Provost Peggy Agouris sent the following message to the campus community on July 22, 2026. – Ed.
Dear colleagues,
I write to share the sad news that James Barclay Savage, Professor Emeritus of English, died on June 2, 2026. Prof. Savage devoted forty-four years to William & Mary as one of the English Department’s most distinguished teachers, inspiring generations of students through his intellectual rigor, wit, and unwavering commitment to the close reading of literature.
Raised in Skokie, Illinois, Prof. Savage studied music from an early age before earning his B.A. from Princeton University in 1965, his M.A. from Northwestern University in 1966, and his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1971. He joined William & Mary in 1970 and remained a beloved member of the faculty until his retirement in 2014. Throughout his career, he specialized in the literature of the English Renaissance, publishing scholarship on John Milton while teaching celebrated courses on Shakespeare, Milton, and Renaissance drama.
While well respected as a scholar, Prof. Savage’s greatest legacy was his teaching. He challenged students to read deeply, think critically, and write with precision. His exacting standards, legendary reading quizzes, and probing classroom discussions became hallmarks of his courses, but so too did his generosity as a mentor. He devoted countless hours to commenting on student writing and guiding honors theses, helping many students pursue graduate study, academic careers, law, and other professions where careful reasoning and persuasive argument proved invaluable. Allison Orr Lawson ’99, Taylor Reveley Research Professor, Alfred Wilson & Mary I.W. Lee Professor of Law, and Director of the Institute of the Bill of Rights Law at William & Mary’s Law School, wrote at Prof. Savage’s retirement, “I did not get my law degree from William and Mary, but I first learned to think like a lawyer in Tucker Hall.”
Former students consistently recalled that Prof. Savage transformed the way they thought. Alumnus Ryan Boyd ’04, now an associate professor at the University of Southern California, reflected, “Jim was part of a life-changing undergraduate education for me, and one of the best teachers I’ve had. He demanded a lot of us, but what we got back from him as a professor was invaluable.” That sentiment captures the profound and lasting impact he had on generations of William & Mary students.
Outside the classroom, Prof. Savage pursued a lifelong love of music, attended concerts throughout the region, enjoyed kayaking on the James River and beyond, and remained an avid basketball enthusiast. Though often reserved, those who knew him appreciated his sharp humor, intellectual curiosity, and deep devotion to the subjects he loved.
Prof. Savage leaves an enduring legacy through the thousands of William & Mary students whose lives he shaped. His commitment to rigorous inquiry, thoughtful analysis, and the enduring power of literature will continue to inspire our community for years to come.
Sincerely,
Peggy