 Prof. Martin Kieffer: In Memoriam
  M. Martin Kieffer, in front of LFNY, May 1968
CONTENTS OF THIS WEB PAGE
Part 1) In 1994, two anciens eleves, Renée Marton ('65) and Roger Liwer ('68) visited M. Kieffer in Alsace,
near Colmar, where he lived after he retired, and where the pictures below were taken.
Part 2) In early 1998, M. Kieffer was hospitalized for acute kidney failure. The LFNY Alumni Association
sent an email to all its members (a short list indeed --at that time less than 200 email addresses) informing
them of the situation. Letters from his anciens eleves were then written and collected, and sent to M. Kieffer
at the hospital. We were told by a lady who was with him during his final days that he read each letter several
times, and then taped them all to the wall of his room. These are excerpts from our letters to him.
Part 3) This is the letter M. Kieffer wrote when he received ours. (It has been slightly edited to remove
references to the people to whom he sent the letter.) M. Kieffer passed away in late 1998.
Part 4) In 2003, the LFNY sent a survey to its alumni, asking them to nominate their favorite teacher. On
February 6, 2004, the results were announced at the Lycee’s “2004 Gala Dinner.” Chris Kende (’66)
accepted the posthumous award for M. Kieffer and gave the acceptance speech, which we are proud
to present to you here. We know how beloved and respected a teacher M. Kieffer was, and we are sure
that Chris’ words reflect the entire alumni community’s feelings. Diana Henry ('66) and Patricia Lane ('77)
also wrote touching pieces which are presented after Chris'.
PART 1: ALSACE, 1994
 PART 2: LETTERS FROM ALUMNI
 PART 3: RESPONSE FROM M. KIEFFER
 
PART 4: ALUMNI REMEMBRANCES
Christopher Kende ('66)
I am greatly honored and deeply touched to accept the Teacher Recognition Award for M. Martin Kieffer. It is an even greater honor to be invited to say a few words about him in this Company. There are many more than “a few words” which could be used to describe Martin: Dedicated, enthusiastic, committed, vital, caring, energetic, inspirational, all come to mind.
Martin was a “teacher’s teacher”, beloved by his students and totally committed to learning. I had Martin in history and geography from about 6eme to Terminale. I never tired of his energy and bravado in class. He would insist that we speak loudly, with confidence and self assuredness. He expected great things of his students and always brought out the best in all of us, even the timid ones! He was tireless and very much ahead of his time, years before physical fitness became a buzz-word. One student wrote in a letter to him several years ago “Je pense a vous comme du ‘premier jogger’ de New York et le premier ‘health nut.’’’ Woe to the students on Faculty-Student soccer day!! When he passed away in his very simple surroundings in Colmar, a great loss was felt among all alumni and friends who knew him. I recall speaking at his memorial at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church and feeling the overwhelming sense that a great light in the world of teaching had gone out. This Honor is more than deserved. It has been earned through a lifetime of inspiring and challenging young minds. When he was ill in his last days, a letter writing campaign was organized by several alumni who knew him. One quote, kindly provided to me by Roger Liwer, summed it all up: “Whenever I talk to my Lycee friends about our school experience, there is general agreement that you were special. You seem to have inspired the most love of any of our teachers, without exaggeration… you were absolutely fascinating in class. I hope you can feel some pride in what you did for me and others like me” Martin, I know you are listening and smiling, thinking to yourself: “This is very nice but now I have to go for a run.” Thank you Board of Trustees and Alumni for honoring the lifetime achievement of a great teacher, scholar, friend and extraordinary human being. Diana Henry (’66)
Regarding Martin Kieffer, I remember him jumping on his desk and enacting the French Revolution of 1870: "To the barricades!" Unforgettable. I also remember him saying that if anyone just perused an atlas for 15 minutes a day, they would be a cultured person. How true. After I became a teacher ( at the Lycee) I tried to follow his example and write lengthy, carefully composed and reasoned assessments of various passages in my students' essays. I couldn't believe, once I tried doing it, how generous he had been with his time to do this for us for so many years. I went to France one year toward the end of his life and couldn't make it to Colmar. He, however, took the train to Besançon to meet me and my daughter who was four at the time. He was amazed that I was letting her travel in her 'jammies. But he was always so kind, so his disapproval was veiled in concern. I know he visited his anciens in the US after he retired, he spoke fondly of them to me, and after he was no longer able to travel, I am happy to hear that many kept up with him to the end. Patricia Lane ('77)
Comment fait-on pour avoir des nouvelles de nos anciens profs ? Il y en a qui nous ont tellement marqués qu’un petit « merci » après tout ce temps leur ferait certainement plaisir.
Il y en avait un bien sur, comme pour beaucoup je suis sure, qui était le nec plus ultra de la profession. J’avais appris, il y a plusieurs années, le décès de M. Kieffer. Cela m’avait profondément attristée, j’en avais versé quelques larmes silencieus es au téléphone quand Odile me l’avait annoncé ex post facto. J’avais tant regretté ne pas avoir su comment rester en contact. Sept ans, il fut mon professeur ! Quelle énergie, quelle passion pour son métier, il faisait trembler les tableaux (on savait qui enseignait dans la salle d’à côté !!) et prenait un temps fou pour corriger nos copies avec commentaires à la louche (en ROUGE !). Une âme solitaire, ou plutôt seule – ce n’est pas pareil – en revanche malgré son côté résolument extraverti. Je me souviens un jour, je devais avoir environ 14 ans (et très fleur bleue !), il me demandait des conseils pour courtiser une femme de laquelle il s’était amourachée — mais elle n’avait pas l’air de partager l’intérêt. Et les vols Air France, les charters du Lycée, partagés tous les ans dans les deux sens quand lui, il rentrait en Alsace, nous en Lorraine – les cours d’histoire ne faisaient jamais pose, le temps du voyage passait vite !
Comme certains, je n’ai pas que des bons souvenirs du Lycée – it did have in a way a tendency to squish certain spirits – mais M. Kieffer a été une constante pendant des années pour moi, pour nous, un des rares qui se focalisait énormément sur le développement des élèves, leur confiance en eux-même itout. Nous lui devons beaucoup. Si la question existentielle fondamentale que l’on peut se poser est «à quoi servons-nous, que voulons-nous laisser de notre passage sur terre», M. Kieffer doit être fier de ce qu’il a accompli avec diligence, amour, et passion. Enough said. Personne d’autre n’arrive à sa cheville parmi les profs que j’ai eu au Lycée. |
