A native of Oregon, Larry Penrose received his doctorate in Uralic and Altaic Studies from Indiana University in 1975. He taught at Hope from 1970 to December 2005, specializing in Russian history but also teaching a range of courses from Ancient China to the Modern Middle East. He has received a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship and participated in several NEH seminars and institutes. He has served several times as the director of the GLCA/ACM Russia Program in Krasnodar. Students who study in that program often find the exposure to that culture is a life-changing experience. Professor Penrose was known as a fascinating lecturer in the classroom and a congenial listener in his office.