The Charles Berger Advantage, Part 1

My first year at SIUE, I had an ongoing debate with a friend and colleague who had started in the history department at the same time I began in English.

 
I complained, with what I considered ample evidence, that the upper university administrators preferred that colleague over me. They offered him special opportunities, sent him exclusive invitations, and assisted him in ways they did not offer me.

Eventually, after hearing me detail the various instances of favoritism, my colleague reluctantly agreed. “But,” he added, “your chair is Charles Berger. That gives you an advantage and balances things out.”
Hmph. The Charles Berger advantage.

That wasn’t the first time I’d heard the idea. My graduate school mentors, in addition to encouraging me to come to SIUE to work with Eugene B. Redmond, hinted that I would benefit from having a chair like Charles. They didn’t name it explicitly, but they were gesturing toward this so-called Berger advantage long before I understood what it meant.

One of the clearest expressions of that advantage appeared in how thoroughly Charles read the research materials I submitted in my early evaluation packets. Most chairs, understandably, are way too busy to pore over the finer details of every document. But Charles seemed to relish reading what I and others were working on, and he routinely offered thoughtful written and verbal feedback.

Being at the start of my career and having someone help me clarify my ideas, set a high scholarly standard, and envision the long arc of my work was, I now realize, a genuine Charles Berger advantage. It benefitted me greatly and provided a solid foundation, a springboard, even, for the years that followed.

Related:

• Charles Berger Week