Robert Baehr ’57


Robert Baehr ’57 died from a blood clot in his lungs on August 14, 2009, in Grimstad, Norway. At Dartmouth Bob was active in Sigma Alpha Epsilon, squash, tennis, the Canoe Club and WDCR/WFRD. His education continued at the universities of Colorado (M.A.) and Pennsylvania (M.A., Ph.D.). Bob worked in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Rochester, New York, and taught in Hawaii, Boulder, Colorado, and American Samoa, where he wrote a 300-page teaching manual, History of Oceana, and six student textbooks on Polynesian history. Bob moved to Norway in 1972, teaching American studies and literature at Agder University in Kristiansand until a severe heart attack forced him to retire in 1996. After successful heart transplant surgery, Bob remained active in academic circles. He founded the American Studies Association of Norway, serving as president for five years and a director for 16. He also chaired the board of the Norwegian Heart and Lung Transplant Association for 10 years. He wrote more than a dozen academic papers, many dealing with the history of aviation and U.S and Norwegian aviators. In 2006 Bob and his beloved wife, Inger, hosted an unforgettable Dartmouth 1957 mini-reunion in Norway. In addition to Inger, he is survived by children Ninia and Brooks and granddaughter Haile. A third child, Teana, died in 2006. Bob will long be remembered for his energy, warmth, generosity, hospitality and irreverent wit. One of his favorite sayings was, “Life is short: Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile.”