The College deeply regrets to report the sad news that Dr Lisa Kallet, George Cawkwell Tutorial Fellow in Ancient History in 2006-21, and Emeritus Fellow of the College, died on Saturday 15 February after a short illness.

Lisa originally studied at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before doing a doctorate in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology at the University California, Berkeley. She was awarded her PhD in 1987. She taught in several US universities, including the University of Texas, Austin, and held several visiting professorships, including the Elizabeth Whitehead Visiting Professorship at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens in 2002-3.

Lisa’s main area of research was Greek history of the archaic and classical periods, especially the history of Athens. Her books include The Athenian Empire: Using Coins as Sources, written with her husband Jack Kroll (Cambridge, 2020) and Money and the Corrosion of Power in Thucydides: The Sicilian Expedition and Its Aftermath (University of California Press, 2002). She published many articles and provided much assistance to George Cawkwell in preparing From Cyrene to Chaeronea, an edition of his collected papers in 2011.

You can read an affectionate tribute to Lisa, written on her retirement, by our Honorary Fellow and former Classics Fellow Professor Chris Pelling, on pages 27-28 of the 2021 issue of the University College Record.

We send our deepest condolences to Jack and to the rest of Lisa’s family.

A fuller tribute to Lisa will follow in due course.

A memorial will be held in Boston, Massachusetts on 14 June 2025. Any members of Univ who would like to attend either in person or via Zoom, should please contact Lisa’s sister Cindy at cindy@cindykallet.com.

Published: 25 February 2025