"He was also a very gentle person. He was a very noble soul who would be very anxious to help with whatever he could," said Michalczyk. He recalled the generosity and dedication Barth demonstrated by agreeing to proofread his 200-page manuscript before publication several years before either scholar came to BC.
Several years later as dean, Barth fought for the rights of the arts. At the time, the fine arts department was the only department operating on Newton Campus. "We felt in isolation and abandoned," said Michalczyk. "He struggled to make sure we got back on Main Campus because he saw the importance of the arts on campus."
During his deanship, film studies was switched from a minor to a major. He acted as mentor to many in the fine arts department, helping to establish the McMullen Museum in the newly renovated Devlin Hall.
Barth not only promoted the arts, but participated in them frequently. He acted in several plays in Robsham Theater, recorded two CDs of poetry by William Wordsworth, Francis Thompson, and Rev. Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J., and published several works analyzing the relationship between religion and literature. He was also known to offer impersonations of actors Barry Fitzgerald and Bela Lugosi.
"He was somewhat of a ham himself," said Neenan.
His final performance came in the spring of 1999 when he narrated the BC Symphony Orchestra's rendition of Aaron Copland's "Portrait of Lincoln."
Barth extended his passion outside of the arts by promoting interdisciplinary minors, strengthening the physics program, and helping to revise the University's core curriculum.
"He knew a lot about other areas," said Michalczyk, who called Barth a "broad-based humanist." "He felt they shouldn't be pigeon holed because they all have interconnections," he continued. "He felt each discipline is noble in itself, but not in a vacuum."
Barth saw each discipline as an art that each individual was capable of accessing. "The arts are not for the artist, but for the one who sees with wide imagination," he said in his April 2002 homily.
Spring Break
