Author: Charlotte Flight
Following the passing of Dennis Johnson, the faculty agreed to recognize the former trade book buyer for the Occidental bookstore of 35 years. The exact form of tribute will be discussed at a future faculty meeting on Oct. 17.
Johnson retired from Occidental College in April and passed away on Sept. 14. He was 73. During his time at Occidental, Johnson built up the reputation of the trade section at the bookstore, which includes non-textbook literature. Professor of French literary studies Susan Grayson paid tribute to Johnson in the faculty meeting on Sept. 19.
One faculty idea was to name the bookstore after Johnson. Professor of English and Comparative Literature Studies Jean Wyatt said via e-mail that renaming the store would allow the college to keep alive his vision of having a great book collection. The office of advancement handles the renaming of buildings but, according to President of Finance and Planning Amos Himmelstein, there is no clear process for naming one in someone’s legacy.
Grayson said she is concerned that a building dedication implies that a donation has taken place and that in several years people would only remember Johnson’s name, not his legacy.
“There could be a chair or a little cubby hole in his name,” Grayson said. “That would encourage students to read and read for fun.”
Professor of Critical Theory and Social Justice Heather Lukes suggested introducing a shelf where each semester a different faculty member would stock the critical theory they felt reflected Johnson’s legacy.
Lukes said Johnson was famed for his advice and ability to source and order books prior to the Internet age. Johnson would find out what interested his customers and stock the store accordingly.
“[Johnson] was always lingering around and asking questions about what we were reading,” Lukes said. “Visiting the store became a kind of field trip for us.”
Johnson was interested in the intellectual side of the trade section, not just the profit margins. Keen to expand on his knowledge, Johnson took an interest in what his customers were reading and researching, faculty members have said.
“He could find the most obscure books, especially French books,” Grayson said. “He loved sharing his enthusiasm for books with people. He had a wit and always had a spark in his eye.”
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