The John and Penelope Biggs Department of Classics mourns the passing of Professor Emeritus Carl W. Conrad, who died on February 20, 2025.
A devoted teacher, incisive scholar, and generous mentor, Carl served the department for four decades, shaping generations of students through his deep knowledge of Greek and Latin and his passion for critical inquiry.
Carl earned his B.A. and M.A. from Tulane University, studied in Munich on a Fulbright Scholarship, and completed his Ph.D. at Harvard in 1964. He joined WashU in 1961 and remained on the faculty until his retirement in 2001. His scholarship ranged from Greek tragedy and Latin poetry to Hellenistic literatureand the Greek of the New Testament, particularly the Gospel of Mark.
Beyond the university, Carl was an active contributor to the B-Greek online community, where he mentored readers of Koine Greek around the world. Known for his clarity, honesty, and encouragement, Carl continued to correspond with scholars and students alike well into retirement from his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
We remember Carl with admiration and gratitude—for his scholarship, his teaching, and his unwavering commitment to the life of the mind. He will be deeply missed.