College mourns the passing of Emeritus Professor

It is with great sadness that the College shares the news of the passing of Emeritus Professor David Goldknopf (English). He was 96.

In 1943 during WW II, Goldknopf was drafted into the military and joined the Army Air Forces where he served as a radio and communications officer for the 368th Fighter Group. After the war he lived in New York City, freelancing and writing fiction including numerous short stories and a novel, “Hills on the Highway.” Shortly thereafter, he moved to Rosendale and then to New Paltz to work as a technical writer at IBM in Kingston.

Goldknopf became a professor of English at SUNY New Paltz where his wife, Irma, also served as a professor. Both began as instructors, in 1961 and 1968, respectively.

David, who retired in 1983, was an associate professor at the time. Irma was also an associate professor at the time of her retirement, in 1997. After their retirement, the couple established a scholarship for single parents attending SUNY New Paltz. The first scholarship was awarded for the academic year 1999-2000 and covered full in-state tuition, per semester, for one or more students.

Goldknopf held a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from New York University, a master’s degree in English from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Syracuse University.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.