Dr. Barbara P. Black, Professor of Foreign Languages, Emerita, who taught at Bridgewater College for 29 years, died on April 8, 2024. She was 76.
A native of Luray, Va., Black attended Mary Washington College and Middlebury College, and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in French from Tulane University. Before beginning her tenure at Bridgewater, Black taught at schools in New Orleans, La., Athens, Greece, and North Carolina.
Black came to Bridgewater in 1983 and served as the foreign languages department chair from 1983 to 1994. Beginning in 1990, Black was named to Delta Kappa Gamma—the Women’s International Education Honorary Society—for two consecutive years in recognition of her achievements as an educator. Outside of the classroom, Black was a member of the Foreign Language Association of Virginia. She also served as advisor for the College’s French Club for 24 years.
Black was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Gerald Winfred and Anne McDowell Black. She is survived by her brothers, Charles S. Black, P. Nicholas Black and Richard M. Black; and their families.
6/23/2025
