THE RAPS SHEET December 2014 Retirement Association of Portland State Portland State University Post Office Box 751 Portland OR 97207-0751 Koinonia House, second floor SW Montgomery at Broadway Office Manager Carissa Ponting (503)725-3447, raps@pdx.edu Campus mail: RAPS Web: www.pdx.edu/raps Fall Term Office hours: Wednesday and Thursday, all day, Friday, half day. Officers Priscilla Blumel President Eileen Brennan President-elect / Program Chair Susan Poulsen Past President / Elections Chair Robert Lockerby Secretary Nancy Benson Treasurer Mary Ricks RAPS Sheet Editor Larry Sawyer RAPS Representative to Regional & National Retirement Associations, Website Editor Board Members-at-Large Nancy Chapman Chik Erzurumlu Brian Lewis Committees Steve Brannan and Mary Gordon Brannan History Preservation and Pictorial History Book Co-Chairs Beryl and Vic Dahl Social/Friendship Committee Co-Chairs Brian Lewis Membership Chair Nancy Chapman Scholarship Chair Chik Erzurumlu Awards Chair RAPS Annual Holiday Party Sunday, December 14 Social Hour begins at 11:30 am Brunch starts at 12:30 pm Multnomah Athletic Club 1849 SW Salmon Street Portland, OR 97205 Highlights: Meet this year’s scholarship recipient, Robin Lynn Silent Auction – tempting gift baskets, artwork, gift certificates Raffle for holiday treats and one-year free membership Proceeds of the auction and raffle go to the RAPS Scholarship Fund Brunch Menu*: Mimosas (cash bar) Fresh seasonal fruit, fruit juice MAC’s famous cinnamon rolls and breads Chef Philippe’s homemade granola Scrambled eggs Chicken apple sausage Crispy smoked bacon Roasted red potatoes with fresh herbs and sautéed onions Other special dishes designed by MAC Executive Chef Philippe Boulot. *If you have dietary restrictions, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate them. Please RSVP by Monday, December 8, 2014 to Carissa Ponting, RAPS Office Manager, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207, or 503-725-3447. Cost is $22 per person. You may pay by check made out to the PSU Foundation, or call Carissa at 503-725-3447 to pay by credit card.
President’s Message he holiday season is upon us and it is such a pleasure to see family and friends at this time of year. Join friends for the festive holiday lunch at the Multnomah Athletic Club on December 14. MAC’s Executive Chef has promised special food, thanks to the influence of Claudine Fisher and Eileen Brennan. Keeping track of retirees is a huge challenge because it seems that as one grows older, one becomes more mobile. We are fortunate to have Steve Brennan who has volunteered to update our database. With his help, we will continue to reach out to all of our wandering retired faculty and staff. You can also help by advising the RAPS office (503-2725-3447 or RAPS@pdx.edu) of changes of addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. I hope to see you at the Holiday Party! --Priscilla Blumel Meet Carissa Ponting ur RAPS Office Manager for 2014-15 is an outstanding graduate student working on a Master of Social Work degree. She plans to complete her program in June 2016. She graduated cum laude from PSU in 2011, majoring in Psychology. A partial list of her activities includes membership in two academic honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Psi Chi. She volunteers for the Salvation Army’s White Shield Center as a counselor for pregnant and parenting teenagers and has extensive related knowledge of crisis intervention. In addition to her academic and civic volunteer activity, Carissa is experienced in office procedure and can make our office hum! When you encounter Carissa you will find an accomplished and charming young woman representing RAPS. --Priscilla Blumel --Photo by Larry Sawyer Scholarship Donations The following people have donated to the RAPS Scholarship Fund since October 15, 2014 Anne Bender Byron Lippert Scott and Glenda Burns Jean Morrison Colin and Patricia Dunkeld Joan Shireman Chik Erzurumlu Mary and Bob Ricks Doris Sun and Linda May Sun And the Robert W. Vogelsang Memorial Wine Raffle 2 T O
RAPS Group Reports The RAPS Book Group met at Eileen and Steve Brennan’s home on November 18, and discussed Laura Hillenbrand’s “Unbroken.” The book weaves the story of the fate of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini with the story of World War II in the Pacific, and it stirred memories of travels as well as stimulating discussion of moral and ethical issues raised by that conflict. On December 16, the RAPS Book Group will meet at Joan Shireman’s home (2535 SE Snowfire Dr., Happy Valley, OR) and will discuss Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland. Set in both India and the United States, it is described on the back cover as “an engrossing family saga steeped in history: the story of two very different brothers bound by tragedy, a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past, a country torn apart by revolution, and a love that endures long past death.” Contact Joan at 503-698-9951, or joan.shireman@frontier.com, to RSVP and for directions. On January 20, we will meet at the Terdals’ new home in Terwilliger Plaza (2545 SW Terwilliger Blvd. #812) and discuss “The Elephant Whisperer” by Laurence Anthony and Graeme Spence. According to the Amazon website, “Lawrence Anthony devoted his life to animal conservation, protecting the world’s endangered species. Then he was asked to accept a herd of rogue wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand. His common sense told him to refuse, but he was the herd’s last chance of survival.” Contact Marge at 503-808-7438 or dbmt@pdx.edu to RSVP and for directions. --Joan Shireman The RAPS Bridge Group will meet (or already has met) on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. We meet regularly on the First Tuesday of each month. Given the timing of the monthly RAPS Sheet, let me inform you of a couple of upcoming bridge sessions: January 6, 2015 and February 3, 2015. We gather in the conference room of Friendly House’s Anderson Building. (This building is on the North side of NW Savier Street, around the corner from the main entrance to Friendly House.) Playing begins at 1 pm and continues to about 4:30 pm. We are friendly and are always looking for new players. If you wish to join us, please contact Steve Brennan, 503-646-6297. My email address is the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. --Steve Brennan The RAPS Hiking Group’s November hike on Marquam Hill was cancelled because of weather concerns. Group members will meet at Diane and Larry Sawyer’s home on December 3 to share a potluck lunch and plan hikes for 2015. Larry will supply hiking books, but if you have a favorite hike that is not in a standard hiking book, bring information to the luncheon. If you plan to attend the potluck and have not already RSVP’d, call Larry at 502-771-1616 or email him at larry_sawyer@comcast.net for directions and to tell him what you will contribute to the potluck. --Larry Sawyer 3
Shakespeare: Beyond Expectations! regon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) –“ Magical” – “Magnificent” – “Marvelous” –“Mind-bending” – “Mesmerizing!” “All I can say is, ‘I want more’.” These are a few of the adjectives spoken by RAPS members attending the OSF. Below are additional comments and descriptions of the many activities we experienced while attending the October 20-26 program. The six days in Ashland were very rich in all kinds of cultural offerings. We saw four stage plays and three play readings, all of them high quality. The Tempest was performed on a beautiful and unique stage set. The Comedy of Errors was placed in Harlem and Cocoanuts was a laugh a minute with the Marx brothers around 1925. The Great Society encapsulated the challenges of LBJ’s term as president. This was a powerful play with a glimpse of the past, warts and all. The Siskiyou Center provided an intriguing variety of speakers: actors we later saw in plays, a costume designer who made costumes from fabrics costing up to $500 a yard, a set carpenter whose work could not be an inch off because it could endanger the actors, and a fight director who told us about the performance one night that included an actor’s REAL blood. Many of the speakers were people of color, and at least half were women. We came away with a much deeper understanding of what must happen for a play to be performed. The dormitory accommodations were very adequate and the quality of the food in the Southern Oregon University cafeteria was above expectations. We were part of a group of two dozen people, all of them very compatible with our Portland State University contingent of nine. The other attendees from around the U.S. also had the opportunity to hear our own Jack Cooper give a talk about the Shakespeare plays we saw performed. The opportunity to hear new plays by new playwrights was another fascinating experience. Playwrights from around the U.S. submitted several hundred plays. The plays were read, evaluated, and rated. We, along with local townspeople, heard three finalists’ plays read for an audience. After the readings, the audience could comment, make suggestions, and/or ask questions of the cast, director, and playwright. The final evening we went to a local restaurant for an outstanding dinner and an opportunity to say goodbye to new friends. A week well spent! Should this become an annual RAPS event? --Maxine Thomas Membership Committee Needs Volunteers he RAPS Membership Committee is seeking assistance with recruiting and retaining new (and previous) PSU retirees. Our membership database is now revised, simplified and brought up to date. In order to enhance our efforts to recruit all new retirees (and retain or renew existing ones), the process will now include a team of RAPS members who will be assigned to make personal contacts in addition to our current letters of invitation and renewal offers. The committee is seeking volunteers to represent their academic or administrative unit. Please consider responding to this request. The RAPS Board of Directors will fill several positions, but this program cannot succeed without significant participation from the general membership. Contact Brian Lewis (503-590-5890 or brianlewispdx@gmail.com) for more information, questions or to sign up! --Brian Lewis 4 O T
In Memoriam: Chadwick Karr, 1919-2014 rofessor Chadwick “Chad” Karr, born February 12, 1919, in Yakima, Washington, died October 24, 2014, in Portland. Professor Karr, a RAPS past president, and his wife, Mary, who survives him, have been longtime members of our organization. Chad’s parents, Arthur J. Karr and Mary Chadwick, owned and operated fruit orchards and a packing plant in Yakima, Washington, in which he worked fulltime until 1937 when he enrolled in the University of Washington, earning a BA in sociology in1941. After completing undergraduate studies, Chad returned to Yakima to engage in managing, operating, and expanding the Karr family’s highly successful fruit orchard business. In 1953, he sold the fruit enterprise in order to return to the University of Washington to pursue graduate studies in psychology. After earning master’s (1956) and doctoral (1958) degrees, he moved to Portland to launch his career as a psychologist and educator. During 1958-1960, he held a research psychologist appointment with the non-profit Boys & Girls Aid Society of Oregon, the state’s oldest child welfare program. The Society provides a wide range of services to children in need, and has been a leader in replacing the traditional orphanage model with foster care. This experience was especially relevant to PSU’s mission serving the metropolitan region. In 1960, Professor Karr began a 29-year distinguished instructional career at this institution. He served as department chairperson, 1966-1969, held an appointment as Research Professor, 1969-1971, and retired in 1989. His popular undergraduate and graduate-level course offerings attracted large enrollments, and he particularly liked to engage with students and assist them with improving writing skills and study techniques. He regularly chaired and participated as a member of master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation committees related to his academic specialties. To maintain a private license to practice psychology, he regular engaged in continuing education coursework. Professor Karr was well known across the University through committee service and the universality of his interests. He collaborated with colleagues in the Graduate School of Education on various teacher evaluation and instructional improvement programs. Improving his own teaching skills led him to participate in workshops involving the preparation and implementation of classroom audio-visual aid materials. Chad maintained active membership in various local, state and national psychological associations. Various public agencies and boards relied upon him for psychology-related consultative assistance. He was a longtime member of the national honorary society, Sigma Xi, in which he held several offices including president of the local chapter. As a dedicated outdoorsman, he was a 50-year Mazama member and held several offices in that organization. While living in Yakima, Chad married Marian Kershaw and they parented daughters: Sara (David Hibbs); Jennifer Cook-Karr; and Susan (deceased). After moving to Portland, they divorced, and in 1987 Chad married Mary Siebert Pintarich Karr, also an active RAPS member, who—along with their daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren—survives him. To all of them, we extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences for their great loss. The University community—especially those of us who knew and worked with Chad—owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. His service and career contributed enormously to this institution’s development as an academic instructional and research center serving the metropolitan area and the entire state. An obituary and guestbook appeared in the Oregonian, October 28-November 2, 2014, and is available online. At his request, there will be no service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. --Victor C. Dahl, Emeritus Professor of History 5 P
In Memoriam: Ivan Curcin 1925-2014 rofessor Ivan “Ivo” Curcin, born October 16, 1925, in Zagreb, capital of present-day Croatia, died October 23, 2014, in Scottsdale, Arizona. A memorial has been held in Scottsdale with interment to follow in Zagreb. Ivo attended the University of Zagreb, completing a baccalaureate degree that emphasized English and French literature. He subsequently pursued advanced academic training in British literature at Oxford University, earning B.Litt. (1959) and D.Phil. (1967) degrees. During the post-World War II Tito era in Yugoslavia, increasing needs for English-Croatian language translations opened positions for the nation’s English language specialists. Ivo launched his academic career as assistant professor of English literature (1961-64) at the University of Belgrade. Concurrently he held several lectureships for English instruction at Zagreb adult education centers and produced two English language textbooks. After spending 1968-69 as visiting professor of English language and literature at the University of Puerto Rico’s research and doctoral program in San Juan, Professor Curcin joined PSU’s Department of English in 1969 as an assistant professor offering courses in his academic specialty, 19th and 20th century English literature. His appointment coincided with the emergence of PSU’s innovative inter-disciplinary Central European Studies Center that offered Serbo-Croatian language instruction, along with other critical languages including Russian, Polish and Czech. PSU obtained Fulbright-Hays and National Defense Educational Act grant support from the U. S. Office of Education and entered into academic contractual agreements with the University of Zagreb in Yugoslavia to establish an extension center, The Zagreb Institute, with a nationwide student outreach. Professor Curcin’s exceptional experience, especially his extensive, ongoing contacts and experience with academic communities in Zagreb and Belgrade, enabled him to furnish invaluable advice, liaison, and assistance for a prestigious program that attracted substantial numbers of students and provided a base for faculty members engaged in related field research. Professor Curcin was a gifted scholar, and popular teacher who added a significant dimension to the English department’s literature curriculum. His translations of both literary and popular works from Croatian to English have added knowledge and increased access to relatively little known but significant literature. His colleagues highly regarded Ivo’s accomplishments as a productive scholar and benefitted from his expertise. The University owes Ivo a debt of gratitude for dedication to intellectual excellence that benefitted instruction in English literature and Slavic Studies, and that reinforced PSU’s emergence as a major academic institution. After Professor Curcin’s retirement, the family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. His widow, Jadranka Mrkela Curcin, who came to PSU as a Croatian language Fulbright lecturer, survives him, as does Louisa, a daughter from a previous marriage. --Victor C. Dahl, Emeritus Professor of History P
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