My respect and admiration for my late friend and esteemed William’s history professor, John Hyde, runs very deep. John touched many people in the Williams’ community and I was fortunate to be one of those in that Eph grouping. John’s teaching style and knowledge were first rate, and acknowledged as such by many folks in and outside the Williams environment. My friendship with john branched out from the academic side into some of his lifelong passions which intrigued me as well. We both shared a love of travel epitomized by the number of Williams Alumni Travel Study trips John lectured on and accompanied. 

John loved traveling the world by train and ship with the latter presenting an opportunity for me to join him on a Williams sponsored Danube River tour, encompassing Vienna, Budapest, and multiple other stops. I have a cherished photo of John and me on the prow of a ship coming into Budapest on a pristine morning. 

John attended St. John’s Episcopal church which I attended on a number of occasions and his love of leading family sing-alongs speaks to me as well, as I performed in a cabaret 10 years ago honoring senior family members with the theme “A Musical Journey of Gratitude.” I think John would have approved. 

On the caring and humanistic side, John was a special person. A ’75 classmate whom I am not at liberty to divulge ran into extreme difficulties several years ago and behind the scenes John did everything in his power to encourage forgiveness, reconciliation, and a path forward. John’s kindness and compassion amidst the sadness left a lasting impression on me.