The Vista April 23, 1992

Page 1

University of Central Oklahoma

THURSDAY April 23, 1992

The Student Voice Since 1903

German professor found dead Arson suspected, gang involvement not likely, police say By Penny Owen Staff Writer An early morning fire may have caused the death of University of Central Oklahoma German professor Gerhard Kallienke Tuesday when the duplex he was renting near campus burned to the ground. Firefighters were called to 800 North Chowning Ave. about 1:20 a.m. when passersby noticed flames, said Edmond Fire Inspector David Wiist. An initial search revealed no occupants, said Wiist, but when the fire was out a male body was discovered in the living room. Left behind on the garage door was spraypainted writing which said "Blood lova fool." Police said they had questioned dozens of people by Wednesday morning and had enough evidence to make an arrest, if forensic evidence from the fire conclusively indicated arson. Rumors of gang involvement had surfaced due to the graffiti found on Kallienke's garage door, but police said that the possibility of gang involvement was unlikely. Dental records are being sought to positively identify Kallienke's body, said Edmond Police Department Capt. Ron Cavin. However, the medical examiner confirmed that Kallienke was not shot or stabbed. Kallienke, 51, came to UCO in 1988 from a teaching job at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He has since been UCO's sole German professor. Born in Kiel, West Germany to a World War II general, Kallienke often said he was an American at heart, and therefore pursued his education in the United States. He earned a bachelors in art at Southern Connecticut State College in 1966 and was then offered an honors fellowship to Rice University in Houston. At Rice he completed his masters in art in 1968 and four years later obtained his doctorate in German literature. "To get into Rice you have to be very intelligent," said Liberal Arts Dean Clifton Warren. "Entry is based on honor." Kallienke spoke a very polished German, said Warren, and was also fluent in English and French. He also spoke some Thai, which he acquired while living in Thailand for a year. "He told me he supported eight kids in Thailand and he was really shrewd about it," said UCO student Scott Finley, who spent a summer in Germany because of Kallienke's efforts. "He sent the money straight to the school. They would not have gotten an education otherwise."

Inside:

Firetrucks converge on Dr. Gerhard Kallienke's house early Tuesday morning.(Photo by Mike Simons)

"He was the only faculty member I considered a friend," Finley said. "He'd really go out of his way to help his students. He'd give me extra reading material and talk German with me." Assistant Sociology Professor Harold "Otto" Schweizer said he shared a friendship and German bond with Kallienke. "I liked the guy. We'd get together and talk about the good old days in Germany," said Schweizer. "He was sort of a loner in the sense he didn't socialize with anybody and everybody, but he had a good heart. It's just tragic." Both Kallienke and Assistant Humanities Professor Siegfried Heit sat on the International Studies Committee at UCO. "It was so sudden and just a shame that a person who had so much to offer, who was so talented and skilled, is now gone," said

• Garth Vader? Is Garth worth the fuss? Guest columnist Julie Taylor offers her view on Yukon's pride and joy, pg 3.

Heit. "He had a good sense of humor, was well-tempered and had excellent command of both languages." Another friend and colleague was UCO History Professor Jere Roberson, who defined Kallienke as a gentle person and a "caretaker" type who would help whoever asked. Kallienke was not married and had no children. He is survived by his mother in Kiel, his father in South America and a brother in East Germany. Kallienke had planned to teach a summer course called "Idiomatic/Colloquial German," which would have been the first of its kind in Oklahoma. Memorial services are being planned by Ann Phillips in the foreign language department. The date and time have not been set, but will be announced. V

• Easy Reference UCO's library introduces a new computerized reference system for students, pg. 5.

Dr. Gerhard Kallienke

• Alarming Situation Campus police install alarm call boxes on campus to help students alone in an emergency, pg. 10.


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