Richard Tiemersma

The Richard and Kathleen Tiemersma Scholarship has been established to promote and further respect for language, the liberal arts, and Calvin College and its objectives. Dr. Tiemersma has set up this scholarship in gratitude to Calvin College, for opportunities he and Kay received to learn from gifted professors, for the joy of working in a satisfying profession, and for deep enrichment of their personal lives. Dr. Tiemersma notes that “all of the best things in my life are owing to my association with Calvin College.”

Dr. Tiemersma taught in the English Department for 28 years, where he was a respected and beloved professor whose specialty was Victorian literature and a careful attention to use of the English language. Mrs. Tiemersma was an English major and taught in the department for several years. Later she became the first full-time physical education instructor at Calvin College. The Kay Tiemersma Award, given each year to a female student who demonstrates athletic ability, scholastic standing, character and leadership, and well rounded activities, is named in her honor.