Press release: Bevington Gift to University of Chicago Press

As a University of Chicago professor and peer reviewer, David Bevington has helped launch the careers of countless scholars in the humanities. On the eve of his retirement, David and his wife Peggy are extending this commitment even further with a $100,000 gift to the University of Chicago Press to help publish works from emerging scholars.

David, the Phyllis Fay Horton Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Department of English, retired this year after teaching at the University for 38 years. He is a world renowned authority on English drama and literature from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and has edited numerous editions of Shakespeare's works. A warm and inspiring teacher, Bevington received the Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate teaching in 1979.

Peggy also devoted her career to the University of Chicago community. An expert in early childhood education, she retired in 2003 after nearly three decades of teaching nursery school at the Laboratory Schools.

As longtime friends of the Press, the Bevingtons see their gift as an extension of their ongoing involvement with and enthusiasm for Chicago's academic publisher. David has been a driving force in building the Press's reputation as a scholarly leader in early modern studies. "The excellence of Chicago's list in Shakespeare studies over the past twenty years is due in no small measure to the important role played by David Bevington," said Paula Duffy, Director of the Press. "He has been the ideal reviewer for numerous manuscripts published by the Press—always thoughtful, critical, and deeply supportive when he recognizes strong scholarship and novel, significant ideas."

While David has published his considerable body of works at other presses, he remains an outspoken advocate of Chicago's Press. "I love being at the University of Chicago, and the Press is one of the things that is so remarkable about it," said David. "The Press is a deep source of pride because it is the most successful university press in the country."

An avid reader, Peggy also feels a deep affinity for the Press. "The Press has a wonderful list of titles," she said. "Since I've retired, I take the time to go through the list and branch out into other fields: art history, history of science, classics, the arts. I am always eager to read books from the Press."

The Bevingtons' gift was a welcome one at the Press, which is launching a new effort to build its base of supporters. "David and Peggy Bevington's generous gift springs from recognition that young scholars need encouragement and support not just from individuals but from our great institutions," said Duffy. "We hope that through the Bevington Fund and the establishment of an endowment, we can continue to encourage young authors to view Chicago as the best possible home for their important work." The gift is one of the largest the Press has ever received from an individual.

For David, the Press's fiscal well-being is essential for the creation of new scholarship. "People don't know the names of emerging scholars, so they're not going to jump to buy their books," he said. "We want the Press to be financially sound so that it can continue to make decisions based on that quality of scholarship and not on the bottom line." Private support is one way that university presses can stay afloat without compromising academic standards.

Academic publishing is also an essential component of career advancement, as it is increasingly difficult for scholars to get tenure without an extensive list of published works. In this way, David sees his commitment to the Press as an investment in young scholars. "The Press has always been enormously successful because it insists on star quality," he said. "If you can find that star quality in younger people, that's much better."

Looking back on his career, David is grateful for all of the support and opportunity Chicago has given him over the years. "The University of Chicago is a great place to start a career," he said. "Chicago is an intellectual meritocracy that promotes from the bottom up based on the quality of scholarship. We get the Nobel Prize winners before they get the Nobel Prize. This is also true of the Press."

Having made their gift to the Press, the Bevingtons are encouraging others to do the same. "It's hard for me to think of a better choice than to make a gift to the University of Chicago," said David. "Your gift has the power to launch careers."