Edward Rosenheim -- professor, scholar and broadcaster

Edward Rosenheim, a distinguished English literature professor, scholar and broadcaster, died of congestive heart failure Monday night at his San Francisco home. He was 87.

Professor Rosenheim, who taught at the University of Chicago for more than 50 years, was a leading authority on the writings and life of Jonathan Swift, the 18th century Irish satirist whose works included "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Modest Proposal."

"He was a much beloved teacher and, more than anyone I knew, caught what was ironically funny about Swift," David Bevington, a humanities professor and colleague for many years, said in a statement put out by the university. "He was a huge contributor here to the culture of the university, especially the witty side."

Professor Rosenheim was the author of two books, "Swift and the Satirist's Art," published in 1963, and "What Happens in Literature," which came out two years earlier. He also edited "Modern Philology," an academic journal with articles about literary findings.

He was the recipient of several teaching awards, including the 1953 Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. In 1962, he was one of the first teachers at the school to win the Willett Faculty Fellowship for undergraduate teaching.

But for all his intellectual pursuits, Professor Rosenheim was incredibly "down to earth," his son Daniel said.

"He used to say, 'All my friends have a streak of bum in them,' " said the younger Rosenheim, who is a Bay Area television news executive.

In fact, he said, "If dad had a second career, it would have been as a journalist."

Professor Rosenheim ran with a group of newsmen in the 1950s and was the best man at the wedding of John Chancellor, the late NBC anchor. The professor had a stint as a television commentator when he produced and moderated the NBC network radio show "University of Chicago Round Table," which profiled scholars from the school.

He was the director of broadcasting for the University of Chicago from 1954 to 1957 and helped start the city's public television station.

In 1985, Professor Rosenheim was elected chairman of the Illinois Humanities Council, which oversaw programs to promote economic development and cultural awareness in the state. He continued to teach even after he retired in 1988.

His colleagues and friends remember him as funny and self-deprecating, with a talent for writing satirical musicals performed by faculty members parodying campus life.

"He had a very lively mind and terrific sense of humor," said Bernard Brown, an associate professor emeritus in the Divinity School and College, according to the university's statement.

Edward Rosenheim, who went by the nickname "Ned," grew up in Winnetka, Ill. Daniel Rosenheim said he remembered his father joking, "People who call me Ed don't know me well enough to call me by my first name."

He earned his bachelor's degree for the University of Chicago in 1939 and served in the Army infantry during World War II from 1941 to 1946, reaching the rank of captain. After the war, he returned to the University of Chicago and received his master's degree and doctorate.

Professor Rosenheim met his wife, Margaret, in 1946, while they were attending the university. He was a graduate student, and she was in law school. Margaret Rosenheim later went on to become dean of the university's graduate school for social work.