Henry Jack Tobias

Here is a pastiche of remembrances I received from friends and colleagues via emails - I gathered them together in a single document for Ann, Heidi and Ruth, and thought now I would post them here. From David Levine, student (UNM), (now resident in Africa): Oh, Haven! So many memories! He was so much more than a professor to me. He was a friend. He was an advisor. He was so tolerant of my brash politics. I can picture him in the classroom, in his office, touching baby Ruthie's little button of a nose and saying, "A noooose!" The cartoon he had framed on his office wall of the marchers carrying a long banner "LIBERTÉ" and coming to a fork in the road. Doing independant study with him. He was a mensch! From David again, posted on his FB page: One of the touchstones in my life passed away in his sleep last night at the fine old age of 96. Henry Tobias had been my Russian History professor at University of New Mexico back in the '60s. But he was so much more. He was an advisor, an advocate, a sounding board and moderator of my brash and naive politics, a father-figure, and he became a dear, dear friend. We stayed in touch for a decade or so, then corresponded less frequently. He was in assisted living in Albuquerque when I wrote him a multi-page letter a year or two ago. It's odd how one can be out of contact and yet he was still part of my life. Things he'd taught me -- important things -- had stayed with me through all these years. Thank you, Hank Tobias, for the teaching, for your patience, and simply for the time you gave me that made me feel like I was worthy of your time. David Levy (friend and OU colleague) I have been thinking about Henry a lot these days. Certainly every time my eye hits those drawings of Louis Brandeis and Albert Einstein which he gave me many years ago. He was quite a wonderful man. From Katie Barwick-Snell (friend and wife of colleague Dan Snell) He was such a wonderful mentor and friend to Dan. From Brit's mother, Linda Brittin Bradford: Deepest condolences Haven! I know those Thanksgiving get-togethers were special to Brit. I appreciate knowing more of Henry's history through your writing. He was a pleasure to know. From Roberta Sloan (friend and wife of Steve Sloan, Professor of Pol.Sci. OU) May his memory be blessing, and you and his daughters comforted...a truly gentle, brilliant, man. From Mary Jo Nye (friend, professor of the Hist. of Science, and wife of colleague Bob Nye) We have so many fond memories of good times with you in Norman, of football games and green chile in your living room, of Lesley and Ruth playing together at our houses, of your starting your law career in Oklahoma City, and of course, of Bob's and Henry's many conversations together in Dale Hall. A charcoal drawing that Henry did from a photograph of Thomas Mann hangs in Bob's study. From Robert Nye (friend and colleague) I would only add to your obit a few lines about his growing up speaking Yiddish and then using his Yiddish to do the book on the Bund in Russia, for which most of the documentation was Russian and Yiddish. And yes, he loved the arts, and was a bit of an artist himself.