Opera and trains; surf fishing and kite design; mycology, ornithology and mystery novels—no common thread connected Albert Hartung’s passions.

Hartung was best known, however, for his service in the English department, where he earned three degrees and spent four decades as a professor. His teaching, colleagues said, was marked with compassion, rigor and genial good humor. His scholarship placed Lehigh on the world map.

Hartung spent 30-plus years editing A Manual of the Writings in Middle English, 1050-1500, which introduces beginners and experts alike to medieval British literature. The late J. Burke Severs completed the work’s first two volumes, Hartung the next eight, and Peter Beidler, a third Lehigh medievalist, the final two.

The Manual contains essays on alchemy, music, ballads, Bible translations, Middle Scots writings, hunting and fishing, geography and travel, medieval medicine, veterinary science and much more. An exhaustive bibliography contains information on manuscripts and early print sources.