— 2 — continued on page 4 President’s message Our May program featured Leif Terdal, who spoke of his family’s escape from Nazi-occupied Norway. This was our third program in the past two years that featured persons escaping from oppressive regimes. I hope we all realize what we have learned from these programs is that, although our political climate in the United States is less than perfect, we live in a climate of choice, freedom, and the opportunity to succeed. I hope none of us take these liberties and freedoms for granted. I know that my travels to Russia, China, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and the Czech Republic have magnified my appreciation of what we have here. Earlier in May I read a fascinating article in Moment Magazine about the life of Albert Einstein. His formative years were spent in Germany, but with the threat of a changing political climate in the 1930s, he and his family fled to safer ground. Eventually he came to the United States and Princeton University as a result of a program that offered political asylum to scientists and scholars who faced persecution abroad. From the accounts reported, Einstein led a very simple existence—scoffing at possessions, outward signs of success, and luxury. Instead, kindness, beauty, and truth motivated him. One of my favorite quotations from Einstein states, “Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of others both living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” This humble man did what he could to give back to society. I hope that each of us, in our own way, strive to do the same. Society will benefit as a result of our unselfish contributions. Thank you all for your support and kind words during my term as RAPS president. I look forward to the fine programs and leadership of Bob Tufts and Marge Terdal during the next few years. As for my involvement, I plan to continue my work with RAPS, although at an altitude more below the radar. —Bruce Stern In memoriam: Janet Kathleen Spurlock Wright Professor Emerita Janet Wright, Arts and Humanities at PSU’s Branford Millar Library from 1986 to 2002, was born in Portland, Sept. 15, 1942, and died March 24, 2007, after a long struggle with cancer. She attended Portland public schools and earned a history B.A. at PSU in 1964. After teaching English and social studies in Portland schools from 1964 to 1967, she completed an M.A. in library science at the University of Oregon (1968) and a master of fine arts at Idaho State University (1979). Prior to coming to PSU in 1986 Janet held various librarianship positions at Pocatello Public Library, and at Western Oregon, Oregon State, and Idaho State Universities. Janet regularly contributed guides, articles, and book reviews to library journals and reference works, and various academic institutions and professional societies awarded her honors and fellowships. In 2000 she received grants to participate in a Rare Books School at the University of Virginia, and she held an internship at the New York Public Library. Especially noteworthy examples of her creative accomplishments included numerous special exhibitions and displays, such as “Northwest Craftsmen” at the Henry Gallery at the University of Washington (1978); “The Many Realms of King Arthur” for an American Library Association traveling exhibit (1996); and “September 11, 2001” at the Millar Library. Indeed, Professor Wright established a national reputation as an expert in library services. In 1972 Janet married Arthur E. Wright. He and their daughter, Maggie; stepdaughter, Rebecka; and stepson, Brian, survive her. Their daughter Cassie died in 1998. She is also survived by her mother, Constance Spurlock; sister, Tara Mardikes; brother, Mike Spurlock; and a grandchild. Janet’s colleagues highly esteemed her on a personal and professional basis. In her memory, the Millar Library faculty has added a valuable out-ofprint art catalog to its Special Collections: Picasso: Guernica—the 42 preliminary studies on paper. Janet
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