Before the John P. Raynor, S.J. Library and the Alumni Memorial Union were built, and before the majority of the Marquette undergraduate students were even a twinkle in their parent's eyes, there was Athan Theoharis.

A professor in Marquette's history department since 1969, Theoharis has spent more than three decades sharpening his expertise in everything from the FBI to the Kennedy assassination to the U.S. presidency. Now, as the trees bloom outside of his Coughlin Hall office and the term papers and finals pile up on his desk, Theoharis is retiring after 37 years at Marquette.

"I think at some point you need to step down," Theoharis said. "It opens up avenues for young people to get involved. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop my research."

Stopping his research would be impossible, not just because of his desire to constantly learn more about the FBI, but also because of the nature of the research.

"This kind of research is problematic," Theoharis said. "You can decide when you want to begin, but you can't determine when you'll end. The length of getting the records, in some cases, can take years. Just the other day someone called about a request I made in 1998 about Richard Nixon, asking if I was still interested."

One look around his office filled with newspaper articles and books reporting on U.S. intelligence agencies and other important government happenings shows Theoharis doesn't just know about the FBI — he also has a passion for it. Something visitors won't notice, though, is Theoharis pouring over the latest available information online. Students who've taken a class with Theoharis and colleagues alike will admit he's a bit of a technophobe.

"Athan is also renowned for his technophobia," said the Rev. Steven Avella, associate professor of history. "He has a personal computer sitting amidst the clutter on his desk. However, to this day, one can still hear the clacketta-clack of his trusty Olympic typewriter which he still uses for correspondence and the drafts of articles and books. The only time I ever saw him truly distressed was when he told me that the store that sold the replacement ribbons for his beloved machine was going out of business."

Since the Freedom of Information Act in 1974, which ensured public access to U.S. government records, Theoharis has been making open records requests, finding the most interesting and disturbing information about the inner-workings of the government.

"The 'do not file' record was really disturbing and shocking," Theoharis said of a record that told of FBI officials filing and destroying particularly sensitive memorandums. "Here you have FBI officials authorizing clearly illegal activities and creating a system to avoid discovery. They were laundering information and using it for criminal prosecution."

No one can deny the excitement in his voice when Theoharis begins to divulge his findings from requests, an excitement colleague and Associate Professor of History Alan Ball is going to miss hearing.

"Dr. Theoharis has brought an undying zeal for his research on the FBI, which generations of Marquette students have found exciting and important," Ball said. "I'm going to miss hearing his amusing anecdotes about the FBI — a seemingly exhaustible source of bizarre revelations."

"I was taken aback when I found out the FBI broke into the American Youth Conference in 1942 to copy records of correspondence with Eleanor Roosevelt," Theoharis said of one particularly alarming revelation. "She's the first lady. That's disturbing. Also, we all know that JFK had extramarital affairs, but I was shocked to learn the FBI was looking into the sexual activities of Dwight Eisenhower."

As the semester draws to a close, and Theoharis is spending his last few days in a classroom at Marquette, colleagues are reflecting on Theoharis' past 37 years at Marquette and realizing how much he will be missed.

"While a brilliant scholar, Athan is a man without guile," Avella said. "He never had time for pettiness or smallness. When the mean-spirited side of politics or academic life reared its head, Athan refused to join in. Although his scholarly reputation was sterling, he never succumbed to the occasional pomposity of some academics who take themselves far too seriously. Anyone who approached Athan found him courteous, receptive and helpful. Athan Theoharis is a man of utter integrity. No one will ever replace him. No one ever could."