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Born in Berlin, Germany,
Werner A. Mueller studied classical Greek archaeology and German
literature at universities in Berlin, Munich, Freiberg, and Koenigsberg, where
he received a Ph.D. He immigrated to the United States in 1928. In 1946, after
teaching at various American institutions, including the Cate School in
California, the Asheville School in North Carolina, and Culver Military Academy
in Indiana, Mueller came to the University of Wyoming. He joined the Department
of Modern and Classical Languages faculty to teach German, Latin, and Greek.
Beloved and revered by many of his students, Mueller was a dedicated teacher and
kept office hours even after his retirement in 1973. He also continued to teach
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basis long after retirement. A former student Mary
Dunnewald notes, “Herr Mueller was among the most memorable of my
professors during my years at the University of Wyoming. He was tough—so much so
that I managed to produce only one perfect lesson in two years of German. But
because he was so fair, I kept trying and have retained a great amount of what
he taught me 45 years ago.”
Catherine Demshar, a former graduate student of Mueller says,
“Being one of his last candidates to go through the master’s program, I came to
know Herr Mueller quite well. To work side-by-side with him was a privilege and
honor. He became a legend in his own time and left behind a legacy of valuable
knowledge and the skills to apply it. Every day that goes by, I feel truly
blessed that he was part of my life.”
Mueller published a book, The Nibelungenlied Today: Its
Substance, Essence, and Significance, on the medieval German epic, Song of the
Nibelungen, which in Germanic myth and literature is about an evil family
possessing a magic hoard of gold. He served as president of the Rocky Mountain
Division of the Modern Language Association in 1963-1964.
Well respected by his colleagues, Mueller is remembered fondly by
many. Professor Klaus Hanson, former chair of the Department of Modern and
Classical Languages comments, “He inspired his students and colleagues alike
through his high ethics, his humanity and cultured being, his vast knowledge of
German literature and culture, and his great love for music. He would never miss
a Saturday afternoon’s performance of the Texaco Opera series on National Public
Radio, and many a Monday morning he would come to the office and sing passages
in German or Italian from Saturday’s opera performance.”
The late Professor Emeritus William R. Steckel, Department of
History, once said, “Professor Mueller and I were colleagues in the College of
Arts and Sciences for almost 50 years. During that time, I came to know him well
and to respect him highly. During his many years of service to UW, he was one
who worked for accommodation rather than confrontation, stability rather than
turmoil, and substance rather than flash. With such a judicious temperament and
measure of commitment, he served our institution well indeed.”
To continue his legacy, an endowed scholarship in Mueller’s name
is awarded annually to an outstanding undergraduate German major. Mueller’s wife
of 59 years, Henrietta, is a well-known artist who has had many national
exhibits. Both of their sons Kirk and Christopher are UW graduates. |
2006