Dr. James Friguglietti, 79
Professor Emeritus, History
Professor Emeritus Dr. James Friguglietti reacts to a speech during the annual 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award banquet, where an alumnus mentions his experience as having Friguglietti as a professor.
April 1, 2016
Story by Blair Koch, University Communications and Marketing
Professor Emeritus Dr. James Friguglietti, 79, can be found most days in attendance at various 麻豆官网首页入口免费 events or in his office situated on the first floor of Cisel Recital Hall.
His space resembles a nest, with an assemblage of books, newspapers and other scholarly works that surround a desk and computer where Friguglietti is free to study, read and write and yes, sometimes nap.
鈥淚f you cleaned it up, organized it, I wouldn鈥檛 know where anything was,鈥� Friguglietti said. 鈥淚 like this, I like this.鈥�
The perpetual bachelor lives just blocks from campus and quips, 鈥淚鈥檓 still one of the few people I know without a car. Can you believe it?鈥�
The retired history professor, affectionately known as 鈥楧oc,鈥� has been a campus mainstay
since 1976, back when MSUB was called Eastern Montana College. His curricula vitae
highlights include earning his Ph.D. in 1966 from Harvard University, serving a Fulbright
Grant in France and then a Social Science Research Council Research Training Fellowship,
also in France, before returning to the United States to begin his teaching career
at the University of Rochester in 1966.
At MSUB Friguglietti taught popular courses such as the 鈥淗istory of Creation to (President) Clinton,鈥� and brought theatrical practices into the classroom when lecturing on Freud to get students, 鈥渋nto that period between sleep and being awake.鈥�
鈥淭he history of the mind and dreaming goes back to the Bible,鈥� Friguglietti said. 鈥淟ike the story of Joseph.鈥�
During his nearly 30 years in the classroom he taught 鈥渉undreds and hundreds of students.鈥�
His decades of recollections of being on campus are punctuated by the sounds of a private trumpet lesson down the hall鈥攋ust one of the perks of sharing a building with the music department.
In addition to having a vast academic knowledge of French history (having published three books on the matter in the late 60s and early 70s, two of which were written in the French language) and a plethora of additional academic articles spanning several decades, Friguglietti鈥檚 repertoire includes an uncanny ability to identify classical musical pieces within the first few measures.
When the first notes to Toreador鈥檚 Song, from 鈥淐armen,鈥� float down the hall, Friguglietti鈥檚 eyes close softly and his foot begins to tap to the upbeat rhythm.
鈥淥op, sharp there,鈥� he says a few lines later.
Chuckling, he adds, 鈥淐lassical music is one of my passions.鈥�
I ask his instrument.
鈥淭he radio,鈥� Friguglietti deadpans.
A colleague strides down the hall and asks Doc if he鈥檒l be at the student recital later that week.
Like most campus functions, Friguglietti wouldn鈥檛 miss it for the world.