By ALISA THOMAS

Staff Writer

After 43 years of service to Tech, Dr. Abraham Attrep, a professor of history, will retire from the teaching profession at the close of the winter quarter this year.

He has amassed the longest tenure of any professor currently employed at Tech.

Attrep said he believes his experience at Tech is a great honor.

"The Tech tradition is an enriching, enduring and enlivening source of academic strength for Louisiana and the nation," Attrep said.

For over 50 years, Attrep has been in education; if he was not learning for himself he was teaching others.

His career began in 1958 as a teacher at Sulphur High School in Sulphur.

Attrep quotes Socrates, outlining teaching as the most honorable profession.

"The truth serves the students," Attrep said.

"And the students are the raison d'etre of each University." That is to be interpreted as "reasons for being."

During his years of teaching, Attrep has been recognized for works in seven major publications and 34 professional presentations and reports.

Along with these works he was involved in six professional organizations and activities, nine civic contributions and nine different awards for his service.

Dr. Stephen Webre, the head of the department of history, said he considers Attrep to be the kind of professor who touched people's lives.

"He had his own special way in the classroom, characterized by a love of learning and teaching," Webre said.

"They don't make them like Dr. Attrep, and he will be missed."

Attrep makes mention of the Tech spirit and how it reflected his teaching and experiences as a part of the department of history.

"Over the years that I have been privileged to serve, it seems to me, the hallmarks of the history department have been stability, quality, cohesiveness and leadership in the chairperson and a following among the faculty and staff that took legitimate pride in striving for the best," Attrep said.

Eric Futrell, a graduate student of history, said he was taught under Dr. Attrep as an undergraduate and sees him as an interesting professor and person.

"He would go out of his way to do things to help his students succeed," Futrell said.

"He loved history and teaching history.

While at Tech, Attrep's concentration in history was Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation, European Social and Intellectual periods.

Attrep expresses his appreciation for the students at Tech.

"Their sincerity, faithfulness and efforts to learn are extraordinary in an age in which there have been so many challenges to education," Attrep said.

"It is their thoughtfulness, their compassion that characterizes for me so much of the heart of the Tech student spirit."

He said he refers to students here as masters of the Greek concept of ARETE.

Attrep explains this concept as, "far more than excellence, it is the best of the best, the highest of the highest, the closest that a human being, with human limitations can come to perfection."