Frank Schalow, a University of New Orleans philosophy faculty member for nearly three decades and an internationally renowned authority on German philosopher Martin Heidegger, died on May 25 at the age of 68.
Schalow started his career at UNO in 1995 as an adjunct faculty member. In 2001, he was promoted to assistant professor and became a full professor in 2010. He taught classes including Introduction to Philosophy, Social Ethics, Ethics, The Philosophy of Kant and The Philosophy of Heidegger.
Schalow was a prolific author and researcher. He wrote 12 books on Heidegger and was the longtime co-editor of “Heidegger Studies,” an international journal published in four languages. Considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, Heidegger was best known for his philosophy of existentialism. Schalow’s other areas of research interest included ethics, medical ethics, phenomenology, and 19th and 20th century German thought.
“Dr. Schalow had the admiration of his students and the respect of his colleagues,” said Robert Stufflebeam, associate professor of philosophy. “He was the embodiment of the philosophy professor stereotype. He was brilliant, but quirky. He always wore a tie, even if it bore no stylistic relation to whatever shirt he was wearing. He always spoke thoughtfully and logically. He was never heard to raise his voice in anger. The philosophy program has suffered a great loss. Professor Schalow was one of a kind. He will be missed.”
In addition to the dozen books he authored on Heidegger, Schalow co-edited three books, wrote 16 chapters, and authored several dozen journal articles, review essays, critical discussions and book reviews, Stufflebeam said.
According to colleagues, Schalow’s commitment to his discipline was matched only by his devotion to the stray cats for which he cared for in his New Orleans neighborhood and his beloved New York Yankees.
Schalow earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver, and both a master’s and doctorate in philosophy from Tulane University.
