At Princeton he was in Theatre Intime. After graduation Eric acted professionally for several years. He became a teacher after deciding that he would not become the actor he wanted to be. Eric became the teacher we all wanted in high school. 

He was a history teacher at the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles for 29 years. Fellow teacher Ted Walch, who taught Eric in eighth grade and remained close friends with him since, said, “When I got a call to come here two years [after Zwemer], two things crossed my mind, and I mean this in my heart of hearts. I want to be in a place that has students like Eric Zwemer was when I taught him at St. Albans School. I also want to be in a place where my colleagues are like Eric Zwemer. So I got two in one. Well, actually I got three in one. I got a great friend.” 

One of Eric’s students wrote, “You are easily one of the best teachers I have had. Your passion, knowledge, engagement, and effort are so clear in each 45-minute period. I tell nearly everyone around me that you are one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. The best history teacher and most engaging lecturer I’ve ever had. I mean that.” 

Not a bad good-bye for any of us.