Posted on February 19, 2026

In 1915, soon after the dissolution of the Department of Ancient and Modern Languages, the Department of Romance Languages was formed. This department included French and Spanish (later Italian and Portuguese). Though convenient for the course it would take, Latin was not included in the Department of Romance Languages, even though all romance languages are latinate. The Department of Romance Languages was eventually subsumed into the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in 2011, alongside the Department of German, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese Studies.  

Department Heads: 

Hinda Teague Hill – 1915 – 1919 

Winfield S. Barney – 1920 – 1952 

Meta Helena Miller 1953 – 1960 

Elizabeth Barinaeu 1962  

Charles Daniels Blend 1962 – 1966 

 James Carol Atkinson 1967 (Acting Head) 

George E. McSpadden 1968 – 1975 

Robert R. Stinson 1976   

Herbert S. Gochberg 1977 –  1980 

Roch C. Smith 1981 – 1986 

James Carol Atkinson 1986 

Mark I. Smith-Soto 1986 – 1993 

Kathleen V. Kisch 1994  –  1996 

David A. Fein 1997 – 2000 

Theresa Sears 2001 

Carmen T. Sotomayor  2002  

Theresa Sears 2003  

Carmen T. Sotomayor 2004 – 2011 

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