French and Francophone Studies

It is with deep sadness that the Department of French Studies announces the death of Professor Emeritus Beverly S. Ridgely, who passed away on October 25, 2017 at the age of 95.

Beverly Ridgely, a native of Baltimore, was a naval officer during World War II before going on to receive his PhD from Princeton. A specialist of seventeenth-century French literature, Professor Ridgely joined the Brown faculty in 1950 and taught for four decades until his retirement. He edited an edition of La Fontaine’s fables and published articles on such topics as the “new astronomy" in seventeenth-century French poetry and the cosmic voyage in Charles Sorel’s work.

A dedicated conservationist and avid ornithologist, Professor Ridgely also published books on the birds of New Hampshire and birds in philately. His colleagues will remember him as a kind and generous man who was devoted to teaching at Brown and had a passion for nature. Beverly Ridgely is survived by a daughter and two sons.

A memorial service was held at Swan Point cemetery chapel on November 18, 2017.