Associate Professor Emeritus of Spanish Daniel A. Williams, a respected and cherished member of our academic family, passed away on Dec. 27, 2023, at the age of 81.
Williams retired as an associate professor of Spanish in 2003 after 31 years of service to the college, during which he also served as the chair of the world languages department.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jenny Elizabeth Haifley Williams, his son, Christopher Williams ’87, and daughter, Casida O’Neill.
Richard Brett, professor of Communication and Cinema, passed away on Jan. 24, 2024. He came to McDaniel in 2010 to teach and help co-create the college’s new Cinema program. Already an accomplished professor, he taught cinema and film at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and St. Andrews Presbyterian College in North Carolina after earning a master’s degree in Production from the University of Iowa and M.F.A. in Broadcasting and Cinema from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He previously worked as a videographer, producer, editor, script consultant, and production assistant, and ran a local broadcast channel.
At McDaniel, he taught 10 courses for the Cinema major, including classes on scriptwriting, film production, and how to analyze great works of cinema. He was an instructor for the First Year Seminar, College Life in Cinema, and the Cinema capstone course, which culminates with the McDaniel Cinema Showcase where Cinema majors premiere their original films as their final capstone project. About the course, he said, “My goal isn’t to have them make films I would have made. It’s to lend my expertise and push them harder as a director.”
However, he was best known for his Introduction to Cinema, which engaged and energized hundreds of students over the years and drew many of them into the field. He also taught two popular film analysis courses that were almost always waitlisted and a junior level scriptwriting course, which was a favorite class for many Cinema majors.
Outside of class, he supported students in roles like the faculty sponsor for the Uncinema Club. He was promoted to full professor in August 2022.
A screenwriter, he wrote five feature-length screenplays during his time at McDaniel. He received dozens of national and international accolades, including a Cine Eagle Award and a regional Emmy.
Professor Brett, who said, “To create a film you must be a combination of artist, leader, psychologist, writer, technician, motivational coach, and all-around troubleshooter ... just to name a few,” also had a lifelong love for painting with particular interest in photo-realistic miniatures and paintings used in visual effects. During his sabbatical in fall 2023, he was working to complete his second horror novel.
He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Coffman, and stepdaughter, Kara Coffman ’20.