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When Larry Gerber and Louise Katainen moved to Auburn in 1983, they weren’t sure how long they would stay, since they never thought they’d reside in the South. But academic jobs were scarce, and Auburn offered the only tenure-track position open to Larry, a historian trained at UC Berkeley. Louise, whose Berkley Ph.D. is in Medieval Italian Literatures, first taught Latin and French in Auburn’s public schools before joining the university’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in 1987. What they thought would be temporary became a permanent home.
Larry went on to spend nearly three decades in Auburn’s history department teaching modern US history, also serving as chair of the University Senate and later taking national leadership roles with the American Association of University Professors. Louise built her career at Auburn University teaching French and Italian, initiating the department’s first study-abroad programs, and creating a popular course on Italian culture through film. “I advertised the course with a flyer that warned that Italian films may contain ‘nudity and sex’; enrollments were good.”
Both describe their careers as deeply satisfying, but neither was ready to step away from teaching and learning entirely when they retired in the early 2010s. Almost immediately, they joined OLLI at Auburn. Larry, who has served in several volunteer leadership roles, including chairing the OLLI Advisory Council, has taught a variety of courses for OLLI, mainly modern US history, but also an introduction to oriental rugs.
“OLLI actually structures our week,” he said. “It keeps us engaged and connected. If it’s that important in our lives, we want to support it. Having a dedicated campus where there can be more social interaction seems very worthwhile.”
For Larry, the rewards are intellectual as much as social. “Too many people lose engagement in retirement,” he said. “OLLI classes keep me reading, keep me exploring subjects I never would have pursued otherwise.”
Louise echoed his thought. “The older one gets, the more one realizes how little one knows,” she said. “I’m absolutely driven to learn as much as I can before I die, and I prefer to do it in person, with experts, in a classroom, exchanging questions and ideas.”
That devotion to lifelong learning is one reason the couple has chosen to support OLLI’s building campaign. Louise also points to a larger social need. “The percentage of seniors in the U.S. is growing quickly. Organizations like OLLI will become all the more important as the decades roll by. Therefore, investment in a building that will serve the growing elder population is a wise choice.”
She notes that older adults now make up a significantly larger share of the population than when OLLI began and will continue to grow as a group in the coming decades. “Given that reality,” Louise added, “Auburn University’s Board of Trustees would make a wise and relatively low-cost investment by supporting the building of the new OLLI facility.”
For both Louise and Larry, their investment is also generational. “We belong to one of the most fortunate generations in history: postwar boom, affordable education, great opportunities,” Louise said. “That’s not true now. Education at all levels, including senior education, is important to support. Giving back is our way of paying it forward.”
For Larry and Louise, OLLI sustains curiosity, fosters connection, and creates community. Their generosity ensures that OLLI at Auburn will have a dedicated home where education for its own sake can thrive.