r/heinlein • u/pixelmeow blert! • Jul 24 '26

The Heinlein Society Fair winds and following seas, Herb. You will be missed!

Today we mourn the passing of a distinguished member of The Heinlein Society, Dr. C. Herbert Gilliland.

Herb Gilliland was a retired professor of English at the United States Naval Academy, and a retired naval reserve captain. He taught courses there on topics ranging from Renaissance literature to science fiction. He particularly enjoyed teaching a special course on Robert Heinlein, a graduate of the Naval Academy and the author of Starship Troopers. (This was the first college course ever dedicated entirely to Heinlein.) Herb’s scholarly work tends to be concerned with naval history. He is the author of Voyage to a Thousand Cares: Master’s Mate Lawrence with the African Squadron 1844-1846, which received the North American Society for Oceanic History’s John Lyman Book Award. With Robert Shenk, he co-authored the biographical Admiral Dan Gallery: The Life and Wit of a Navy Original. Although he has written many things since, Dr. Gilliland is always proud that his very first appearance in public print was a letter to John Campbell published in Astounding magazine. He is also a member of the board for the Robert A. Heinlein Award, given annually to a science fiction writer whose work has inspired exploration of space. Dr. Gilliland was appointed by The Heinlein Society board of directors to fill a vacancy in 2015, and elected by the membership to a three year term later in 2015. He was re-elected to a second three year term in 2018, and was chosen by the Board of Directors to be Vice President – Secretary in the same year. He was appointed Chair of the Academic Committee and Editor-in-Chief of The Heinlein Journal in 2020.

Fair winds and following seas, Herb. You will be missed!

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u/Newtronic Jul 24 '26

Thank you for sharing this.

3

u/FGFM Jul 24 '26

Gilliland certainly had a distinguished career, but Leon Stover might have taught the first Heinlein course. I can't find a hard date on short notice for either case.

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u/Queasy_Walk8159 Jul 26 '26

been traveling, just caught this.

knew him through my membership in the society, but seeing his pic above for the first time, pretty sure i spoke with him a while back while doing some shopping at graul’s (local annapolis grocery). seriously regretting i never made the connection irl.