Last Sunday, legendary comedian Bill Cosby dropped by Ames to kick off a yearlong celebration of Iowa State alumnus George Washington Carver.

Before he stepped onto the stage to entertain the capacity crowd, he was given a College of Education sweatshirt from longtime acquaintance and ISU professor, Carlie Tartakov.

Tartakov, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, taught two of Cosby’s five children during her 15 years of instruction at Wildwood Elementary School in Amherst, Mass. Erika, Cosby’s oldest child, and Evin, his youngest, were students in her class.

Before taking the stage, Tartakov had a chance to chat with Cosby. In his customary jocular manner, Cosby joked about her height and haircut.

When she was teaching his children, Tartakov said Cosby would make fun of her 5-foot-1-inch frame. She also had short, curly hair at the time.

“[Bill] kidded me about my height, and he asked me where my little fro was,” she said of her encounter with him Sunday evening.

Pat Miller, director of the Committee on Lectures, said it “was a delight to have [Cosby] come,” and the reunion of Cosby and Tartakov made the event more special.

Before Sunday, Tartakov had not seen Cosby since his last visit to Ames in 1987. She has periodically corresponded with the family since she left Amherst for Ames in 1985.

Since Cosby is known as an education proponent, Tartakov said she hoped that he would drop by the College of Education. Since his visit was limited to two performances because of time constraints, Cosby could not make it.

“I had asked him if he would come to the College of Education, but since he couldn’t come, I decided to bring a part of the college to him in recognition for his contributions to education,” Tartakov said.

Cosby thanked Tartakov for the gift Sunday by responding jokingly, “What size do you think I wear?”

“It will shrink,” she had replied.

Tartakov said she has always been inspired by Cosby and his wife Camille’s drive to educate and to learn. Both Cosbys have Ph.D.s in education, she said.

“I’ve always been impressed by his and his wife’s commitment to education,” she said.

Speaking from her personal experience with the Cosbys, she said they strove to instill the value of education in their children.

“They did everything possible to make sure their kids got the best possible education,” she said.

While Tartakov was taking night classes to obtain her master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Cosby was obtaining his doctorate there concurrently.

Since she was teaching at Wildwood during the day and taking classes at the university during the evening, Tartakov said she never saw Cosby on campus.

Still, she said she has been impressed with his work on various educational projects.

“In my mind, he has made tremendous contributions to education as well as the field of entertainment, and I was always impressed [with him],” she said.

Tartakov said knowing Cosby on a personal level has stood to reinforce her positive image of him.

Tartakov retired from teaching elementary school in 1985, then came to Ames to join her husband, who had moved here years earlier. She had taught elementary school for 23 years.

In 1986, she started her ISU teaching career in the College of Education as a temporary instructor. Three years ago, Tartakov received her Ph.D. from ISU in professional studies in education.

Her husband, Gary, is an associate professor of art and design and teaches art history classes.

Besides teaching, Tartakov also is proactive in the ISU community.

She has received numerous awards documenting her achievements, including the Iowa Human Relations Association’s Outstanding Educator Award in 1992.

Tartakov also is a member of the Iowa Equity Advisory Board, which makes recommendations to the State Board of Education about equity issues.