Jim Metscher

From the Heart: Faculty spotlight on Jim Metscher

“The best professor I have ever had was Jim Metscher. This man went out of his way for everyone. Mr. Metscher was so down to earth, had stories for days. He knew everything about everything (literally) … We were all heartbroken to hear of his passing. RIP to the best professor ever.” –ALLYSON LESINSKI ’10, DAY CAMPUS

“My favorite!!” –DIANE HIBBS ’08, EVENING CAMPUS

“Definitely Jim Metscher – an amazing man gone way too soon!!” –JILL STEDEM ’96, EVENING CAMPUS

Jim Metscher

Richard James “Jim” Metscher inspired countless students during his 35 years at Columbia College. An adjunct instructor of sociology, Metscher started teaching Day classes and was one of the first instructors for the Evening Program in the mid-1970s.

Allyson Lesinski ’10 enjoyed his teaching so much that she took nine of Metscher’s classes and double majored in sociology and criminal justice. “If you were having a bad day, you would come into class and see him smile, and your spirits would immediately be uplifted,” she says.

Dr. Terry Smith, a longtime history and political science professor who served as dean of Academic Affairs from 1996 to 2015 and interim president in 2013-14, remembers his colleague fondly. Both avid and eclectic readers, they often exchanged book recommendations. When Metscher died unexpectedly in 2009, a memorial service was held in the college’s Launer Auditorium. “He was also a big Cardinals fan,” Smith says. “The only song played at his well-attended memorial service was ‘Take Me out to the Ballgame.’ ”

A scholarship created in 1983 in honor of Jim’s wife, Lizbeth Brydges Metscher, and a second scholarship created in Jim’s memory merged to form the Metscher Family Scholarship. Lizbeth was a respected humanities instructor in the Columbia College Evening Program.

More than 25 student recipients have benefitted from the scholarship over the years, upholding a family legacy that will continue to support students for generations to come.