The late Arthur Kingsley Champlin was the Leslie Brainerd Arey Professor of Biology; Elizabeth (Betsy) Stark Champlin ’65, Champlin’s wife, is a retired Senior Teaching Associate in the Biology Department. From the Colby Echo, Sept 4, 2003: “Champlin, who in his 32 year at the College taught through three presidents, made his presence known in multiple capacities, both in and out of the classroom. His remarkable service to the College was made obvious not only by his expertise in the biology department, but also through his involvement in the Off-Campus Studies office and his positions on several College committees.
“He was a dear and valued man,” Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Janice Kassman said. “He was a wonderful example of a Colby professor who had a quiet presence and strength.”
After earning a B.A. and M.A. at Williams College and his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, Champlin joined the Colby biology faculty as an assistant professor in 1971.
“[Champlin’s] dream came true when he was hired by Colby in 1971,” said Mrs. Champlin. “I believe that [Champlin] would describe his work at Colby using highly positive terms He was appreciative of the opportunities given him by Colby to teach, do research, and participate in many aspects of life at Colby.”
Associate professorship followed eight years later, full professorship in 1987 and President William Cotter appointed him to the Arey chair in 1993. Within those years, he served as chair of both the Department of Biology and the Division of Natural Sciences. More than just an instructor, Champlin made his students feel at home in his classroom. “He was very organized and very dependable,” said Wendy Bonner ’05, a student of his Introduction to Genetics course in the spring of 2002. “I was never nervous in his class, and I liked how he tried to incorporate a lot of class participation, which you don’t always find in science classes. He got to know you on a personal basis, which is really nice as a freshman when you feel like you’re just one in a crowd. HE gave you that Colby professor-student relationship that you look forward to but don’t find until you’re in smaller classes.”
Champlin spepnt his career researching mammalian genetics, mammalian reproductive biology, developmental biology and cryobiology. He also had a long relationship with the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, ME, where he conducted research and supervised Jackson’s Summer Student Program, beginning in the summer of 1962 and continuing until his death.
Also a well-known figure outside the classroom, his extracurricular positions included membership on dozens of College committees, including Promotion and Tenure, Health Care Advisory, Faculty Grievance, and Student Appeals – these in addition to serving as faculty representative to several committees of the Board of Trustees, as secretary of Faculty Meeting and, in 1984, as a member of the Trustee Commission on Campus Life, which saw to the dissolution of Colby’s Greek System.
He was the type of person where you’d see him around campus and he’d know what you were involved in – the play, a sport, and what was important to you,” Bonner said. He had that cozy, grandpa feel about him.”
While Mayflower Hill was his primary residence, Cork, Ireland became his second home. Champlin’s contribution to the OFf-Campus Study Department took many forms: chair of the Task Force on Off-Campus Study, acting director of Academic Affairs and Off-Campus Study, chair of both the Advisory Committee on Off-Campus Study and the Planning Committee for the Mellon Proposal for Colby-Bates-Boweoin Study Abroad, and twice as directory of the Colby in Cork program.
“[Champlin] developed a new interest when, in 1989, he visited his son, Eric, who was studying abroad in Ireland,” Mrs. Champlin quoted from Champlin’s obituary, which she helped write. “[Champlin] was excited by his visit and was intrigued by the many opportunities presented to students studying in other cultures. To help facilitate this unique opportunity for others, Art became the directory of the Colby in Cork program in Ireland for the academic year 1991-91, as well as for the spring semester of 2003.
“[Champlin] was always willing to go out of his way to help Colby students in Ireland,” said Jason Beal ’04, who spent last spring in Cork with Champlin. “He was always there for us and gave us sage advice. He loved Ireland and I’m glad he got to spend some of his last months there.”
I cannot tell you exactly why [Champlin] loved Ireland so much,” Mrs. Champlin added. “But he certainly did. I know that he was comfortable there in all realms – the country, the city, and the University.”