Mourning Cheryl Wall, Beloved and Brilliant Rutgers Scholar

April 6, 2020

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Over the weekend, Rutgers lost one of our most beloved faculty members, Rutgers Board of Governors and Zora Neale Hurston Professor Cheryl Wall.

We are profoundly saddened by the death of this amazing scholar, teacher, and citizen of the University, who had been planning to retire this year. Cheryl Wall represented the very best of Rutgers: a world-class intellect whose scholarship advanced the conversation about African American literature and whose teaching and guidance inspired her students to think in new ways.

She arrived here in 1972 after studying at Howard and Harvard universities and immediately had an impact, both in her teaching and in her scholarship. Over the years, Professor Wall earned every accolade that defines success at this institution, from the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching to the Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award for scholarly achievement and exceptional service to the University. She cared about everyone—her students, her colleagues, the university, our society—and made us all better.

Dr. Wall was a nationally regarded scholar and writer about African-American women writers, with special focus on the author Zora Neale Hurston. She was also the heart and soul of the Rutgers University–New Brunswick English Department, shaping its excellence over the past several decades and ensuring—perhaps more than any other professor—that Rutgers remains preeminent in and committed to the humanities.

I know from experience that she was a trusted and candid advisor to Rutgers administrations throughout her career. To these efforts, she brought intellectual honesty, an openness to new paths, and a dedication to making Rutgers a stronger, more inclusive place.

The University community mourns the loss of one of our giants. We will plan for a celebration of her remarkable life when the global pandemic has subsided.

Sincerely,

Robert Barchi