Michael Patrick O'Connor
In Memoriam

It was 1974 when I first encountered Michael Patrick O'Connor, somewhere on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He had arrived in Michigan a year earlier than I, having received his undergraduate degree in English and Classics from the University of Notre Dame and his M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of British Columbia. As is the case with most graduate departments, it did not take long for everyone to know everyone else, and it was not long before I heard of this surpassingly intelligent person whose interests ranged far and wide. Michael was probably the only person who took advantage of the fact that the same University of Michigan building housed the Dept. of Near Eastern Studies, the Dept. of Linguistics, as well as the Dept. of Asian Languages and Literatures.

During the 4 years Merna and I spent in Ann Arbor, Michael became both friend and mentor: steering me away from problematic departmental politics, advising me on the startup of Eisenbrauns (originally just a fledgling bookseller, servicing other graduate students' needs), and helping tutor several of us prior to our taking comprehensive exams (in the "green house," for the few who may remember that building).

Michael defended his dissertation in 1977, and I remember attending the defense (I was now in my 3rd year at the university). As I walked back with David Noel Freedman to his office, I recall that Freedman remarked something like, "It's a difficult thing to attend a dissertation defense in which your student shows that he knows much more than do you." Prof. Freedman was both proud of his student and a bit envious (as I recall).

When Merna and I left Ann Arbor and I took a teaching position, Michael and I stayed in contact via regular return visits to Ann Arbor, via phone, and via letters. In 1980, Eisenbrauns published his dissertation as our first original work (we had issued several reprints earlier). Hebrew Verse Structure remains a magisterial piece of writing: dense, funny, erudite, literate, and, with regard to its intent, unsurpassed. (It has also often been misunderstood.)

In the years that Eisenbrauns was growing from a small bookseller—with typewritten, photocopied lists of books—into a publisher/bookseller/prepress company, Michael advised, encouraged, and provided regular support. He believed deeply in the mission of this business.

Through some of my darkest personal days in the first half of the 1980s, Michael remained a close friend, offering encouragement in a way that few could or did, remarkably kind and patient with me in days that were confusing and painful.

Some of my warmest memories of Michael relate to the creation of an Eisenbrauns book that is justly famous: the Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Michael (amazingly) was without regular employment in the early 1980s, mainly getting by on editorial work, whether in linguistics or in biblical studies. I had approached Bruce Waltke in 1981 about our providing some help to him in pulling together his class notes for an intermediate Hebrew grammar and suggested that I knew of someone who could assist us in doing this, eventually making a book out of the notes. Bruce agreed, and over the next 8 years, the complex process of "making" IBHS ensued. The turning point in the book's creation came almost precisely 20 years ago: in June 1987, Michael and I flew to Philadelphia and spent a week with Bruce and Elaine Waltke, in their home. I brought with me what must have been the third (nearly final) proofs of the book, which had been produced, it must be remembered, on predesktop publishing equipment. During that week, we hammered out the final shape of the book, addressing problematic areas, and in a relatively short span of time were able to bring together the various strands that it comprises. The result demonstrates something of Michael's character: without insinuating himself inappropriately into the material, he was able to supplement Bruce's original work in a way that few can tell where the book reflects Michael's writing in contrast to where it reflects Bruce's. The book is a wonderful testament to Michael's humble, warm willingness to collaborate with others. Watching Michael and Bruce interact about details of this or that is a fond memory. It was Bruce's suggestion that Michael be recognized as co-author, a decision that seemed obvious to all three of us who had been a part of the collaborative process.

During the last 18 or so years, Michael has held several academic appointments, most recently as chair of the Dept. of Semitics at Catholic University of America. His students have always known that Michael would interact carefully, in depth, and with encouragement—traits that are all too often lacking in graduate programs. He guided his doctoral students with care and took great interest in their after-degree lives and careers.

I will always remember his razor-sharp mind; his dry wit; his ability to cut to the heart of the matter in short order; a loud guffaw when something struck him as funny; his astounding grasp of a wide range of subjects (there seemed to be little that he had not read); and the personal interest he took in all who took the time to get to know him. He was a remarkable gentleman-scholar-friend.

CUA will miss Michael terribly; and we at Eisenbrauns have lost a wonderful personal friend and supporter of the business.

His memory will continue to be a blessing to us.

—Jim Eisenbraun, June 18, 2007