Zella Luria: Leading the Charge

Remembering Zella Luria

Professor Luria's relationships with her students continued well past the time she spent in the classroom with them, often continuing throughout their lives. Following her death in 2018, one former student, Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes, worked in coordination with the Tufts Archival Research Center (TARC) to put out a call inviting Professor Luria's former students to submit memories of her to be showcased in this exhibit and the corresponding physical exhibit. The call for submissions is ongoing. If you would like to share a memory of Professor Luria, please contact the TARC at archives@tufts.edu.

Please click on any page below to see it in more detail.

Letter written to Dan Luria at the time of Professor Luria's passing by her former student, Janice Westlund Bryan
Letter written to Daniel Luria at the time of Zella Luria's passing by her former student, Janice Westlund Bryan.

My husband had a NROTC
scholarship to Northwestern University where I met him. She never looked down on me for
being a military wife in this time period which had happened to me before. When I got the
highest grades in our first year colloquium, and won a much-needed scholarship, she said, ā€œIā€™m
so proud.ā€ !

– Janice Westlund Bryan
Zella Luria's former student Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes describes her relationship with Professor Luria.
Zella Luria's former student Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes describes her relationship with her.
Professor Luria's former student Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes describes her relationship with Professor Luria.

" I often sat on the floor in the rickety hallway of Paige Hall, the psychology building, literally, waiting for her office hours. I conjured up both real and imagined questions just so that I could be close to her. She reminded me of my grandmother with a caveat- my grandmother if she had been able to, or allowed to be, her best self - perhaps without the weight of my grandfather or her children, or whatever weighed her down and confined her. "

– Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes
A letter of encouragement written by Zella Luria to former student Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes in 1996, encouraging her in her graduate studies.
A letter written from Zella Luria to Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes, encouraging he in her graduate studies.
A letter of encouragement written by Zella Luria to former student Jennifer Lindeman Byrnes in 1996, encouraging her in her graduate studies.

"Please take care of yourself. And let me know what you find out in your own reality testing. Life has not dealt out self-confidence to as many women as men, alas. But trade on how Robin and I judge your ability. Take some confidence from that."

– Zella Luria