Colleagues,

We are saddened to report that George E. Haggerty, Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of the Graduate Division, passed away on June 30, 2023.  

In his 42 years at UCR, he shaped the hearts and minds of generations of students, and guided his colleagues across the campus on matters close to his own heart, especially regarding undergraduate education. One of the leading scholars in the world on his subjects—the literature of the Eighteenth Century, the Gothic Novel, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies—he also won the campus Distinguished Teaching Award and was a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teaching.  He chaired the Department of English twice, and served on many key Academic Senate committees.

As a scholar, Dr. Haggerty was a defining figure in the field of Eighteenth-Century English literature. Men in Love: Masculinity and Sexuality in the Eighteenth Century (1999), Unnatural Affections: Transgressive Desire in Women’s Novels of the Late Eighteenth-Century (1998), and Queer Friendship: Male Intimacy in the English Literary Tradition (2018) all center queer bonds of affection, made this period central to LGBTQ literary study. He was also unique in his fundamental contribution to Gothic studies across period and medium: Gothic Fiction/Gothic Form (1989) and Queer Gothic (2006) both have lasting and inspiring power. Dr. Haggerty furthermore made huge contributions to the study of Horace Walpole, a figure who appears across nearly the full range of his scholarship. Horace Walpole’s Letters: Masculinity and Friendship in the Eighteenth Century (2011), a remarkable and often moving work, analyzes (and celebrates) Walpole’s letters as constituting a distinct space through which he manifested a sense of masculine expression which braided love for his friends and for his work.  His impact on his field was such that on his retirement the journal Eighteenth Century Studies published an interview with him highlighting his transforming influence.  

He will be remembered as an enormously generous scholar and beloved mentor to students and to younger members of the profession. He played a central role in developing and nurturing the field of LGBTQ Studies. Working in collaboration with Bonnie Zimmerman, Dr. Haggerty edited the first publication by the Modern Language Association committed to gay and lesbian studies, Professions of Desire: Gay and Lesbian Studies in Literature (1995). A Companion to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Studies (2007), which he co-edited with Molly McGarry, remains one of the most important representations of the breadth and depth of scholarship in this area. At UCR, Dr. Haggerty led the effort to establish the undergraduate minor in LGBT Studies, the state’s first, and mentored generations of queer students. With a community of scholars working in queer studies, including his late partner Philip Brett (who passed away in 2002), he helped make our campus into an important space for queer thought and work.

George delighted in sharing his enthusiasm for literature. Earlier in his career, he was a prolific book reviewer for the Riverside Press-Enterprise in the great days of newspapers. He wrote a literary blog for the Orange County Register online edition, offering everyone who wishes the benefits of his wisdom on what we should read and how we should read it. In retirement, he served as a Vice-President of the UCR Emeriti Association, and led a monthly book club devoted to mystery novels.  He was also appointed Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professor in 2021-2022 in recognition of his ongoing research.

He is survived by his brothers and sister, and by his husband Eddie O'Bannon, to whom he was grateful for loving care during the last few months of his life. The English Department plans to host a memorial service in the fall. Information about this event, and the opportunity to make donations in George’s memory, will be available on the department’s website.

Sincerely,

Daryle Williams
Professor of History and Dean
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Sherryl Vint
Department Chair of English
Professor of English and Media & Cultural Studies