 Rev. Robert Barth
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"We are all artists in God's eyes; when we build, create a family, or work on our lives, we celebrate God's love," said the late Rev. J Robert Barth, S.J., in a homily in April 2002. As a Jesuit and a champion of the arts, Barth celebrated this love throughout his life and his tenure at Boston College.
Barth died Wednesday of renal cell cancer. He was 74.
As dean of the College of Arts & Sciences from 1988-1999, Barth created a "renaissance of the arts" at BC, according to John Michalczyk, fine arts chair. He is credited for establishing the music and theatre departments, overseeing the opening of the McMullen Museum of Art, and founding the Arts Council, which organizes the annual Arts Festival.
"He was the greatest champion of the arts that BC has ever had," said Jeffery Howe, professor of fine arts and chair of the Arts Council.
Barth first came to BC as the Thomas L. Gasson Chair in the 1985-86 academic year. He was invited back a couple of years later to become the dean of A&S, a position he held until 1999 when he stepped down and eventually became the inaugural James P. McIntyre professor of English.
"He was such a wonderful human being. He was really utterly warm and interested in people, and curious and enthusiastic about everything," said Howe. "He managed to combine being a priest with his scholarship and with being a dean very gracefully, more than I've ever seen."
"He could identify with the most distinguished scholars and could come to the rescue of people in need," said Professor Emeritus John L. Mahoney, who calls Barth one of his closest friends. The pair first met in graduate school at Harvard over 35 years ago.
University Vice President Rev. William Neenan, S.J., can't forget the first time he met Barth. The two rendezvoused in 1984 during the International Wordsworth Summer Conference in England, the year before Barth came to BC. In their first meeting together, Barth roused Neenan out of bed at 6 a.m. to celebrate mass on the lake shore during sunrise.
"He did that not just with visitors, but every morning," said Neenan. "He was a person who integrated his love of being a Jesuit, love of the Eucharist, and love of academic life."
This spirit was evident in any meeting he ran, when Barth would begin with a prayer or poem to settle everyone and create a serious space for the meeting, said Michalczyk.
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