A familiar face retires after four decades at Wofford

Written by Hal Crosswell

For the past 40 years, Dr. Deno Trakas has taken his early-morning drive to campus, walked up three flights of stairs to his office in Old Main, and prepared to share his passion for literature. But at the end of the summer, he plans to retire.

Trakas, the Laura and Winston Hoy Professor of English, began his career as an English professor at Wofford in 1980 with what he calls a “stroke of luck”: an English professor at Wofford had recently been “let go” after hurling his typewriter though his office window. At the time, Trakas was working towards his doctorate in Columbia at the University of South Carolina and happened to stumble upon an ad for the new opening. He saw the job as a great fit; he had family ties to Spartanburg and his father graduated from Wofford years before and had become a professor himself. Close to completing his , Trakas applied and landed the job at Wofford, where he would remain for four decades. 

Trakas has been instrumental in participating and leading numerous programs at Wofford, in addition to instructing courses. He has directed the Writing Center for more than 30 years, helping countless students improve their writing skills and access help on papers for a variety of subjects. He started the women’s tennis program in the 1980s as the head coach, which has blossomed into a respected Division 1 program. Trakas has also been a coordinator in the Writing Series, a program that brings writers to campus to speak or present to individual classes. Additionally, he has served as a Faculty Representative to Wofford’s Board of Trustees and has been a respected voice of thoughtfulness and passion.  

Trakas’ influence has reached at least two generations of students. Some have even had the unique opportunity to experience the professor both as a student and as a colleague. Jo Ann Brasington, of Wofford’s Marketing and Communications Department, took two classes with Dr. Trakas: a creative writing class and “Adolescent Literature.” As a student, Brasington was a member of Wofford’s inaugural women’s tennis team, coached by Trakas. “He’s one of the professors who makes Wofford the special place it is now and always has been,” Brasington said of Trakas.

Another result of Trakas’ 40-year career is that he has seen firsthand the changes Wofford has undergone over the decades. When asked if the college has changed, Trakas said, “Of course it has. Of course it hasn’t. Wofford’s dedication to the liberal arts hasn’t changed. Its high standards haven’t changed. Its focus on small classes and close, respectful relationships between students and faculty hasn’t changed. But the physical campus has changed—it’s bigger and better than ever. There are more noble trees, more lush grass, more flowers, more mulch (I like mulch), and the new buildings are handsome and comfortable places to teach and learn. From my third-floor office in Old Main, I can see the tennis courts, the Greek Village, Shipp and DuPre and the library, and I tell people all the time that I work in a beautiful place.” 

Trakas added that the faculty has doubled in size since he came to Wofford and that the professors he works with now are “smart, talented, caring people,” just as his retired colleagues and other retiring faculty were. 

Trakas currently teaches a class on F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, two authors that he has studied for many years. He has researched and read the works of Fitzgerald particularly thoroughly. He said of the course he teaches on these 20th century American authors: “One thing I can say for certain about the class is that students still want to read F. Scott Fitzgerald…they still like his work, still relate to it, and still learn from it.” One current student in Trakas’ Fitzgerald and Hemingway class said, “I have truly enjoyed taking Dr. Trakas due to his in-depth knowledge of the material he is teaching. He always comes to class enthusiastic and excited to talk about the readings.” The passion Trakas brings to his classroom has resulted in his classes being highly sought-after by students over the years. 

Another educator in the English department, Dr. Carol Wilson, has experienced the professor both as a student and as a fellow colleague and close friend. When asked what work of literature she would associate with Trakas, Wilson responded, “How could it not be “The Great Gatsby”?” She elaborated: “The narrator, Nick, exhibits much of the Deno I know… he accepts the complexity of the world and is sometimes dismayed by it… but he doesn’t give up hope… He observes, with careful eyes and a sensitive heart.” 

Wilson also traveled abroad with Trakas on an interim trip to Italy. On this trip, Wilson recalls when a student twisted her ankle near the top of Giotto’s Tower in Florence. Trakas and Wilson both hurried to assist the student and hiked up the tall, winding stairs to reach her. Wilson recalled, “I’m sure we climbed a mile or better… he did not slow down heading up those narrow twisting stairs. After a while, I called up, ‘Deno, I’ve got to take off this jacket. I’ll catch up,’ and I did. But several twists later, I called up again, ‘O, I’ve got to stop and have a drink of water.’ He waved and just kept climbing, hearing that I was OK, and determined to get to our students as quickly as he could. When I think about his commitment to students, that image of him stepping around the next curve without slowing down is my really fond memory.” 

Trakas’ love for reading and writing has led him to publish works of his own, in addition to reading those of other authors. His novel “Messenger from Mystery” tells the story of students at the University of South Carolina who become involved in the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1980. He also published “Because Memory Isn’t Eternal” about his Greek immigrant ancestors who settled in Spartanburg—one of factors that drew him to Wofford.

Brasington noted that these two works were among her favorites, saying, “They were different, but so well written.” 

Trakas has published a few other works as well, including a collection of twenty poems in “Human and Puny,” which contains artwork by his sister, Irene Trakas. 

Trakas epitomizes the dedicated college professor. He has been an educator, mentor and role model for countless students. While his career will come to a close this May, his legacy and influence at Wofford will last forever.