Charles Vandersee papers

Charles Andrew Vandersee (1938–2003) was a professor of English at the University of Virginia for thirty-three years and served as the dean of the Echols Scholars Program from 1973 to 1997. Born in Gary, Indiana, on March 25, 1938, he received his B.A. from Valparaiso University in 1960. He then earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, before coming to the University in 1964. Vandersee pursued a career in higher education, including teaching and administrative leadership at UVA’s College of Arts and Sciences. The Echols Scholars Program, which he oversaw for nearly twenty-five years, is a selective academic initiative that allows students to pursue a flexible curriculum with fewer distribution requirements. He published numerous poems, and Vandersee’s academic interests included American literature. He edited a modern edition of John Hay's 1884 novel, "The Bread-Winners," and he was an associate editor of the six volumes of The Letters of Henry Adams. He participated in scholarly discussions of Henry Adams, including a 1992 C-SPAN panel appearance. Vandersee was also a Fellow of the Society for Values in Higher Education (SVHE). At a 2002 Festival of Faith and Writing, he participated in a panel organized by SVHE to discuss the significance of writing in liberal education and moral formation. Vandersee died on January 13, 2003, in Albemarle County, Virginia.

References Cited:

C-SPAN. “Charles Vandersee.” C-SPAN Video Library. Accessed November 6, 2025. https://www.c-span.org/person/?charlesvandersee.

Find a Grave. “Charles Andrew Vandersee.” Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed November 6, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103605417/ch

Goodman, John."English professor passes away over holidays." The Cavalier Daily [Charlottesville,VA],15 Jan 2003, https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2003/01/english-professor-passes-away-over-holidays