Gilberte Van Treese, professor emerita of French at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, died on February 12. She was 91 years old.
Professor Van Treese joined the faculty at Sweet Briar College in 1963 as an instructor of French. She was named an assistant professor in 1965, promoted to associate professor and granted tenure in 1971, and was named a full professor in 1979. She served for 26 years on the faculty at Sweet Briar College before retiring in 1989. Her husband of 65 years, Glenn Van Treese, was also a former professor of foreign languages at Sweet Briar College. He died in January.
Gilberte Van Treese grew up in Paris and lived there during World War II. She was an expert in twentieth-century French literature and French history during the war years. At Sweet Briar College, she also served as an assistant dean.
Dr. Van Treese was a 1950 graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio. After studying at the University of Paris, she earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at Indiana University.