David Rosenberg: World Traveler

by Greg Pahl, Midd Points, May 1996

When he was a Senior at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in 1963, David Rosenberg made a fateful decision that changed the course of his life. "I realized that I didn't want to go into business or law school," he says. "I really wanted to try something very different."

So, while his classmates "went off to become captains of industry," David joined the Peace Corps and journeyed to Nepal. "I went off to the Himalayas but I really didn't know much of anything about Nepal, and what little I did know was mistaken," he says. While in Nepal, David made several key discoveries. "First, I think I found a calling or vocation there - to try and figure out what was going on in this very different place," he continues. "And, secondly, what, if anything, I could or should do about it. Ever since then, I've been trying to answer those questions in one way or another, in one country or another."

After a brief stint working for the State Department, David attended graduate school at Cornell. That was followed by a year in the Philippines as a visiting research scholar at the University of the Philippines. When he returned to the U.S. he became a part-time lecturer at Cornell while he finished his PhD dissertation. He started teaching at Middlebury in the fall of 1972. In his work on Asian politics, he also has travelled to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
David wears many hats in his current position at the College. He is Frederick C. Dirks Professor of Economics and Political Science; director of the Program in International Politics and Economics; and director of the Program in East Asian Studies. He also has served as an ombudsperson for many years.

David was born in Newark, N.J., in 1940. His father came from Hungary, while his mother was from Quebec. David's father was a sergeant in the U.S. Army, stationed at Plattsburgh, N.Y., when he met David's mother in Montreal.

In 1969, David married his wife, Jean, in Ithaca, N.Y. They have two children, Eli, age 23, and Elizabeth, 18. David is active in local community affairs. He is the co-chair of the Havurah, the Addison County Jewish Congregation. He is also a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Board of Civil Authority, and is head of the Democratic Party organization in Middlebury.

When he is not busily involved in his many professional and community activities, David enjoys playing guitar. "I love folk music and the blues." The Rosenbergs, avid outdoor enthusiasts, also try to spend at least one week of every summer canoeing, camping or hiking in Vermont, Maine, the Adirondacks, or Canada.

In January, David had the chance to return to Nepal with his wife and two Nepali students from the College. "The first impression that I remembered about Nepal was that it's beautiful; it's absolutely stunning. And it's still beautiful," he says. While there has been a lot of change in the country during the last 30 years, there has not been that much development, compared to many other Asian countries," according to David
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While there, David and his wife were able to visit with the families of some of the Nepali students who go to Middlebury. "I was amazed at how far some of these students have come "literally," he says. "Not only do they live 12 time zones away on the other side of the world, but once you get to Katmandu you would have to get on a bus for another 12 hours, and then hike another eight hours to get to a small village far from any paved road to meet some of their families. It's really quite remarkable."

"The reception we had from our students' families was incredible," he continues. "Jean and I would visit, and the whole family would be there, including lots of relatives and neighbors. Then we'd sit down and all these people would come around and feed us every imaginable kind of feast food -- and some foods I couldn't even imagine," he says laughing. "That's another good thing about Nepal that hasn't changed. Nepali hospitality is wonderful."