Jeannette L. Faurot Prof. Emeritus

Jeannette L. Faurot Jeannette L. Faurot, Professor Emeritus of Chinese at UT Austin, died on August 12, 2005, at the age of 62. She was born on March 1, 1943, to J.H. and Louise J. Faurot in St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada. She spent her childhood in Kansas and Missouri, and her teenage years in California. Already as a child she developed a fascination with the culture of China, sparked by the influence of her uncle, Albert Faurot, who had been a missionary there. In choosing a college she enrolled in one of the few institutions which offered Chinese studies at that time, Harvard University, and was one of the first undergraduates to receive a BA degree in Chinese from Harvard-Radcliffe. She went on to receive her MA and PhD degrees in Chinese studies from the University of California at Berkeley, timing her stay in Berkeley to coincide with the Free Speech Movement, People’s Park, and the anti-war movements of the ‘60s. In 1971 she came to the University of Texas at Austin to head the fledgling Chinese Language and literature program. During the next three decades she would help to develop this program into one of the strongest in the South, and her PhD students now hold prominent positions in Chinese programs throughout this country and overseas. Her research interests evolved over time, beginning with Chinese fiction and ending with the study of Confucian and Taoist texts and classical poetry. She was the first recipient of UT’s Harry Ransom Award for Excellence in Teaching, and has published several works important to the field of Chinese Studies. She was an avid amateur musician, and enjoyed playing piano, violin, and recorders in chamber groups. She also enjoyed gardening and natural history. She was a member of Northwest Hills United Methodist Church. In 1997 she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She continued to teach for two years while undergoing treatment for the disease, retiring in 2000. She was preceded in death by her parents and her younger sister, Mary R. Faurot. She is survived by her elder sister, Anne E. Edwards, three nieces and their children, and two godsons, Lee Bolton and Daniel Keegan. Heartfelt thanks are extended to Dr. Brenda Towell and the nurses and staff at SW Regional Cancer Center, the nurses at Seton Northwest Hospital, and the caregivers from Hospice Austin, for their compassionate service. A Memorial service will be held at Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, 7050 Village Center, on Wednesday, August 17, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 149100, Austin, Texas 78714. Obituary and guestbook available online at wcfish.com