By Trevor Anderson
As a young scholar, Professor Emeritus John Lane ’77 fell in love with the humanities in South Carolina.
“I would travel to the various humanities and literary events or festivals across the state,” says Lane, an acclaimed author, environmentalist and teacher. “I met so many wonderful people and really enjoyed the community. It’s a love that continues to this day.”
In October 2023, Lane, who taught English, creative writing and environmental studies during his 32-year career at Wofford, was honored with a South Carolina Governor’s Award in the Humanities, bringing his journey full circle.
“I am thrilled for John,” says Wofford’s President Emeritus Bernie Dunlap, who earned the same award in 2010. “It’s difficult to imagine anyone more deserving of this award than him.”
Dunlap shares a memory of when his office was briefly in a suite with Lane and several other colleagues. They referred to this space as the “Office of Peripheral Studies” because, Dunlap remembers, its members represented academic interests that seemed to go in “all directions.”
“The humanities are endemic to John’s work,” Dunlap says. “He is extraordinarily good at so many things.”
Lane earned a bachelor’s in religion from Wofford and returned to campus in the late 1980s to teach creative writing. He was instrumental in starting the college’s environmental studies program and served as founding director of the Goodall Environmental Studies Center until he retired in 2020.
“This was a big surprise,” Lane says. “I’ve earned awards for writing and teaching, but not for both at the same time. … I want to tell stories that connect to my 30 plus years of teaching. That’s what makes this so special for me.”
The award, established in 1991, recognizes those who have made exceptional contributions to humanities research, education and community engagement in South Carolina.
Dunlap lauds Lane’s “unfailing generosity of spirit” and points to Spartanburg’s growth in recent decades as evidence of Lane’s inspirational leadership.
“Just look at how many other people have embraced his vision and worked with him,” Dunlap says. “Like all good leaders, John has led by example.”
Lane isn’t slowing down. His latest book “Gullies of My People: An Excavation of Landscape and Family” was published in November, and he has started thinking about his next project.