North Central College professor recounts campus visit by Maya Angelou

May 28, 2014

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.