Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Fittingly, some of the Scarborough Fair herbs are found at Santa Clara’s namesake St. Clare Garden, nestled near the de Saisset Museum. Professor emeritus and medieval scholar Dorothea French helped ensure the garden featured elements common to 13th century Italian gardens that St. Clare of Assisi may have visited. French died on June 22, 2025. Former students and colleagues will miss her attention to detail and love of history.
When her husband, Wesley French M.S. ’68, proposed, he promised Dorothea that he’d put her through school if she married him. And, boy, did she take him up on it.
French earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ancient history from San Jose State University, and her Ph.D. in medieval studies and pilgrimage at the Graduate Theological Seminary at UC Berkeley.
She joined Santa Clara’s History Department in 1986, where she taught late classical and medieval history. She helped create the department’s Subject Matter Preparation Program to support future educators, and in 2004, she received the “Sisterhood is Powerful” award for her advocacy and contributions to women at SCU.
Just before retiring in 2004, French was part of a committee overseeing the installation of the St. Clare Garden. Little is known about the convent gardens where St. Clare, religious mystic and spiritual friend of St. Francis, spent her days.
Instead, the committee followed historical research of medieval gardens typical of Southern Europe, which has a similar climate to California’s. In the garden, you’ll find herbs, edible plants like leeks, and flowering plants like roses and iris beloved in the Middle Ages.
After retirement, French remained active with the University as a founding member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). “We don’t ever stop learning,” she said. Under her leadership, the program grew significantly into a vibrant community of over 1,000 members, earning a $1 million grant.