North Central College professor recounts campus visit by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou, the acclaimed author and poet who died May 28 at age 86 in North Carolina, made a lasting impression on many members of the North Central College family when she visited campus in 1989.

As English professor and then-director of the College’s Cultural Events program Richard Guzman recounts in a 2013 post on his website, he was concerned at the time the distinguished author would be upstaged by a celebrity who came to hear Angelou’s talk. So Guzman asked the celebrity guest to discreetly take a seat in the shadows of the upper balcony of Pfeiffer Hall.

That guest was Oprah Winfrey.

Read Guzman’s full account of Angelou’s visit to campus on his website, richardguzman.com.