The Duquesne Duke

Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Ryan Samanka

Albert Labriola, acting dean of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, died Wednesday morning after 40 years as an English professor at Duquesne University.

Labriola, 69, contracted pneumonia last week while vacationing in Cape Canaveral, Fla. and was hospitalized Thursday, March 5. He was discharged on Monday. The cause of death is still undetermined.

Labriola was considered one of the foremost John Milton scholars in the world and one of the most popular administrators at Duquesne in recent years, and colleagues from all over the liberal arts school expressed grief at his passing.

"His contributions to the College over the short, almost two years he has presided over us have made this period among the most successful the college has enjoyed, and certainly among the happiest, because of his leadership," said Evan Stoddard, associate dean of the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts.

Journalism Professor Mike Dillon echoed that sentiment.

"He was not stuck in the musty past of [academia], Dillon said. "He had a vision for the future."

The sixth floor of College Hall, home of the English department where Labriola taught, was especially silent Wednesday. Many professors closed their office doors, while others went home early.

"It's a slight unbelief because he was 'in remission,' [and] it's hard all of sudden to hear this," said Magali Michael, chair of the English Department.

Labriola had been in remission from cancer for months at the time of his death.

"He's been a presence. Even as Dean, he would come up here … Sometimes people think of senior faculty as slowly disappearing, but it was not like that in any way [with Al]," Michael said.

Before becoming acting dean July 1, 2007, Labriola served as Professor of English and Distinguished University Professor for nearly 40 years, researching and teaching classes in Shakespeare and on 17th-century metaphysical poets.

Many of his classes explored the relationship between literature and theology, and especially in John Milton's Paradise Lost. He served as editor of Milton Studies from 1992 until he died and authored a 10,000-word entry for "John Milton" in the 2007 Encyclopedia Britannica.

"Dr. Labriola was an internationally recognized Milton scholar and a beloved professor who made a positive impact on hundreds of students over the years," said President Charles J. Dougherty. "When I travel around the country, our alumni frequently remark about Al's ability to bring great literature to life in the classroom."

According to Associate English Professor Bernard Beranek, Labriola's "near-perfect memory" elevated him to the heights of academic scholarship.

"[He is] not replaceable by anybody just like him because there aren't any others," Beranek said. "Even if you disagreed with him, and I sometimes did, it was worthwhile to study with someone who had the entire text of Paradise Lost open before him at all times. He virtually memorized it."

In addition to his wife, Regina, Labriola is survived by his son, Michael, his daughter, Regina, and two grandchildren, Christian and Ryan.

Like many professors in the school of liberal arts, Dillon remembers Labriola as a "warm" man, whose generous personality matched, and even exceeded, his scholarly prowess.

"I'm sure a lot of people feel like I do: it was a personal loss and a professional loss," Dillon said. "For all of his accomplishments in the academic realm, he put the 'human' in humanities."


Kathy SaeNgian contributed reporting to this story.

To share your memories about Dr. Labriola, please comment on this story at theduquesneduke.com. Also, look for funeral information on our Web site.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools