William Tyree was a beloved philosophy professor at Ripon College who inspired a reference in the movie, ”Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Credit: Courtesy Ripon College

SHARE Future film star Harrison Ford is shown in his 1964 Ripon College yearbook photo. Courtesy Ripon College Philosophy professor William Earl Tyree shown in his 1964 Ripon College yearbook photo. Courtesy of Ripon College

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A beloved philosophy professor at Ripon College who inspired a famous line in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" has died.

The professor, William Earl Tyree, received a Hollywood shout-out from actor and former Ripon student Harrison Ford when Ford, portraying an archaeology professor, wrote the word FACT on a blackboard during a scene in the film and told his class of dreamy-eyed coeds: "Archaeology is the search for fact, not truth. If it's truth you're looking for, Dr. Tyree's philosophy class is right down the hall."

Ford had altered the script to insert the name of his good friend and onetime professor at Ripon, where Ford majored in philosophy for four years. The actor was denied graduation after failing a philosophy class taught by a different professor the last semester of his senior year. He later was offered an honorary degree but declined.

Tyree died Jan. 2 at age 98 in a hospital in Rushville, Ill. — the town where he was born, raised, graduated from high school as class valedictorian, and came home to in retirement.

After his 15 seconds of Hollywood fame, Tyree dropped Ford a note, thanking him for the surprise. Tyree also suggested that if the college renewed its invitation to award an honorary degree, Ford should reconsider and accept it. He never did.

Two signs showed up on the second floor of Ripon College's East Hall after the blockbuster film came out. One sign, TRUTH, pointed to the philosophy offices; the other, FACT, pointed to the stairs to the third floor where the archaeology offices were once located.

Tyree was a 33-year member of the Ripon College philosophy faculty until his retirement in 1983. He was chairman of the department for 23 of the 33 years. He was named professor emeritus after retiring, and received a doctorate of humane letters from the college in 1989.

In addition to philosophy, Tyree was known for his singing and love of baseball.

Former students in 1997 established an endowed scholarship in his honor, the William E. Tyree Endowed Philosophy Scholarship. One scholarship from the fund is awarded annually to a junior or senior.

Tyree received degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and Garrett Evangelical Seminary before World War II.

During the war, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He was chaplain from 1944 to 1946 in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater aboard the USS Joseph T. Dickman.

After the war, Tyree earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of Edinburgh in 1949, and did postgraduate studies at Cambridge University.

He also completed the Master of Sacred Theology program at the Union Theological Seminary in New York, and became a Methodist minister.

William Earl Tyree

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Worthington Funeral Home in Rushville, Ill. Interment with military honors will follow at the family lot in the Rushville City Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the Culbertson Hospital Foundation or Schuyler Senior Center. Personal condolences may be left at www.worthingtonfh.com.