Brian Tibbets, a 1996 Knox College graduate who teaches Latin at Monmouth-Roseville High School, has been named the 2008 Farrand Baker Illinois Latin Teacher of the Year. The award from the Illinois Classical Conference was presented at the conference's annual meeting at Augustana College in Rock Island.

The award is given in recognition of "exemplary teaching of Latin but also outstanding service to ICC, dedication to the cause of Classics in the teacher's home community and participation in regional and national organizations of the Classics."

The Conference cited Tibbets for reviving the Latin curriculum at Monmouth-Roseville High School and for his service as "advisor to the Latin Club [that] produces memorable Latin-themed floats for the homecoming parade. Every winter [Tibbets] works with his [upper-level] Latin students to organize the annual Classics Bee, which introduces elementary and junior high school students to the classics."

Tibbets majored in classics at Knox and received college honors for his advanced research project on the ancient poet Callimachus. In an interview with the Monmouth Review-Atlas, Tibbets, who studied both Latin and Greek in college, credited Knox classics professors Brenda Fineberg, who teaches Latin, and Stephen Fineberg, who teaches Greek, with nurturing his love for languages.

"Congratulations to Brian for this recognition. And, congratulations to Monmouth High School for offering Latin," said Knox College President Roger Taylor '63. "Latin was the most important high school subject that I studied. Sadly some high schools have eliminated Latin. Monmouth-Roseville can be proud that it has bucked the trend and doubly proud of the Illinois Latin teacher of the year."

The award also noted that Tibbets has taken two groups of students to Italy to study Roman civilization, coaches the school's state-champion girls track team, and serves as president of the Monmouth-Roseville teachers' union.