Editor,
As a former student of Dr. Berthold and a UNM alumnus, I would like to share my personal perspective on the man so many suddenly seem so willing to hate.
I first met Dr. Berthold 20 years ago. He was the principal adviser on my undergraduate honors thesis and when UNM made a mistake in paperwork and revoked my bachelor's degree, it was Dr. Berthold who went out of his way to sort out the mess.
When I applied to graduate school, he was happy to write letters of recommendation on my behalf.
I am now pursuing a doctoral degree in assyriology and ancient history at Yale, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that I am here today largely because Dr. Berthold did such an outstanding job 20 years ago.
One may disagree with Rick's politics. Even before Sept. 11, he and I had differing opinions on a number of issues.
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One may disagree with his flamboyant nature; I usually prefer to be more reserved.
One may find his statements offensive, even deeply so - certainly those he made on Sept. 11 were.
But one also cannot argue with success.
Rick is not only one of the finest teachers at UNM, he is one of the finest teachers I have ever encountered in more than a decade of experience in university settings all over the country, including world-class scholars in the field of ancient history.
His skill and dedication as a teacher are and always have been an asset to his department and to UNM.
I ask, as I watch this all play out, that the University I attended proudly 20 years ago consider carefully what it does with regard to Dr. Berthold.
When all is said and done, it is not his politics or his showmanship that you pay him for. It is his ability to take people like me and make us passionate enough about his field that two decades later we are still building on what he began.
The full measure of Richard Berthold is much more than those offensive words he uttered, and to dismiss him without also considering the amazing good he has done for his students for 30 years would be a disservice to both UNM and the tradition of inquiry our universities struggle so hard to represent.
Harold Torger Vedeler
UNM alumnus
Class of 1985
