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In Memoriam
Robert Shaw ‘38 #170[Robert Shaw was truly one of the giants of choral music in the 20th century, and we in Nu Alpha Phi are saddened by the loss of one of our most illustrious brothers. It is your Editors' opinion that the passing of a man of such stature is not likely to have gone without eloquent notice elsewhere, so we offer instead a simple outline of his career gleaned from longer reports (Associated Press, Reuters, etc.).]
R obert Shaw, who as leader of the Robert Shaw Chorale and the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus raised the art of choral conducting to new heights, died at the age of 82 on January 25, 1999. Shaw first gained fame as conductor of the Robert Shaw Chorale, which he founded in the late ‘40s. He also held posts at the San Diego Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra. He was music director and conductor of the Atlanta Symphony from 1967 until his retirement in 1988. After he retired in 1988, Shaw founded the Robert Shaw Choral Institute and began to concentrate on choral performances without symphonic accompaniment. “Robert Shaw was a most respected and loved colleague who changed the level of choral conducting forever in the United States,” the famed violinist Isaac Stern said Monday. “In addition to the exalted music he made, we will miss his unique, profound humanity.” Shaw was born in Red Bluff, California, on April 30, 1916, descended from a line of evangelical preachers. A fourth-generation Californian, he began singing in church choirs. His father was a minister whose five children were born in different towns during five pastorates. “All five had home piano study and all five harmonized when we were kids,” he said. He first learned to sing gospel music as his mother played the piano. He later became a clergyman himself, majoring in religion and philosophy at Pomona. Before he began the Robert Shaw Chorale, he organized a glee club for bandleader Fred Waring, which he later considered “the best voices ever assembled in the history of man.” He had met Waring when the bandleader heard the glee club at Pomona College, which Shaw conducted during his student days.
--Ken Smith ‘33 #138 Howard P. Allen the colorful former head of Southern California Edison, Co., credited with orchestrating the utility’s phenomenal growth into one of the country’s top suppliers of electricity, has died. He was 72. Allen, who retired in 1990 after 33 years with Edison, died Monday night at USC University Hospital of an apparent heart attack. Under his stewardship through the economically turbulent 1980s, Edison enjoyed nearly a decade of record profits and avoided the risky investments in troubled nuclear projects or savings and loans that proved disastrous for other utility companies. Allen doubled the number of employees and multiplied revenues from $155 million to more than $9 billion. "Edison went from a regional utility to a global company during Howard Allen’s tenure. [His] determination, skill and vision were simply indispensable to that growth," said John E. Bryson, current chairman and chief executive officer of Southern California Edison and its parent Edison International. Allen became president of Southern California Edison and its parent SCEcorp (renamed Edison International two years ago) in 1980 and chairman and chief executive of both in 1984. He remained on the boards of both organizations until last year. Vociferously opposed to federal and state regulations that required Edison to buy power from independent producers at rates set by regulators, Allen oversaw the creation of a power producer, Mission Energy, to sell power to Edison. Allen also played a key role in creating the Pacific Intertie system, a major high-voltage transmission line that delivers low-cost, hydroelectric power from the wet, Pacific Northwest to dry Southern California. Born in Upland, Allen graduated from Chaffey Junior College and then studied economics at Pomona College and law at Stanford University. After three years on the Stanford law faculty, he took a pay cut to join Edison as a Sacramento lobbyist in 1954.
A fixture in civic and community affairs, Allen amassed more than 70 awards, club memberships and corporate directorships. He was a founding board member of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and instrumental in bringing the 1984 Olympics to the city. He was a past president and chairman of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, a trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and an officer in the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Allen is survived by his wife, Dixie, and daughter, Alisa. Funeral services were held in All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena. The family has asked that any memorial contributions be made to the USC Norris Cancer Center Hematology Division or the Health Research Association of the USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.
While at Pomona College Shell participated in many athletic activities—he was a great baseball player and an outstanding football player as well as a fine scholar. His interest in baseball stayed with him all his life and he often went to Arizona to watch major league spring training. After graduation Shell taught in Modesto until he was inducted into the Army in 1942. He served with distinction as a Tech Sergeant in a cavalry reconnaissance platoon with General Clarks’ Army in South Africa and Italy. He was always a very private person and seldom talked about his battle experiences and when queried would say. “I was just another GI.” On his return from the Army he continued his teaching and counseling profession first in Burbank and then moved with his first wife, Jessie, to Escondido where he lived for 50 years After the death of Jessie he married his present lovely wife Margaret, who survives him as well as his son Mark, a daughter and grandchildren. During all the years he lived with Jessie they lived on and he worked a nice small citrus and avocado orchard in Escondido, where his son and family now live. Over the years he and his wife were always active in various educational, church and civic activities. He also participated in Republican affairs. Shell was highly respected by his peers and the community for the outstanding work and counseling of his students and the young people of the community. He had great patience, humility and worlds of loving compassion for everyone that crossed his path! He was always smiling, positive and had a great sense of humor and seldom critical of anyone. His kind and lovely sister, Charleen Eller Mercer ‘42 put it well when she said at his Memorial service. “I was always proud of him. He was truly a great person and hopefully the world will be a better place because of him,” When he retired from Escondido High School, Shell and Margaret continued their interest in many local educational, civic and family activities. They were very active with their respective families as well as doing a lot of traveling. Shell spent a lot of time and interest in the baseball activities of his grandson, Eric. I’m confident that with Shells’ knowledge and interest in baseball he was a great help and inspiration to his grandson. Going back several years, Shell, Bob Crozier and Walt de Renne were the driving force in organizing and keeping active a small Pomona College Alumni group of men that met the 2nd Wednesday of each month for luncheon in some restaurant in their area. There was always a lot of “catching up” discussion of College and Nu Alpha Phi events and “happenings” that took place. I attended a couple and they were most interesting and a lot of fun for everyone! Speaking personally, Shelly Eller was one of my very best friends going back almost 60 years. I will miss him greatly! During the last 20-25 years we saw a lot each other, traveling together to places like Death Valley and other interesting places and attending several Elderhostel gatherings together. He was one of the most honorable, compassionate, kind and well informed person I have ever known. He had a heart of mountain sized proportion! He always did his best to be helpful to any one with whom he was associated. I am writing this about Shell on Thanksgiving Day. It reminds me how very thankful I am, and I thank God, for having made possible my long, loving and warm personal relationship with Sheldon Eller. This is one of the greatest treasures provided me from attending Pomona College and having the pleasure of a fraternity brother like Shell. As a memorial to him Peg ‘39 and I are sending a check to the Nu Alpha Phi Fraternity Scholarship Fund via Pomona College.
-—Paul Taylor ‘37 #181
Mr. Higman graduated from Pomona College with a mathematics major in 1933 and later earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Sacramento State College. While at Pomona College, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and joined Nu Alpha Phi, a social fraternity he remained active in until just recently. During WWII, Mr. Higman served in the Navy, retiring as a Commander, USNR. Mr. Higman worked as a mathematics teacher and a high school principal in Auburn, California, before going on to serve as Assistant Superintendent of the San Marino School District. After 35 years in the California public school system, he retired to Rancho Carlsbad in 1972, and then moved to Pacifica in 1980.
Survivors include his wife, Irene Hogan Higman of Oceanside; a daughter, author Persia Woolley, who lives in Auburn, CA; a step-son, Tom Arnett, who also lives in Oceanside; two grandchildren, and a great-grandson. Funeral arrangements will be private.
Shelton served as the executive director of the institution for 33 years, from 1954 to 1987. "He was very well-respected and always knew what was going on throughout the facility—sometimes to our chagrin," said Tom Noel, Clinical director at PDC. Noel worked with Shelton from 1958 to 1969. "He was a very good friend, and he always had an opinion when you sought out his advice," Noel said. Harold Pitchford, executive director of the center, said Shelton was a man of very high principles. "The client always came first," Pitchford said of Shelton. "He was kind of the heart of (the facility)." Shelton retired in 1987 from the center, but he and his wife said they never considered moving away. "We raised six kids here. This is our home. I can’t think of any place I’d rather live," he said when making way for his successor. Shelton remained active with the center after his retirement, and last November made a presentation to the center’s parents group outlining the history of the center. Shelton loved to hike and fish, and he and his wife spent summers at their Camp Nelson cabin. Shelton was born in Los Angeles and received his doctorate of medicine at the University of Southern California Medical School. He completed his post-graduate training in psychiatry at Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute in San Francisco. He was a member for many years of the Committee on Mental Retardation of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and was both a Fellow of the APA and of the American ASsociation on Mental Deficiency. Locally, he was a member of the Vandalia, Pioneer and Porterville High School PTA; the California State Employees’ Association; the American Contract Bridge ASsociation; Tulare County YMCA; and Porterville Rotary Club. He authored dozens of published articles and professional papers in the field of mental disorders.
Shelton also served as chairman of the Porterville Elementary School District board for six years and served as a member of the Board for 12 when he was named a Friend of Education at the annual Public Schools Week banquet in April, 1977. He was first selected in 1965 to the school board. Dr. Jacob Rankin said Shelton always actively represented the communities interest on the board. "He was very interested in improving educational opportunities for all kids," Rankin said. On January 14, 1978, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the James T. Shelton Recreation Center at the Porterville Developmental Center. Shelton said he retired in 1987 because he was beginning to slow down physically and decided it was time to enjoy life. "I have enjoyed this job. It has been a major part of my life ..."
Mase Hill, an outstanding geologist and a gracious man, maggot 37, passed away in 1992. Some time after that a brief piece of mine about his passing was published in the Oak Leaf, but I think it probably looked a little awkward, as I expected that it would accompany a longer memorial to Mase. If you want something done, do it yourself, and better late than never. --Steven Bushnell ‘72 #727 [Steve got permission from the Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (BAAPG) for us to reprint parts of its memorial to Mase and acquired photos of Mase from Pomona College. —Eds.] The BAAPG Memorial:You cannot properly study structural geology without having to learn the work of Mason Hill. He wrote the articles that provided what was to be the definitive classification of faults: (yes) “Classification of faults” (1947) and “Dual classification of faults” (1953). You cannot live in California without dealing with (facing up to or not) the implications of the work of Mason Hill on the San Andreas fault. He and Tom Dibblee brought home the significance of this fault by showing that the cumulative offset across it was possibly hundreds of miles: “San Andreas, Garlock, and Big Pine faults, California; a study of the character, history, and tectonic significance of their displacements” (1953). You can live in much of the United States without buying gasoline from crude discovered by Mason Hill, but you’d be paying more for it. Mase found most of his crude and lots of it for what is now ARCO, the discount major, retiring as exploration manager of the international division in 1969.Many of you may know that Mase worked with and for another well-known Nappie at ARCO’s antecedent, Rollin Eckis, and that Pomona College recognized both of these men and their teacher A. O. Woodford with degrees of Honorary Doctor of Science. In 1981 Mase received the most prestigious honor of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Sydney Powers Award. The citation read: “For leadership in discovery thinking, for inspiration to his fellow geologists, for outstanding contributions to the art and science of geology especially in the area of fault interpretation and for dedicated service to his profession.” His citationist was another Southern California geologist personally and professionally much like Mase, the late John Kilkenny. And it was John who wrote Mase’s memorial for the AAPG Bulletin (1992, vol. 76, 1847-49). Here below are its interesting beginning and its end. “Mason Lowell Hill, ‘Mase’ to his many friends in the profession of geology, was born January 17, 1904, in Pomona, California. His parents had emigrated from Missouri several years before. “Mase attended the local schools in his hometown. He did well in his studies. He grew up tall, slender, and athletically inclined. He excelled in the high jump and was fullback on the football team. It was only natural, after graduating from high school, that he chose to enter Pomona College to continue his education. Unlike many who rise to the top of their profession, Mason Hill did not grow up dreaming of becoming a geologist. In fact, on registration day at Pomona in 1922 he was undecided as to which courses he should take. After formalities of signing up had been completed, each student was directed to a faculty advisor who helped arrange his or her schedule for the freshman year. It just so happened that Mase’s advisor was A. O. ‘Woody’ Woodford, fresh from graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, and in the process of establishing a department of geology at Pomona. Mase had never heard of geology, but in a short time Woody convinced him that to fulfill his science requirement he should take the first beginning course in geology ever offered at Pomona. This presented a problem because it was scheduled at the same time as a compulsory English course required for all freshmen. The clarity of Mason Hill’s many papers leaves no doubt as to why he was excused from the English course. “After his first course under Woody, Mase became hooked on geology. He especially enjoyed field work, and the spring in his legs, which made a varsity high jumper, enabled him to climb to the most inaccessible outcrops. In 1926, he graduated from Pomona with a degree in this fascinating subject and soon afterward accepted a job working at the Black Hawk gold mine in the San Bernardino Mountains. He figured that this was his future. As soon as he heard that Mase was working there, Woody drove up into the mountains and created a fellowship on the spot when he confirmed what he had suspected, namely, that further education at that time was financially impossible. Mase had found it necessary to wait tables and wash dishes in the girls’ dining hall to stay in school. “Mase earned his M.A. degree in 1929 from nearby Claremont College for his report ‘Geology of the Western San Gabriel Mountains and San Fernando Valley.’ ... Mase spent time studying at the University of California at Berkeley and working for Shell Oil Company before going to the University of Wisconsin in 1930 to study for his doctorate in 1932. ... [the] same year, he married Katherine ‘Kay’ Maple, a classmate at Pomona. “In the depths of the depression, he was fortunate to obtain a teaching job at Coalinga Junior College. Here, in addition to teaching geology, he coached the track and basketball teams and taught math and child psychology, an experience that later proved useful in raising five sons. When the economy picked up, Shell Oil Company again offered him a job and he resumed his career as a petroleum geologist. [Steve again ...] “... Later, when he was bedridden and with failing eyesight, he loved to talk geology with his many friends who came to visit him. “He was a gregarious person and his favorite game was dominoes, which he played with much fervor at the Petroleum Club with his old buddies, and at home with his neighbors, his children and grandchildren. “He was a rare individual. It was a real privilege to know him and he will long be remembered by his many friends and associates. “It is reported that there was a period of quiet on the San Andreas fault after he passed away. Perhaps it was a tribute to Mase and his great achievements.” These are men of an era, and they are missed. --Steve Bushnell ‘72 #727 email_deleted |
