Hillsdale: Greek Tragedy in Americas Heartland

It all seems to remain a mystery...a lying old man with too large an ego or a terribly disturbed young woman who may have been abused for years by the older man...has 48 Hours looked into this tragedy?

This book provides a very nice review of Hillsdale Colleges dedication to further education without government intervention. It also reviews the recent tragic death of Lissa Roche. While the latter issue is interesting, I found the historical review of the colleges committment to independence most uplifting. Decades before Affirmative Action was put into place, Hillsdale College denied government assistance so that minorities and women could attend its school - helping them fulfill their dreams.

As an alumnus of Hillsdale College and someone who knows practically every person quoted in this book, I was disappointed. The author fails to look beneath the surface of the tragedy at Hillsdale and takes the easy route of casting aspersions on former Hillsdale President George Roche III and his son, Lissas husband, George Roche IV. While these two were certainly not perfect, the author fails to understand that much of the turmoil within the college and the faculty was going on well before the events chronicled in the book. Unfortunately, the author relies on information and interviews from questionable sources and current faculty members who are obviously attempting to protect their reputations as well as that of the college -- for example his usage of information from the Hillsdale Liberation Organization is questionable being that the HLO is actually a group of dissatisfied former students from the college. The death of Lissa Roche may deserve further examination, but it needs to be done by someone who understands the politics and powerplays as they happened at Hillsdale College over the past 15-20 years, not just the past 2 or 3. The author fails to provide a compelling case for his claim that Lissa was murdered and he also fails to explain the situation at Hillsdale that apparently led her to take her own life.

Based upon the authors premise that there is not one single shred of evidence that (she) actually committed suicide, Roger Rapoports Hillsdale: Greek Tragedy in Americas Heartland seeks to open up what certainly has to be one of the more controversial police investigations (and findings) in recent memory. Lissa Jackson Roches, dauthter-in-law of the college president and noted editor in collegiate academic circles, is found dead in the Slayton Arboretum of Hillsdale College, itself a noted--and respected--liberal arts college . When the facts are laid out by the author, of course, this book, indeed, resembles something right out of Aeschylus or Euripides--or for perhaps many of the modern audience--a soap opera. Alas, however, this death and investigationis not fiction and Rapoport is determined that, as in Hamlet, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. In this case, its a peaceful college town in Michigan, complete with its own set of codes, secrets, innuendo, and tragedy. Rapoports examination of the case is done with an eye to the critical, taking the official police and court findings and, looking askance at what he finds, begins his own investigation, as it were. His line of thought, his own questions, indeed, do raise more than a reasonable doubt. He also presents the other individuals involved--her family members, acquaintances, and friends, making the Orestia seem somewhat tame! So many questions, so little time--and, to make further the analogy to a soap opera, so few advertisers to pay for opening up this melodrama! Rapoport, who presents himself as a disinterested party, certainly raises enough questions that, to me--or any other third party--should warrant a re-investigation, this time as a homocide. His thorough backgrounding of the scenario and its players is also impressive. Rapoport, already an established author and literary investigator, present his book in a style that is quite readable without being melodramatic. It will be interesting to see what impact it has on the Michigan authorities. Not to re-open this case should, indeed, raise even more questions into the infrastructure of this death. Good luck, Mr. Rapoport! ([email protected])