The McManis Chair was established in 1972 by the trustees of the McManis Trust. Fred McManis was a friend of former Southwestern President John Score and president of the W-K-M Company, a Houston-based company that made valves for the oil industry. As holder of the chair, Meyers will receive extra funding to support her current and future research.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Meyers holds a B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, an M.A. from the University of Florida and Ph.D. from Indiana University. She has been a member of the Southwestern faculty since 1991. In addition to her responsibilities as an English professor, Meyers has served as chair of the Women’s Studies Program from 1996-1999 and acting chair of Feminist Studies for two semesters. She also serves as one of Southwestern’s Paideia Professors.

Meyers’ areas of expertise include contemporary literature, Jewish cultural studies, feminist theory and gothic studies. A chapter of her 2001 book, Femicidal Fears, has recently been reprinted in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. She is currently writing a book on contemporary Jewish American literature and is completing another book on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon. 

Meyers has been the recipient of several awards and fellowships at Southwestern, including the Brown Faculty Fellowship in 1994-95 and the Brown Senior Faculty Fellowship in 2004-05. She received Southwestern’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000.

“Helene Meyers is among the top teacher/scholars on our campus,” said Provost Jim Hunt. “Her commitment to her teaching and her scholarship serves as an example to all faculty and we are delighted that we are able to recognize her work with this appointment to the McManis Chair. This is a very well-deserved honor and we look forward to her continued productivity and contributions in the future.”