Pictured: John McNamara
"John was an inspiring teacher, mentor to hundreds and a beloved colleagues. Few has contributed to the English department as much as he did. He will be missed enormously,” said English chair, j.Kastely.
McNamara joined the University of Houston faculty in 1976 after earning a doctorate at Louisiana State University. His nearly five-decade tenure at UH included serving as department chair in 1977 and 2003. He was instrumental to the launch of the UH Creative Writing Program in the Department of English in 1979, which has become a nationally acclaimed program.
His scholarly passions centered on Old English and Medieval languages and literatures of England, Scotland and Ireland. McNamara co-edited two volumes of "Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia," alongside University of Houston professor Carl Lindahl and University of California, Berkeley professor John Lindow. He also published a verse translation of "Beowulf" for Barnes and Noble Classics.
A dedicated educator, McNamara was a two-time recipient of the University of Houston Teaching Excellence Award and was honored with the Master Teacher Award of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. He was later bestowed the title of Professor Emeritus.
Born on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1938, in Troy, New York, McNamara was the fifth of eight sons. He completed his undergraduate studies at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, before serving as a medic in the U.S. National Guard. He earned his master's degree from Marquette University.
He was a lifelong learner who studied multiple languages including Old Icelandic, Irish, Gaelic, Latin, Greek and Italian.
A memorial service was held on April 17, 2025, his 87th birthday. The family has requested donations be made in McNamara's name to The Jung Center Houston at junghouston.org.