Janelle Greenberg, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh, passed away peacefully on June 6 after a lengthy illness, with her beloved husband, Martin, and son, Steven, at her side. 

Janelle was born on April 3, 1938 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The oldest of three children, she graduated from Stillwater High School as a music major in 1956. In her senior year she was voted “best personality” owing to her cheerful outgoing disposition. After graduation, she attended the University of Houston on a band scholarship. Interested in pursuing a career in music (she played the clarinet), in her senior year she sought the advice of her advisor who told her “Janelle, the world is filled with mediocrity. Don’t contribute to it.” Taking this advice to heart, she turned to her second love – history. In 1960 she received her bachelor’s degree and met her future husband, Martin Greenberg, while working at the circulation desk of the university library.  They were married the following year. Janelle completed a Master’s thesis in English History in 1963 under the tutelage of Corinne Weston, later to become her close friend and co-author. She earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan in 1970. 

With the birth of her first child in 1971, she took a position as a part-time Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh in 1973 and was subsequently promoted to part-time Assistant Professor in 1978 – a position she held for eleven years. During that time she worked diligently as a scholar, teacher and mother of three young children. She developed a reputation as one of the best undergraduate teachers and mentors at the university and in 1989 received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Her teaching and scholarship continued to flourish (“Subjects and Sovereigns,” published by Cambridge University Press and co-authored with Corinne Weston) and in 1989 she became the first part-time professor in the history of the university to be promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. She was promoted to Full Professor in 2001 following several productive years of publications in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals and another book (“The Radical Face of the Ancient Constitution,” Cambridge University Press, 2001), and continued excellence in teaching and service to the university. 

Notable among her many achievements was her work as an undergraduate honors thesis advisor. She served as a thesis advisor for countless students, many of whom went on to successful careers in academia, law, medicine and business. 

Janelle was enormously liked and admired by colleagues and staff. She touched the lives of many with her warmth and generosity. She was one of the kindest, most gracious persons you will ever meet. Always one to share credit for her accomplishments, she attributed much of her success to the support and encouragement she received from her colleagues. She was smart, quick witted, had a great sense of humor and was genuinely empathetic and caring. She was passionate about her teaching and mentoring and was an inspiration to many. And she brought these qualities into the classroom and her one-on-one mentoring. She juggled many roles as a teacher, scholar, friend to many, and a loving wife and mother. Sometimes the roles conflicted, as when a babysitter cancelled just before she left for class. On such occasions, she solved the problem by bringing her child to class. 

In recognition of her outstanding teaching, the university commissioned a short video of her classroom teaching. (The video can be seen on YouTube by searching for “Janelle Greenberg”). The video was a favorite of the former Dean of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and became part of his annual presentation to the Board of Visitors. As further evidence of her enduring ability as a teacher, in 2014, 41 years after she started teaching at the university, 25 years after receiving the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, at the age of 76, she received the highest student ratings in her department in the undergraduate teaching evaluations. 

Janelle was much more than an academician, she was a person with diverse interests and passions. She loved listening to classical music (Bach was her favorite), loved to travel, especially to England, and London in particular. She loved visiting the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the many cathedrals in England. She particularly loved hiking in the Swiss Alps and the Canadian Rockies and camping in the desert Southwest with her family. She loved teaching her children and grandchildren about the stars and planets. She loved hosting dinner parties for friends and family and was most proud of her Native American heritage (Cherokee). 

Janelle is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Martin, three children, Joshua, Rebecca, and Steven (Beth), three grandchildren whom she adored, Arella, Ezra and Pearl, a brother, David (Jenny), sister, Nancy (Breck), a brother-in-law, Howard, nieces Joyce and Lisa, and other relatives. Burial will be private.