ILR reeling in shock and sadness from professor death
Professor Cletus Daniel, a professor in ILR’s Department of Labor History of over 30 years and coordinator of the Credit Internship program, passed away on Sunday.

This is the email everyone in the ILR school received this morning.
Dear Students,
It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that Professor Clete Daniel died suddenly at his home in Ithaca yesterday. Information is still being gathered and will be shared with the ILR community once arrangements have been made by his family.
This sudden loss is a shock to us all. We know that many students have been touched by Professor Daniel through his courses as well as the credit internship program. Counselors in the Office of Student Services are available for support. Please reach out for support within ILR and campus wide (CAPS in Gannett, Let’s Talk sites across campus and EARS Peer Counselors) and to offer support to one another as we deal with this terrible loss that comes during a year of many losses.
Sadly,
Laura Lewis
Director of Student Services
I had Professor Daniel for ILRCB2010 – Labor History last semester and wrote a blog entry about him in November. From talking to other students and faculty today, it is obvious that so many people loved his great sense of humor and the warm personality he exuded. I remember being really intimidated by professor’s office hour last semester, but the first time I visited him, I felt so incredibly welcomed (even though I had little love for the CB2010 class itself).
Today, emotions ran high in ILR as some professors observed a minute of silence while others, choked with tears, excused themselves from the classroom momentarily.
I have a habit of writing down interesting quotes from class, and I have an especially interesting array of gems from Professor Daniel:
“You’re paying my very handsome salary to be here.”
“I raise bullshit to a high art!”
“I talk a lot of people out of going to law school. In fact, every time I do that I put it on my tax return as a charitable contribution.”
On the nickname ‘D-minus Daniel’, “That’s a hurtful slander! It used to be D-plus Daniel!”
There is a community support meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 19 in Ives 217 from 4:00 – 5:00pm. Professor Daniel, you will be sorely missed and it was a privilege being in your class.