Notice Board

The University of Lethbridge is saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Emeritus Dr. Walter (Wally) E. Aufrecht, who passed away in Calgary on Sept. 21, 2024.

Wally Aufrecht made numerous contributions to the field of Near Eastern and biblical studies, especially in philology and epigraphy. Born in Illinois, he began his academic career completing an undergraduate degree at Illinois Wesleyan University (1964). His passion for Near Eastern studies and epigraphy truly emerged while completing an S.T.B. (1967) at Harvard Divinity School. There, he was mentored by Frank Moore Cross, a mentorship that evolved into a lifelong friendship. After his time at Harvard, he completed an MA at Boston University (1970) and a PhD at the University of Toronto in 1979, with his thesis “Surrogates for the Divine Names in the Palestinian Targums to Exodus”. He was Dean of Men at Victoria College at the University of Toronto from 1976-1981, where he got to know Northrop Frye and gained an appreciation for the importance of mentoring students. In 1981, he moved to Alberta, where he took up a position at the University of Lethbridge, which he held until his retirement in 2008.

Wally was perhaps best known for his pioneering work on the Ammonite language, encapsulated by the second edition of his A Corpus of Ammonite Inscriptions, published by Eisenbrauns in 2019.

Teaching was one of Wally’s greatest passions and his dedication to student training was unparalleled. He was committed to making sure that undergraduate students had the best possible learning experiences.

In January 2020, colleagues and friends of Wally’s gathered in Waterton National Park to celebrate his contributions to the study of ancient Jordan at the inaugural “W.E. Aufrecht Occasional Workshops in Archaeology”. The workshop offered an opportunity to reflect on Wally’s contributions in his research, teaching and service.

A recent memorium notice has been posted on the Department of Geography & Environment web page, as well as a tribute from Drs. Kevin McGeough and Shawn Bubel on the Notice Board.

Memorial service information is not available and will be updated, as will the date on which the University will lower its flag in honour of Aufrecht.