Ortrun Gilbert
"Ortrun Gilbert was one of the most important people in the foreign language teaching profession in Tennessee for about a quarter century, and the teachers and students whom she touched and the programs and organizations with which she worked have continued her influence long after her death in 1995. A professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, she inspired her students with her love for the language, literature, and culture of her native Germany. In 1971 she joined a small group of Tennessee German teachers and professors to resurrect the defunct state chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German, of which she became the new first president, and in 1972 it sponsored the first annual Tennessee Spring German Festival at MTSU for Tennessee German students. The TN AATG and its Spring Festivals were a primary factor in the marked growth and quality of German programs across the state from 1971 on, and Ortrun’s enthusiasm and devoted work contributed strongly to that effort. She served both the TN AATG and TFLTA in many offices and roles through the years, and through them improved and strengthened Tennessee foreign language teaching.
Ortrun’s influence was both professional and personal; indeed, the force of her personality shone through her professional work and facilitated it. Sparked by an irresistible joie de vivre rather uncharacteristic of her native Bremen, she was a benevolent whirlwind who inspired others and had the energy and enthusiasm of a much younger person. She formed lasting personal relationships with many Tennessee German teachers, declaring each man her “second son” and each woman her “third daughter” to mark their symbolic, yet strong bond. Her hospitality remains legendary to this day; her guests were always received with joy and hugs, shown to “their” room where a bedside table was already set with seasonal flowers and books reflective of their special interests, and treated to good conversation and delicious home-cooked food. The personal touch so typical of Ortrun’s approach to life became a hallmark of the programs and organizations in which she participated and still characterize the Tennessee AATG and TFLTA, in which teachers and professors at all levels work together harmoniously and cordially to the benefit of foreign language teaching in Tennessee."
Submitted by Nancy Lauckner
Ortrun’s influence was both professional and personal; indeed, the force of her personality shone through her professional work and facilitated it. Sparked by an irresistible joie de vivre rather uncharacteristic of her native Bremen, she was a benevolent whirlwind who inspired others and had the energy and enthusiasm of a much younger person. She formed lasting personal relationships with many Tennessee German teachers, declaring each man her “second son” and each woman her “third daughter” to mark their symbolic, yet strong bond. Her hospitality remains legendary to this day; her guests were always received with joy and hugs, shown to “their” room where a bedside table was already set with seasonal flowers and books reflective of their special interests, and treated to good conversation and delicious home-cooked food. The personal touch so typical of Ortrun’s approach to life became a hallmark of the programs and organizations in which she participated and still characterize the Tennessee AATG and TFLTA, in which teachers and professors at all levels work together harmoniously and cordially to the benefit of foreign language teaching in Tennessee."
Submitted by Nancy Lauckner