Marietta College remembers with deep gratitude the life and legacy of Charles "Charlie" T. Pridgeon, Jr., a longtime member of the English faculty whose teaching, scholarship, and mentorship shaped generations of students. Dr. Pridgeon passed away on January 27. He was 86.
Dr. Pridgeon joined the Marietta College faculty in 1968 as an instructor of English and remained at the College for 33 years. Prior to Marietta, he taught at North Carolina State University and served as a graduate teaching assistant at Duke University. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and completed both his master’s degree and doctorate in English at Duke.
A respected scholar of American fiction, film, and literature, Dr. Pridgeon was known for helping students connect literature to the world beyond the classroom. In 1974, he delivered a lecture on the novels of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. as part of the Omicron Delta Kappa Faculty Lecture series, observing, “I study Vonnegut's seven novels as a record of his growing sense of the futility of imposing order through art on a universe perceived to be without a system or purpose that is friendly to man.”
“Charlie Pridgeon was passionate about literature and eager to help students connect their class readings with current events,” said Dr. Bev Hogue, McCoy Professor of English. “He served as English Department Chair during a time of rapid change in the curriculum, and his interest in film led him to develop our first Film as Literature class. Even after retirement, he remained active in supporting campus and community events. He will be missed by fellow faculty and alumni.”
Dr. Pridgeon served as chair of the English Department from 1995–1999, was a founding member and director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Learning program, and received the Harness Teaching Award. He published widely on film and literature, and his dissertation, Insanity in American Fiction, has been cited by numerous academic publications.
He retired in 2001 but remained engaged with Marietta College and the local community. Fondly remembered by alumni as a dedicated and inspiring educator, Dr. Pridgeon leaves a lasting legacy at Marietta College. A memorial service will be held on March 20, at McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home in Marietta.