Lecturer Emeritus in Geology and Physics Gene Clough dies at age 77

In an email to the campus community, President Garry W. Jenkins shared the news of the passing of Lecturer Emeritus in Geology and Physics Gene A. Clough, a member of the Bates staff and faculty from 1978 to 2016.

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Dear Members of the Bates Community,

I write with the sad news that Lecturer Emeritus in Geology and Physics Gene Alan Clough, a former Bates colleague well known for his deep commitment to student learning, died Oct. 23, 2024, at age 77.

Gene earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in physics at the California Institute of Technology, winning a junior travel prize to conduct archeological fieldwork and study physics in England. After a year at Harvey Mudd College as a visiting assistant professor of physics, he was appointed to the Bates faculty in 1978 as an assistant professor of physics, retiring as lecturer emeritus in 2016.

Gene Clough
A celebration of life will take place 5–7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home in Lewiston. Clough’s complete obituary includes a memorial gift designation to Bates.

At Bates, his courses included “Lunar and Planetary Science” and the First-Year Seminar “Anatomy of a Few Small Machines,” which reflected a core belief that technology is knowable, not a black box of hidden magic. Achieving a “basic understanding of the principles behind the entire built environment or infrastructure is more than just useful,” he once said. “It brings a kind of serene joy to walk around in a world one understands, rather than one in which they are surrounded by toys and gadgets built and understood only by other people.”

On many clear evenings, Gene set up a telescope on the corner of Bardwell Street and Campus Avenue, inviting passersby to view the stars and planets, including important astronomical events, such as Mars on its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years, in 2003. He regularly gave planetarium shows in Carnegie Science on diverse topics such as how astronomical factors influenced the 1944 D-Day invasion planning.

A member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability, he was an early advocate for improving the accessibility of campus buildings. He taught the Short Term course “Experiencing Disability” in the 1990s to give students the opportunity to experience obstacles faced by people with a variety of disabilities.

In addition to his teaching, Clough served as director of technical support services, the college’s first such position, from the late 1980s into the 1990s, capturing hundreds of Bates events and performances on video. He played a key role in the design of the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall by offering input on acoustics and technical features. He created a time-lapse film of Olin’s construction, spanning March 1985 to January 1987. He was active in the local community, from judging the Annual Maine State Science Fair with physics colleague Eric Wollman to donating time and expertise to fix a vintage electronic church carillon in the nearby town of South Paris. In 2001, he received the College Key’s Distinguished Service Award.

He is survived by his sister, Elaine Clough; a niece, nephew, and great-nephew; and their families. 

A celebration of life will take place 5–7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home in Lewiston. To view Gene’s complete obituary, including a memorial gift designation to Bates, please visit: https://bit.ly/gene-clough.

I join the rest of the Bates community in extending my condolences to the family and friends of Gene A. Clough.