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Riverside: Departments
Foreign (Modern) Languages
Instruction in foreign languages and literatures
began with the offering of course work in French, German, and Spanish
when the College of Letters and Science was established in 1954.
The faculty in foreign languages was originally part of the Division
of Humanities. The initial members of the foreign language staff
were: Paul Straubinger (German), who was charged with the coordination
of the foreign languages program; André Malécot (French), who developed
the first language laboratory and served as its director until 1962;
Terrence Hansen (Spanish); and Thomas L. Broadbent, who held a dual
appointment as dean of students and professor of German
Major programs were offered from the outset in
French and Spanish. The following years brought a rapid expansion
in the scope of the foreign language curriculum. A major in German
was first offered in 1956. Instruction in Russian began in 1959,
with Louis Pedrotti teaching the first courses in this field. A
major in Russian was established in 1962.
In July, 1963, when the Division of Humanities
was reorganized into separate departments, Paul Straubinger became
the first chairman of the Department of Foreign (Modern) Languages.
The first graduate programs, leading to the master's degrees In
German and Spanish, were established in the fall of 1964. The establishment
of foreign language houses for French and Spanish in the spring
of 1965 greatly enriched the foreign language program. For 1965,
the offering of a master's program in French, course work in Italian,
and the establishment of a language house for German were authorized.
The initiation of Ph.D. programs was anticipated in the future.
By 1964-65, the total enrollment in the
department exceeded 1,600. There were approximately 130 foreign
language majors, and 20 students were enrolled in the master's degree
programs. The faculty grew to 36 members who taught a total of nearly
100 courses and seminars. source
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