Celebrating Richard Heitzenrater

April 2, 2008

From the moment Dr. Richard Heitzenrater stepped foot on Duke's campus as a teenager, he felt a connection and passion for the place, and his calling.

Heitzenrater

"During my freshman year at Duke in 1957, I had a work study job in the library," said Heitzenrater, a Duke Divinity professor who is 68 years old. "I cataloged rare books. The rare book room opened up a whole new world for me."

As a student at Duke, Heitzenrater discovered a love for books, research and church history. Those interests propelled him ito become a leading expert in Methodist church history, particularly John Wesley, an 18th-century leader in the Methodist movement.

He explored Wesley's life in authentic manuscripts and became best known for interpreting Wesley's personal diaries and editing the seven-volume, "Journal and Diaries of John Wesley."

Heitzenrater made a conscious effort to study at Duke. When he was in seventh grade, his family visited Duke on their way back to New York from Florida. Heitzenrater was in awe of the campus. He received his degrees - two bachelors and a doctorate - from Duke.

After his studies, Heitzenrater cultivated his career at the First United Methodist Church in Butler, Pennsylvania, Centre College of Kentucky and Southern Methodist University in Texas. He returned to Duke in 1993 as professor of church history and Wesley studies at Duke Divinity School. He still depends on Duke's library for research and teaching support and requires students to complete a traditional research paper, using print sources.

"The idea of coming back to Duke was always in the back of my mind," Heitzenrater said. "Above all, it was the library here. The librarians in special collections have become my best friends. They are so supportive and will move mountains to get me the materials I need."

He's stayed at Duke because of the support network, and this year, Heitzenrater celebrates 15 years, making him one of hundreds of Duke Stars - faculty and staff celebrating a Duke milestone. Every May, Duke Stars are recognized during Duke Appreciation, a series of events to celebrate Duke faculty and staff.

"It just makes me thrilled every morning to get up, and I look forward to what's going to happen every day," he said. "I just do the things I enjoy the most - it's not really work."

— By Elizabeth Michalka
Communications Specialist,
Human Resources Communications