Family and Friends of Lester Beberfall and Robert Berens

Jules Lawren established the Lester Beberfall Memorial Spanish Study Abroad Scholarship in 1977 in memory of his nephew and his affection for the University. The Foreign Languages Department established the French Study Abroad Scholarship in 1975 and renamed the award the Robert L. Berens French Study Abroad Scholarship in Dr. Berens’ memory. Along with the German Study Abroad Scholarship, these funds were combined in 2021.

Dr. Lester Beberfall (1911-1973) was a professor of romance languages at UW Oshkosh. He was a linguistic scholar and had several books and numerous articles published on his research in the Spanish and Italian languages. Originally from New York City, he received his bachelor’s degree from City College of New York and his master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. He taught at Michigan and Texas before joining the UW Oshkosh faculty in 1960. While in Oshkosh, he was principal cellist in the Oshkosh Civic Symphony.

Dr. Robert L. Berens (1929-1976) was a professor of French at UW Oshkosh. He was chairman of the Foreign Languages Department from 1966 to 1972 and founder of the French study abroad program. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Missouri and his doctorate from the University of Colorado. He taught at the Missouri, Colorado, and Concordia College in Moorehood, MN, before coming to UWO. He was an organist at St. Vincent Catholic Church, served on the Oshkosh Symphony board of directors, and was a member of the American Association of Teachers of French and the Fox Valley Chapter of American Guild of Organists.