos Passos’ Path to USA, was critically acclaimed, and remains a standard in the study of Dos Passos and American literature. Melvin’s deep knowledge and understanding of literature and history informed his teaching, fueled his life-long interests in a wide range of topics, and made him an often fascinating conversationalist.
Melvin is survived by many friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who, over the years, enjoyed Melvin for his insights, his wit, and his unique perspective on the world.
Funeral services will take place at the Rumsey Yost Funeral Home on Wednesday, March 9th, at 11:00 a.m. with burial following at the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation’s Cemetery B’nai Israel in Eudora.
Donations in Melvin Landsberg’s memory may be made to the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation, 917 Highland Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66044.
Messages & Condolences
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Melvin I will miss you. You were a good person. Now you are free! RIP Friend!
Melvin was a great friend and a great thinker. He was compassionate and deeply cared about the lives of his students and friends. Melvin gave great encouragement to me when I decided begin graduate school in Wisconsin to become a librarian. I never had him as a teacher at KU, despite my graduating from the English program, but I was influenced by him as a friend through the Merc and enjoyed many great conversations with him about literature and politics. Thanks Melvin for your friendship. You will be missed.
It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Melvin at Brandon Woods. Yes, he had a sense of humor and a deep sense of humanity, caring greatly about the well being of those around him and especially some former students, who thought so highly of him that one, in particular would call him from another nation, sometimes several times a week.
Though our acquaintenance was brief, the short times of conversation were like jewels.
He will be missed shopping at Dillon’s on 6th and Wakarusa! Sending prayers to family and friends at this time
As an English major, I took an American Literature course with Professor Landsberg fall semester of 1971. He was an engaging and informative professor. Our final exam was late in December, in the evening, and we were all eager to be on our way home.
One student brought Professor Landsberg a plate of homemade cookies; with a huge smile he asked her permission to share them with the class. I have taught literature for 37 years and I have always kept in the front of my mind his kindness and enthusiasm.