Learning Shakespeare with Betty Lou was one of the highlights of my Hamden Hall and classroom experience! As adults we know it's not always easy to embrace and relate to Shakespeare's writing. So often through the years I've heard others say they either loved the writings of Shakespeare or hated it. Whenever I heard such indifference, I knew they didn't have a teacher as I had. For me, I emerged from her classroom positively loving Shakespeare's writings, the Elizabethan clothing and all details relating to period pieces.

I found her classes transforming; it took me away to something other than memorization, math formulas and dreaded history tests with Mr. Garfield. To this day I have a fascination with historical fiction, period pieces and love the relationship between words and their origins. Everything I know about writing and love about languages, I owe to Betty Lou Blumberg. She was a treasure when I was her student and will forever be for the hundreds of Hamden Hall students that passed through her able hands. She epitomizes the love of learning that is the result of her unwavering dedication to each of us that had the privilege of learning with her. This Endowed Chair in English bears the name of my beloved teacher and a most deserving tribute to all she gave to each of us.