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Posted Friday, June 1, 7:05 p.m.
Eddie Bieber, whose shirtless appearance outside The Schenley residence hall earned him the nickname Old Man Schenley, died May 31 at GW Hospital at 96 years old.
Bieber spent nearly one month in the hospital due to complications from a hip injury. A native Washingtonian, Bieber lived in the same apartment in The Schenley for more than 60 years, paying $203 in rent each month. As he aged, Bieber saw hundreds of student residents come and go from his long-time home.
"He had so many simple pleasures," said Anu Shah, a junior and former resident of The Schenley. "Any chance he had he would just sit outside."
Heavily tanned, Bieber greeted residents of the residence hall as they came and went. Always with a smile on his face, his presence on campus has been a sign of spring and the onset of warm weather.
"Sometimes you could judge the weather by whether or not he was sitting outside with his shirt off," said junior Matt Coolidge, who lived in The Schenley this past academic year.
But for the people who sat down and listened to his tales, Bieber was more than just a novelty figure on campus. He was a friendly, familiar face with a bounty of stories to share with whoever had a moment to sit down and listen.
"He was always ready with a smile when someone said 'Hi.' He was excited to have people around to talk to him," said junior Elizabeth Drellich, another student who shared her residence hall with Bieber.
A renowned cyclist, he said he holds the record for biking from the U.S. Capitol to downtown Baltimore. Though Bieber stopped riding years ago, he still kept his bike in the basement of The Schenley. Shah said Bieber talked with his doctor about the possibility of cycling once his health improved, though both knew the chances of him getting back on his bike were slim.
"He always had this idea that he (might) be able to ride again," Shah said.
