Latin School of Chicago

Barton Cameron Class of 1963 My association with Dr. Dolezal began on his first day at Latin 52 years ago. At the time, I was an independent-minded 10-year veteran of Latin with experience testing the mettle of many faculty members, so this new young teacher was both a curiosity and someone to be tested. As a future engineer, my academic interests were more closely aligned with math and shop classes ��� certainly not English literature. Our first impression was that he was a true gentleman, with a soft-spoken manner, who was respectful of all of his students. He had an earnest desire to teach and seemed unflappable, regardless of anyone���s behavior. For me, hazing was not going to be a rewarding experience! As we got down to business, I could not help being impressed by his enthusiasm for literature and his meticulous preparation for class. As time passed, I became more and more intrigued by his extensive insights and interpretations of the material we were studying. I recall him pulling out about 10 pages of notes related to just a single sonnet. Admittedly, I didn���t always understand the subtleties of his insights, but I knew he put a lot of effort into his work, and I appreciated that. I can only imagine how many thousands of pages of notes he prepared over the years, but I hope they are enshrined somewhere for the benefit of future generations of students. As impressive as his study notes were, his notes on our work products were more so. I would estimate that over the years he generated about two pages of comments for every page I wrote. These were not simply comments such as good or bad, but detailed narratives explaining what he liked, what he didn���t like and why. It���s possible that some of the better students didn���t get as many comments as I did, but he certainly read every piece of homework in great detail and put a lot of time into his thoughtful comments. As a result of hard work ��� his more than mine ��� my writing skills began to improve, and by my senior year I actually enjoyed writing as editor of the school newspaper! Though I developed a true fondness and respect for Dr. Dolezal before leaving Latin, it was not until I finished college and entered real life that I fully appreciated the extent of his impact on me. When I began my first job as a wet-behind-the-ears engineer in a consulting firm, I was tasked with proofreading many reports and proposals while the firm tried to find something more productive for me to do. Soon I found myself being asked to go beyond proofreading and began editing reports that often required extensive rewriting. Imagine my astonishment when senior partners began coming to me asking for help in ���cleaning up��� their work! Until that time, I had always viewed my writing skills as average, at best, but now I was being recognized for my superior writing ability. For me, that was truly an eye-opening experience. Fortunately, some years later I was able to recount this experience to Dr. Dolezal and thank him for what he had enabled me to achieve. With a twinkle in his eyes he thanked me and, with a knowing smile, let me know that he recognized my potential was greater than I ever imagined. I may have been one of the first to benefit from his influence, but I know that many since me have had similar experiences. When my daughter started at Latin, my relationship with Dr. Dolezal resumed and continued for many years thereafter. We had frequent reminisces about our early days at Latin, and he was a treasured guest at my 40th class reunion. After he relinquished most of his duties at Latin, I had occasion to see him in Wisconsin where we both had weekend homes and continued a close friendship. ���I became more and more intrigued by his extensive insights and interpretations of the material we were studying. I recall him pulling out about 10 pages of notes related to just a single sonnet.��� ��� Barton Cameron, Class of 1963 LATI N SCHOOL OF CHI CA GO 39

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