Longtime CU Boulder faculty member Patty Limerick fired from Center of the American West

Patty Limerick, a tenured University of Colorado Boulder professor, was recently fired from her role as faculty director and board chair for the Center of the American West, which she founded 37 years ago.

In a text message late Monday afternoon, Limerick confirmed she was was fired from her work as director and board chair on Sept. 23 by Glen Krutz, dean of CU Boulder’s College of Arts and Sciences.

According to previous reporting by The Colorado Sun, Krutz’s dismissal of Limerick sparked outrage among her many fans and supporters of the center. Since then, the entire executive committee of the Center of the American West’s board has resigned.

Officials with CU Boulder did not respond to questions or requests for comment regarding Limerick’s termination before publication Monday.

The campus’ website has not been updated to acknowledge Limerick’s termination or to announce an interim director.

In 1984, Limerick moved to Boulder to join CU Boulder’s history department, where she was promoted to tenured associate professor in 1987 and to full professor in 1991, according to CU Boulder’s website. Limerick and CU Law Professor Charles Wilkinson founded the Center of the American West in 1986. Since 1995, it has been her primary point of affiliation.

Limerick has received a number of awards and honors recognizing the impact of her scholarship and her commitment to teaching, including the MacArthur Fellowship from 1995 to 2000 and the Hazel Barnes Prize, the University of Colorado Boulder’s highest award for teaching and research in 2001, the website said.