The Passing of Beloved Tutor, William Darkey

The loss of William Darkey-- tutor emeritus, cherished by students and colleagues alike for more than six and half decades -- is keenly felt by the St. John’s College community. Mr. Darkey served in a number of capacities besides tutor, including admissions director and librarian in Annapolis and founding faculty member and dean at the Santa Fe campus. “He’s the soul of the college in my book,” John Balkcom, former president at the Santa Fe campus, said in a 2006 interview. Mr. Darkey passed away in Santa Fe on Monday, June 22, 2009.

Raised in Western Maryland, Mr. Darkey attended St. John’s on a scholarship and, before graduating in 1942, was offered a faculty position. His lifetime devotion to the college was interrupted briefly when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946 and then, upon his honorable discharge, pursued a graduate degree in English literature at Columbia University. Noted poet and professor Mark Van Doren was both mentor and good friend. Returning to St. John’s in 1949, Mr. Darkey joined a cadre of tutors who helped build the college’s reputation, including intellectuals and refugees from Europe such as Eva Brann and gifted composers such as Elliot Carter.

At the new campus in Santa Fe, Mr. Darkey served as dean from 1968 to 1972 with “imagination, diligence, and perceptiveness,” former president Richard Weigle wrote in one of his memoirs. Mr. Darkey, in a 2006 college interview, gratefully remembered his wife, Connie’s enthusiasm for the new campus. A dedicated teacher and proponent of the St. John’s Program, Mr. Darkey was known for his intellect, his gentle manner in the seminar room, and his ability to bring out different points of view. He was also appreciated for his quiet humor.