3 In memoriam: Theodore Carl William Grams, 1918-2010 Theodore “Ted” Grams, Emeritus Professor and retired Director of Millar Library Processing Services, was born in Portland September 29, 1918 and died in Tucson, AZ May 22, 2010. On July 11 the Zion Lutheran Church congregation conducted a brief memorial at its Sunday service. His remains were interred at Riverview Abbey in Portland. During 1936-37 Ted attended a local business college. While employed at the Veterans and Bonneville Power Administrations, he pursued coursework (1941-43) at the Portland Extension Center. From 1945 to 1947 he attended the University of Washington, earning a B.A. in economics. After a year of study (1947-48) at Harvard Law School, Ted resumed BPA employment. In 1950-51 he underwent Library Science training at the University of Southern California, completing an M.S. degree in 1951, and returned to work as a Bonneville Power technical reference librarian. In August 1952, Professor Grams took an appointment to provide technical services for Portland State Extension Center’s fledgling 60,000-book library collection housed in two remodeled classrooms that could seat 170 persons. That limited facility served the institution until 1959 when an annex to Smith Memorial Center added expanded library space with 700 seating spaces and doubled book shelving capacity. In every respect, Theodore Grams’s career paralleled and contributed significantly to the institution’s steady growth and scholastic development. When the legislature redesignated PSEC as Portland State College in 1955, Ted was one of the new institution’s four professionally trained librarians. As the modest college transformed into a major research based university, his competent library technical services management fulfilled complex and changing needs. Library science experience substantially supported Professor Grams’s longtime valuable contributions to faculty governance through constitutional committee service, faculty senate membership, and appointments to community and interinstitutional bodies. He actively participated in state, regional and national library associations. His achievements gained high levels of recognition from colleagues throughout the University, and on several occasions he served as interim Director of the Library. As a native Portlander, Ted found many opportunities to support community outreach. An active Zion Lutheran Church member, he participated in the Northwest Lutheran Welfare Association. Highly esteemed qualifications prompted appointments to various community groups, notably those dealing with issues related to aging and information science. Emeritus Professor Robert Westover joined the PSU library faculty in 1971 and under Ted’s leadership and guidance he advanced to positions of chief acquisitions and humanities librarian. According to him, “Ted was a most patient and generous teacher--exacting as befitted the discipline--but kind and always available to assist a floundering novice with advice based upon his rich accounting background . . . always helpful and willing to keep up with the many changes (in automation) we were ‘encouraged’ to make . . . a great mentor and a true gentleman.” Theodore Grams contributed significantly to this institution’s success until his retirement in 1986. He and his library colleagues enabled hundreds of faculty members to carry out the institution’s scholarly mission. For that all of us owe him a debt of profound gratitude. --Victor C. Dahl, Emeritus Professor of History, with assistance from Emeritus Professor Robert Westover RAPS welcomes new members Retiring faculty and staff receive a free first year of RAPS membership. RAPS welcomes the following individuals who retired in the spring of 2010. Joel Arick, Professor, Special Education James Binkley, Instructor, Computer Science Joanne Clancy, Benefits Manager, Human Resources Walton Fosque, Professor, Art Glenn Huntley, Assistant Director, Child Welfare Partnership, Social Work Patricia Long, Development Director, Liberal Arts/Sciences Leonard Shapiro, Professor, Computer Science Dee Thompson, Director, Career Center Cheer on the Viks at home opener PSU’s Athletics Department is making free tickets available to RAPS members for the first Vikings home game Tuesday, Oct. 5. Those wishing a ticket should contact Maya in the RAPS Office, 503-725-3447.
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