In Memoriam: Dan Passell, 1928-2014 rofessor Dan Passell, born October 8, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, died July 5, 2014 in Portland. His extensive obituary, which appeared in the July 9, 2014 Oregonian, is on file in the RAPS office. His family resided in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he attended public schools. Dan majored in philosophy at the University of Chicago, earning Ph.B. (1949) and M.A. (1954) degrees. He subsequently pursued doctoral studies at Stanford. After a two-year interruption for Korean War military service teaching radio theory, followed by an appointment (1961-1963) as an instructor of philosophy at Fresno State University, he completed his doctoral degree at Stanford and joined PSU’s Department of Philosophy as an assistant professor in 1964. Dan arrived at Portland State during a tumultuous issue-laden epoch as the institution moved to university status. His professional and personal interest in ethics prompted him to support student activism that turbulently endorsed the civil rights movement and vigorously opposed United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Nevertheless, he always sought to take clearheaded, dispassionate, rational, and non-violent stances dealing with all issues and controversies. Although teaching duties for large classes imposed heavy demands on his time, whenever possible he allocated his energies to benefit his family. As the devoted father of four children, at day’s end he was always available for restful songs and reading bedtime stories. Home maintenance problems did not discourage him and he developed the necessary skills and talents for those tasks. He generously contributed toward the education of his children and grandchildren. Poetry and sports constituted his major avocations, and he took his children to Trailblazer and PSU Vikings basketball games, hit pop flies for his sons’ little league fielding practice sessions, and permitted them to watch Muhammed Ali perform in the ring. For over thirty years he ran at noontime, and in a locker room confession acknowledged that exercise was the only religion he had practiced for a long time. He often sat in on his colleagues’ literature classes. He occasionally wrote his own verses, and memorized lines from authors as diverse as Wallace Stevens, T. S. Eliot, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson. Dan developed a devoted undergraduate and graduate student following, and some became lifelong friends. Likewise, he was well liked and respected by departmental colleagues and friends across the campus. A former colleague evaluated him as “an interesting philosopher … very much concerned with his students … an engaging, non-aggressive personality … attractive to students … willing to talk with them about anything at any time … immediately and invariably available to students in distress or who needed urgent academic advice.” He read occasional papers to be critiqued at his department’s “Socratic Society” meetings. His scholarly work was published in professional journals. In 2010, he retired as an associate professor, and in 2011 he taught his last class after being designated an emeritus professor. His oldest child, Seth, predeceased him in 2007. In addition to his older brother, Lawrence A. Passell of Shoreham, NY, his daughters Sarah of Danbury, Connecticut, Leah of Portland, and son Josh of Watertown, Massachusetts survive him. Our organization expresses its heartfelt condolences to his family. No public service is planned. --Victor C. Dahl, Emeritus Professor of History 6 P
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