Professor Walsh gives an “A” to a Jain monk

Refreshing this story from Francis Kane, professor of philosophy and former colleague of Professor George Walsh at Salisbury State University, in a eulogy delivered November 21, 2001.

The phone rang one Friday afternoon (I’ll never forget):

“Fran, I’m going to be fired!”

“George, you’re not going to be fired.”

“Yes, I am! Something horrible has happened.”

“George, we’re not going to fire you. What did you do?”

And then the now-famous story of the Jain monk incident, which has entered into the annals of Salisbury University history. No need to repeat all the details here except to say that George’s wit was sometimes lost on our students, as when he told anxious students in his History of Religions course that there were two ways to get an A on the upcoming test on Eastern religions: study real hard or come dressed as a Jain monk.

“You know what a Jain monk is, don’t you, Fran?”

“No, George, I don’t believe I do. Who are they?”

“Well, when they reach the stage of highest enlightenment, they go into the town square and shed all their clothes. But, Fran, I was only kidding. The guy didn’t have a stitch of clothes on when he came in to take the test. Just the word ‘Jain’ written across his chest. I think some of the women were upset. I’m going to be fired, aren’t I?”

“No, George, I’ll call up the president, give him a heads up, and I think it will be okay.”

“Well, Fran, in that case then, I think I have to give him an A.”

* * *

You’re still missed, George.

Anecdote originally found at The Atlas Society website.

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