Dr. Alcyone Scott, who enjoyed a 45-year teaching career at Midland University, passed away on May 4, 2024. She was 84. A celebration of life will be held in Scott’s honor Saturday, June 22 at 4 p.m. at Sinai Lutheran Church in Fremont.

Scott began her illustrious career at Midland in 1966. Over the next 45 years, she would serve as a catalyst for the English department and was an innovator across campus. She co-founded a course (Odyssey in the Human Spirit) and served as its founding director. For decades, the Odyssey course served as the cornerstone of Midland’s liberal arts coursework, and Scott could be seen giving the Queen Elizabeth I presentation, in full costume. She also taught numerous other courses, including World Literature, Theology and Literature, Ethics in Literature, Ethics in Film, Russian Literature, and many more. 

Dr. Henry Krusiewicz, Professor of English, arrived at Midland in 1996 and developed an instant rapport with Scott. “She was my mentor for many years and was essential to my development as an educator,” Krusiewicz said. “I always enjoyed the intellectual discussions I had with her, and she stressed the important things that needed to be taught. She was a very bright woman.”

Her impact on Midland extended far beyond the classroom as she sponsored several student organizations and served in numerous faculty leadership positions across campus, including Chair of the English Department, as well as Faculty Chair. She also helped introduce students to the wonders of learning through travel and led numerous courses to places like China, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Peru, the Baltics, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Honduras. She was also one of the first faculty members to encourage service as part of the learning experience, leading service-learning courses in both the United States and abroad.

In 1987,  Scott received the Zimmerman Distinguished Professor Award in recognition of outstanding teaching and commitment to the liberal arts.

While at Midland, she helped start an English literacy program for the parents of students at Washington Elementary School in Fremont and continued tutoring there for years into her retirement. After her retirement in 2011, she remained active with the art department at Midland, where she enjoyed working alongside students as she pursued her interest in ceramics. In 2018, she assisted with a travel course in the Philippines.

Krusiewicz said he stayed in contact with Scott following her retirement and enjoyed their conversations over the years. “She was a larger than life figure, arguably one of the greatest teachers ever at Midland University,” he said. “She impacted the lives of so many students, colleagues, and people in the community. She was  a wonderful woman, and it was an honor to have known her.”

Scott was born on October 25, 1939 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She earned her undergraduate degree in English and Humanities from Wittenberg University in Ohio, then her Masters and Ph.D. in History of Culture from the University of Chicago. After college, she worked with the Lutheran church in West Berlin, Germany. A high point during this time was assisting Martin Luther King, Jr. navigate Checkpoint Charlie to give his speech in East Berlin in 1964.