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Terry Dalrymple: The Dawning Light

December 13, 2007

Whether in the great outdoors or in the classroom, Dr. Terence A. “Terry” Dalrymple enjoys nothing more than seeing the light dawn, either on a West Texas horizon or in the eyes of a student who catches the joy of literature and writing.

From childhood the Angelo State University English Professor learned an appreciation of the outdoors from his parents and grew up with fond memories of hiking and camping in the Texas Hill Country as he pondered the majesty of nature.

With his love of the outdoors, he found a kinship with Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, both the book and the character inspiring him both as a lover of literature and as a writer.

“I recognized early on how much literature had to offer in regard to understanding human experience,” said Dalrymple, holder of the John S. Cargile University Professorship and the ASU Alumni Association’s 2007 Distinguished Faculty Award Recipient in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.

Just as he found awe in nature, Dalrymple also found majesty in the well-crafted sentence or the well-drawn character who gives us insight into ourselves and into our lives. That love of literature and his active imagination have spawned two books of fiction and 16 short stories as well as dozens of articles and reviews.

His artistry with words has earned him membership in the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters, not to mention the praise of his students and fellow faculty members.

“I enjoy working with students who love, or develop a love for, what I love – reading, writing and discussing reading and writing,” Dalrymple said.

Dalrymple arrived at Angelo State in 1979 with a one-year appointment to teach composition in the English Department. He has been at ASU ever since.

“The emphasis on teaching at this university,” he said, “suits me perfectly.”

Dalrymple earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southwest Texas State University and his doctorate from Oklahoma State University. He and his wife, Lorraine, have three children.