1930s
Alma Nelsen Taylor (’32 Office Adm.) celebrated her 90th birthday last year. A resident of Nordland, Washington, she lives on Marrowstone Island.
Jean Hart (’38 Office Adm.) of Bainbridge Island has been retired from the Los Angeles County Children’s Service, where she was Deputy Regional Supervisor for 20 years. Now she does pro bono work in certain cases.
1940s
Philip Pfarr (’40 D.V.M.) and his wife, Barbara, of Post Falls, Idaho, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Robert Bond (’42 Zool.) is a public health officer in Walla Walla County. He writes, “Still working every day at age 82.”
J. Haworth Jonte (’42 M.S. Chem.) of Green Valley, Arizona, was the first inductee into the Beta Phi chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma Hall of Fame in March 2001. The professional fraternity in chemistry was founded in 1902 at the University of Wisconsin. He has been active in the fraternity since his initiation into Beta Beta chapter at WSU in 1941. The retired professor at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology helped start the Beta Phi chapter there and was chapter advisor for many years.
James Niblock (’42 Music, ’42 Educ.) of East Lansing, Michigan, is the composer and conductor of the opera, Ruth. The former chairman of the School of Music at Michigan State University is an accomplished violinist.
Melvin Schroeder (’42 Geol., ’47 M.S. Geol., ’53 Ph.D. Geol.) of Bryan, Texas, retired as professor emeritus of geology at Texas A&M last June. He was inducted into the Texas Science Hall of Fame in January 2001, the only geologist to receive that honor.
Walter Clore (’47 Ph.D. Hort.) has been a horticultural and viticulture consultant in Prosser since retiring in 1976 as a horticulture research scientist from the WSU Prosser Research Center.
Beverly Ann Massie (’47 Phys. Ed.) recently traveled to China and “found it fascinating—full of old treasures and lovely people.” She finds volunteering with elder seniors rewarding and enjoys playing bridge, gardening, doing church work, and reading.
Merle Baldwin (’49 Animal Sci.) and his wife, Janice Baldwin (’52 Soc.), of Pomeroy, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 10, 2001.
1950s
Donald Dewar (’50 Mech. Engr.), Spokane, contracts quality assurance engineering services to suppliers of the aerospace and computer industries.
After 29 years, Richard Saty (’50 Civ. Engr.) has retired as an engineer from the City of Spokane, Department of Works.
Lawrence Alice (’51 Econ.) writes from Port Angeles, “I enjoyed the 2001 Golden Grad Reunion more than anticipated. Thank you!”
Joyce Schneider Murdock (’51 Gen. St.) retired last July after teaching more than 30 years at the elementary school level, including the last 23 as coordinator of the Clayton (California) Community School. She writes, “I continue to work as a noon supervisor in grades 1-5.”
WSU Golden Grad Jean Scarborough (’51 Hist.) returned to Pullman last May for the Class of ’51 reunion. The retired educator in Mission Viejo, California, writes, “What a fun time to see all the changes and to renew friendships. The campus was beautiful with all the daffodils and tulips in bloom.”
Willard Ambrose (’55 D.V.M.) retired from veterinary practice after 43 years in Phoenix, Arizona.
Patricia Ricard (’55 Educ.), a K-6 learning specialist, has taught school for 26 years in Bremerton. A son and daughter attend WSU.
In 1995, Neal Jacques (’56 Mining Engr.) retired as facilities construction manager with Boeing. He worked for several consulting firms as a construction manager throughout the Northwest, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. His home is in Burien.
Carolyn Moomaw (’57 M.S. Bact.) retired in September 2000 after 15 years with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Kenneth Brown (’59 Fine Arts) has retired from Spokane Community College, where he was an aircraft instructor for 25 years. He is a crop adjuster for Rain and Hail Insurance. Ken and his wife, Barbara, manage their farm northeast of Spokane. They write, “We meet a lot of wonderful people and see a lot of the Northwest in our travels.”
Longtime television newsman Doug Robinson (’59 Speech, ‘59 Journ.) retired in April 2001. He writes from Mill Creek, “After 42 years in the harness, we’re adjusting to the pace of the good life.”
1960s
E. Joanne Sheely (’60 Educ.), Anacortes, spent last May in France boating in the canals. “Wonderful trip, superb food, fantastic scenery,” she writes.
Judith Solberg (’60 Fine Arts), Stanwood, retired September 30, 2000, from the Drug Enforcement Administration. She was an investigator assigned to the Seattle office.
United Airlines Captain Elwood “Woody” Laugen (’62 Police Sci.) retired in 1999. He and wife, Beverly, now divide their time between Colorado and Green Valley, Arizona.
John Chaplin (’63 Geol.) was inducted into Spokane’s Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame October 10, 2001. He was a sprinter and team captain for the Cougar track and field team in the early ‘60s. During his 21-year tenure as head track and field coach at WSU (1974-94), he fashioned a 202-15 dual meet record. “There is only one statistic I had that was important,” Chaplin said on his induction. “I graduated 97 percent of my athletes. All the rest of it was just fun and games.”
Judy Sanders Fletcher (’63 Educ.) and her husband, Bill, live on a trawler docked at Quarter Master Harbor, Vashon Island. They “are enjoying the move from the East Coast and cruising the Northwest.”
Dennis McLaughlin (’63 Polit. Sci.) is a Spokane attorney with Dennis McLaughlin and Associates. The former WSU Alumni Association president (1983-84) has served as president of the Spokane Better Business Bureau and Spokane Convention and Visitors Bureau. He also serves on the Inland Automobile Association board.
Carol Scott-Kassner (’64 Educ.) of Federal Way was awarded the Mortar Board National Alumni Achievement Award for 2001. She has taught on the faculties at the University of Central Florida, Seattle Pacific University, and University of Washington. In 1986, she received the Kennedy Center Award for Leadership in the Arts of Education. In 1996, she earned the Choice Award for the best college text. In 1998, she was inducted into the Washington Music Educators Hall of Fame.
Last October Gordon L. Douglass (’65 Zool.) was installed as president-elect of the 7,500-member American Academy of Periodontology at its 87th annual meeting in Philadelphia. He received his dental degree (1969) and his certificate in periodontics (1973) from the University of Washington School of Dentistry. He maintains a full-time private periodontal practice in Sacramento and Folsom, California.
Barbara Barquist (’66 For. Lang.), Custer, spent 17 days in Australia and then visited Sweden for two weeks in September 2000. She was a grand officer for the Eastern Star in 1999-2000.
Heidi Chadwick (’66 Teach. Cert.) is a fifth-grade teacher in the Union School District in San Jose. She was installed as Chi State’s first vice president at the state convention of Chi State, Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
Daniel Gregg (’66 Hist.), Glastonbury, Connecticut, is a social studies consultant for the Connecticut State Department of Education. He was one of 40 people selected by Yale University to be trained for a field study fellowship in frontier China and Mongolia.
David Hadaller (’67 Speech/Theatre Arts, ’68 M.A. Speech/M.A. Theatre Arts) is provost of the University of Iowa. He was elected chair of the Council on Academic Affairs of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.
Norman Howard (’67 Hotel Mgmt.) has been hired as general manager of the recently remodeled Davenport Hotel in Spokane. He worked at the Davenport after graduation. When it was sold by Western International, he was transferred. He joined Hyatt Hotels in 1971 and enjoyed a 19-year tenure. When the Davenport hits full stride, it will have a staff of 250 people.
Phyllis Nilson (’68 Soc.) retired from WSU’s School of Music and Theatre Arts in 2000. “It was a wonderful group of people to be associated with and never boring!” she writes from nearby Albion. The College of Liberal Arts recognized her as the Outstanding Staff Member for 1999-2000.
Gregory Canova (’69 Polit. Sci.), Seattle, was elected King County Superior Court judge in 2000.
1970s
Lance Perryman (’70 D.V.M., ’75 Ph.D. Vet.) was named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, in 2001. Most recently he served as head of the Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Parasitology at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Earlier, he was the dean of research and graduate education and director of the Animal Health Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine at WSU.
Irene Slocum-Marchbanks (’70 For. Lang.) is district manager for the Social Security Administration in Salem. She was named Woman of the Year in 2001 in Sublimity, Oregon, for her community service there.
Carol Ann Gulan (’71 Psych.) of Everett is the supply chain specialist for Solectron Washington. Since 1999, she has served as business survey chair of the Western Washington chapter, National Association of Purchasing Management. She has played the violin in the Everett Symphony since 1992.
Mack Armstrong (’72 Soc., ’72 Educ.), superintendent of the Mount Vernon School District, is president-elect of the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA). He will assume the WASA presidency in July.
After 26 years of coaching basketball at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, James “Big Thunder” Neilsen (’72 Hist.) was named an assistant coach at Pepperdine University by head coach Paul Westphal. Neilsen, a former Cougar basketball center under Marv Harshman, writes, “Five of my players will be playing in the Pac-10 this year, including Marcus Moore at WSU.”
Garry Grau (’73 M.A. Hist.) was awarded an Ed.D. in educational leadership at East Tennessee State University in May 2001. His dissertation topic was “The Assessment of Tennessee Community Colleges’ Roles in Business Incubator Development, as Perceived by Administrators and Incubator Tenants.”
Gordon Hager (’73 Ph.D. Chem.) has been named an Air Force research laboratory fellow. He is a physicist with the Department of Defense missile defense system at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.
William Hyslop (’73 Polit. Sci.) is principal at Lukins and Annis Attorneys in Spokane. He has been with the firm since 1980, except for two years in the 1990s, when he was appointed by President George Bush as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. He is a past president of the Spokane County Bar Association and the WSU Alumni Association, 1991-92.
Bridgeport School District superintendent Gene Schmidt (’73 History) was honored as the Learning Space Administrator of the Year for 2001. He received the award last August at the Pacific Sciences Center in Seattle. He was recognized for integrating technology in his school district, including distributing 120 computers to students for use at home for school-related projects. He has been accepted to the WSU Graduate School to begin working on a Ph.D. in education.
Last September Bev Fox (’74 Phys. Ed., ’81 M.S. Phys. Ed.) was named superintendent of the Garfield-Palouse School District, where she has been a teacher, coach, or principal for 28 years.
In mid-August 2001, Constance Kravas (’74 Ph.D. Educ.) was named vice president for Development and University Relations at the University of Washington. She previously held a similar post at the University of California, Riverside, for two years. After earning her doctorate at WSU, she stayed on as an associate professor of education. Later she served as vice president, then president of the Washington State University Foundation, and finally vice president of University Advancement from1997 to 1999. During her tenure with the WSU Foundation, nearly $275 million in private funds was raised via Campaign WSU.
Patrick O’Neil (’74 Engl.), Redmond, is president of Applied Database Technologies.
Timothy Randall (’75 Gen. St.) and Jackie Randall (’75 Phys. Ed.) of Cheney have three sons attending WSU. Chad is scheduled to graduate this year in pharmacy. Scott, architecture major, is a member of the Class of 2003. Michael is a sophomore in communications.
Linda Turner (’75 Biology) of Trout Lake works for the Forest Service in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. She is looking forward to the Forest Service’s 100th anniversary in 2005.
Nettie Hodge (’76 Comm.) of Oakland, California, has been the executive director of The Utility Reform Network since 1995. The company represents consumers before the California Public Utilities Commission and Legislature.
John Pring (’76 Gen. St.) owns the Hells Canyon Resort and is a member of the American Automobile Association.
John Sheldon (’76 Ag. Engr.), Kirkland, was named manager of Used Truck Sales by Kenworth Truck Co. last July.
Gary Splitter (’76 Ph.D. Vet.), a professor of animal health and biosciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, was presented with the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence in 2001. His research focuses on immunology and molecular biology of infectious diseases in cattle.
Norval Nelson (’77 Hotel Adm.) of Saratoga, California, is executive vice president of Operations and Development for the San Jose Residence Club.
Kathy Anderson (’78 B.A., ’86 M.B.A.) is an accountant for The Hill Companies, San Diego. She started running in 1977 in a required WSU physical education class and is “still running, including five marathons!”
Douglas Sears (’79 Hotel and Rest. Adm.) is general manager of the Elliot Grand Hyatt. The hotel opened in Seattle in June 2001. Previously, he was general manager of the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman in the West Indies.
As new commander of the 555th Combat Engineer Group stationed in Fort Lewis, Col. James Volser (’79 Ag. Engr.), U.S. Army, is responsible for 1,000 soldiers.
Walter Weisenburger (’79 M.S. Psych., ’84 Ph.D. Psych.) is the senior research investigator for Pfizer Global Research and Development. He recently published a chapter entitled, “Neuro-Toxicology” in the 2001 Handbook of Toxicology. He lives in Jewett, Connecticut.
1980s
Jim Jesernig (’80 Bus. Adm.) of Olympia joined the state’s largest law firm, Perkins Coie, after resigning as director of Washington State Department of Agriculture, a post he held since 1993.
Diana Pratt (’80 M.A. Music) is principal of Kentlake High School. She and her husband, Frank, live in Auburn with sons Chris and Andy.
Keith Sorem (’80 Bus. Adm.) was elected 2001-2002 president of the Glendale, California, Rotary Club. He is a distributor of Amway products. Wife Pamela Breist Sorem (’79 Polit. Sci.) is an international buyer for May Co.
Jay Hunt (’84 Econ.) is vice president of Allied Security of Spokane and vice president of the Washington Burglar and Fire Alarm Association.
James Maher (’85 Finance, ’88 M.B.A.), Kent, has earned the “chartered financial analyst” designation. He is president and chief investment officer of Maher Investment Co., a firm he founded in 1998. Previously, he was employed by Boeing for nine years.
Pat Mead (’86 Material Sci. & Engr.) of Cotati, California, married Jean Tan last July in Snohomish.
Former Cougar and NFL quarterback Mark Rypien (x’86) of Post Falls, Idaho, signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts last July. Of his return to the NFL, he said, “I saw the [St. Louis] Rams in the playoffs two years ago and saw some old faces. But maybe the biggest thing for me was my little girl saying, ‘Dad, why don’t you give it another shot?’ ”
Sheridan Whitehouse (’86 Educ.), Sumner, is a middle-school math and science teacher in the Orting School District.
Doug Dostal (’87 Ag. Econ.) and wife, Tanya (’84), were married April 6, 2001. They have a blended family of six children. He is vice president of Peoples Bank in Lynden. She is a farm loan manager for USDA Farm Service Agency. They live in Custer.
Phyllis Thonney (’87 B.A.), an elder in the Pullman Presbyterian Church, has been elected moderator of Inland Northwest Presbytery, which includes 50 churches in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.
After three weeks of surveying, Seattle veterinarian Ed Viesturs (’87 D.V.M.) gave up his attempt last June to climb Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, the world’s third-tallest mountain. His goal is to climb the 14 tallest peaks in the world without supplemental oxygen. He already has climbed 12 of the peaks.
Michael Wilson (’87 Bio.) of Lacey has completed the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Midwestern University in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Ross Barner (’88 Zool., ’88 Pre-Med.) is a U.S. Army major and staff pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C.
Dave Croom (’89 Bus. Adm., ’89 Acct.) and wife, Michelle, are parents of Erin, born December 21, 2001. Dave is a fixed-asset manager with Microsoft in Seattle.
1990s
Michael Holder (’90), Auburn, was an honored guest at the 52nd Annual Seafair in Seattle last August. He is a Navy lieutenant commander aboard the USS Coronado.
Shelly Mumma (’90 Comm.) is assistant director of Student Life and director of Campus Activities at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She has also begun work on her Ph.D. in leadership studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Lorinda Sue Schaeffer (’90 Soc. Sci., ’92 M.I.T.) is associate principal of Covington Middle School in Vancouver.
Lonnie Ells (’91), a CPA, is part owner of Battles & Ells in Lewiston, Idaho. He bought into the accounting practice in early 2001.
Lisa Thompson (’91 D.V.M.) recently purchased Alderwood Animal Care, a small-animal veterinary hospital in Lynnwood.
William Wixey (’91 Comm.), Seattle, is a sports anchor for Fox Sports Net. He writes, “I have run three marathons, love playing volleyball, and Go Mariners!”
Michael Frostad (’92) returned to Pullman to join his father, Alvin Frostad, at Palouse Pediatrics last July. The younger Frostad completed his medical degree at the University of Washington Medical School.
Chad Dahmen (’93 Biol.) and his wife, Bradi (’94), of Simi Valley, California, are parents of Emma, born May 16, 2001. Chad is a physical therapist at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.
Nancy A. Golden (’93 M.Ed.) teaches in the Ridgefield School District.
Julie Ann Hossfeld Ehrlich (’94 Soc.), Kirkland, was elected province director of alumnae for Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Timothy Leavitt (’94 Civil Engr., M.S. Env. Engr.) has earned his certification as a professional engineer from the state of Washington. He is a civil and environmental project manager for PBS Environmental in Vancouver.
Scot Morse (’94 M.S.) and his wife, Elisabeth, report the birth of a son, Joseph Mitchel, November 18, 2000.
Brendan Williams (’94 Crim. Just.) is the director of Regulatory Affairs for the Washington Health Care Association.
William Bryant III (’95 Arch.) is an intern architect for Steven P. Elkins Architects in Kirkland. His extracurricular activities include skiing and snowboarding at Stevens Pass with the Edmonds Ski School, helping his brother-in-law install siding on his shop, and bicycling with the Cascade Bike Club.
Marlee Franzen (’95 M.S. Chem. Engr.) and her husband, Dan, of Lompoc, California, are parents of Ellen Olga, born September 24, 2001. Marlee is an engineer for the Goleta Water District. Dan is an Air Force captain and research analyst at Vandenberg AFB.
Dawn Hanson (’96 Educ.) married Derrick Paul June 23, 2001. She teaches first grade. He works construction in Olympia.
Dave Erickson (’97 Soc. Sci.) is anchor for WB11 News in St. Louis, Missouri. He used to host and produce “Homework Helpline” for the Evergreen School District in Vancouver.
Anthony Natale (’97 Soc. Sci.) is pursuing a Ph.D. in social work at the University of Denver.
Jeff Newgard (’97 M.S.) was promoted by Walla Walla-based Baker Boyer Bank as assistant vice president and business banking manager at its Tri-City business center.
Melissa Chiechi (’98 Polit. Sci.) of Auburn married Ty Podesywa in September 2001. She is a public information specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Paula Curry (’98 Hum. Nutr.) and Doug Donald were married January 23, 2001 in Fort Collins, Colorado. She recently finished her master’s degree in Human Nutrition at Colorado State University.
Becky Larson (’98 Bus. Adm.) has her own CPA office in Vancouver.
Carmen McDonald (’98 Crim. Just.) is a Rule 9 extern at the King County Prosecutor’s Office. She is preparing to graduate from Thomas M. Colley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.
Joseph Mockler (’98 Gen. St., ’98 Soc. Sci.) and Ann Wright (’98 M.I.T., ’98 Teaching Cert.) live in Richland. He is a Vivid Learning Concepts computer programmer. She is a science teacher at Richland High School. She was a 2000-2001 Teacher Leadership Project Grant participant, with support from the Gates Foundation.
Sherri Siroky (’98 Bus. Adm., Acct., Hotel and Rest. Adm.) is general manager of Larkspur Landing Hotel in South San Francisco.
Michelle Musso (’99 Soc. Sci.) is program coordinator of business and industry at Lower Columbia College in Longview. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs at WSU Vancouver.
2000s
Molly Balko (’00 Engl.), Redmond, is a systems analyst for AT&T Wireless. She and her husband, Boe, celebrated their first anniversary in June 2001.
Michael J. Bixby (’00 M.I.T.) teaches fourth grade in the Longview School District.
Eric Lavy (’00 Psych., ’00 Vet. Med. Neuroscience) is attending the University of Washington Medical School. His wife, Shannon Lavy (’01 Pharm.D.), graduated from WSU magna cum laude.
Jennifer Merkel (’00 Comm.), Bainbridge Island, is in her second year at the University of Washington Law School. In the summer of 2001, she worked for the Office of the Attorney General on WSU issues at Pullman.
Martin Scheurich (’00 Gen. St., ’00 Soc. Sci.) is working on his master’s degree at WSU Pullman.
Since graduation, Gregory Shaw (’00) has worked in six states—from Washington to Georgia—as an engineer for Peter Kiewit & Sons Construction.
During the summer, Amber Sine (’00 Music, ’00 Teach. Cert.) is the camp director of a Girl Scouts Inland Empire Camp in Spokane. She teaches orchestra to grades 4-12 at seven schools in the Pendleton, Oregon, School District.
Stacey Slade (’00 Bus. Adm., ’00 Marketing) is corporate account manager for the Columbus Crew, a major league soccer team in Columbus, Ohio.