Mills Quarterly Summer 2001

Mills Quarterly Summer 2001 Alumnae Magazine

Alumnae Association Gives Another $1 Million Gift An Amazement of Women Elect Your Alumna Trustee

Commencement 2001

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Mills Quarterly

CONTENTS SUMMER 2001 9

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Commencement 2001

An Amazement of Women: “’Tis education forms the common mind. . .” Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48

Beyond Harry Potter: Writing for Young Adults at Mills Julie Campbell Moss, MFA ’00

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Elect Your Alumna Trustee

D E PA R T M E N T S 3

Letters

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Inside Mills

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Mills Matters College Picks a New Provost

TOP LEFT: BRUCE COOK PHOTOGRAPHY. MIDDLE: ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

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h. n. blonkenfeld, ’99

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Alumnae Action Alumnae Association Has New Leader David M. Brin, MA ’75 Calendar AAMC Gives College Another $1 Million AAMC Study/Travel Programs for 2002

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Passages

ABOUT THE COVER: Members of the Class of 2001 at their graduation. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Amy Harris, Charlotte Langmaid, Joan Flores, Cindy Yan, Hoa Tu, and Griselda Barajas. Cover and inside front cover photos by Ariel Eaton Thomas, ’63.

Mills Quarterly Volume XC Number 1 (USPS 349-900) Summer 2001 Alumnae Director Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68 Editor David M. Brin, MA ’75 dbrin@mills.edu

On this Issue

Design and Art Direction Benjamin Piekut, MA ’01 Quarterly Board Marian Hirsch, ’75 Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Sharon Kei Tatai, ’80 Ariel Eaton Thomas, ’63 Lynette Williams Williamson, ’72 Class Notes Writers Barb Barry, ’94 Laura Compton, ’93 Barbara Bennion Friedlich, ’49 Sally Mayock Hartley, ’48 Laurel Kirby, ’00 Cathy Chew Smith, ’84 Special Thanks to Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Board of Governors President Karen May, ’86 Vice Presidents Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60 Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Treasurer Beverly “Bevo” Zellick, ’49 Alumnae Trustees Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60 Estrellita Hudson Redus, ’65, MFA ’75 Governors Lynne Bantle, ’74, Doreen Bueno, ’97 Laura Compton, ’93, Leone Evans, MA ’45 Robyn Fisher, ’90, Lynn Eve Fortin,’87 Linda Jaquez-Fissori, ’92, Christina Littlefield, ’74 Emily MacDonald, ’03, Leah MacNeil, MA ’51 Patricia Lee Mok, ’81, Jennifer E. Moxley, ’93 Kirsten T. Saxton, ’90, Sharon K. Tatai, ’80 Sarah Washington-Robinson, ’72 Peggy Woodruff, ’58, Sheryl Wooldridge, ’77 Regional Governors Joyce Mentor Wallace, ’50, Eastern Great Lakes Susan Shapiro Taylor, ’63, Middle Atlantic Albertina Padilla, ’78, Middle California Adrienne Bronstein, ’86, Middle California Katie Dudley Chase, ’61, Northeast Brandy Tuzon Boyd, ’91, Northern California Joanne Regalia Repass, ’66, Northwest Louise Hurlbut, ’75, Rocky Mountains Sally Matthews Buchanan, ’64, South Central Candace Brand Kaspers, ’70, Southeast Carole Joseph Silva, ’54, Southern California Ann Markewitz, ’60, Southwest The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly in April, July, October, and January by the Alumnae Association of Mills College, Reinhardt Alumnae House, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94613.

Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, CA and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Mills Quarterly, Alumnae Association of Mills College, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613-0998.

Statement of Purpose The purpose of the Mills Quarterly is to report the activities of the Alumnae Association and its branches; to reflect the quality, dignity, and academic achievement of the College family; to communicate the exuberance and vitality of student life; and to demonstrate the world-wide-ranging interests, occupations, and achievements of alumnae.

You will meet many Mills women in this issue. Among them are the College’s new provost, the new president of the Alumnae Association, and the new chair of the Mills Board of Trustees.

Muffy McKinstry Thorne’s article on sets of three or more sisters who have attended Mills will introduce you to many interesting members of the Mills family. The diversity of this group is impressive; they came to Mills from a wide variety of places and backgrounds. I think you will enjoy reading about the lives of these remarkable women and how they carved individual identities for themselves.

In her article, Julie Moss introduces you to students, alumnae, and faculty who are writing literature for young adults. Mills is one of the first places to turn an academic eye on this body of literature, not only analyzing its content but also fostering its creation. Authors for young adults have written some of the most enduring and beloved books; because of them, many teenagers have come to experience the joy of reading, an activity that will bring them knowledge and satisfaction throughout their lives.

You will also meet members of the Class of 2001 in this issue, as well as some of the College’s Trustees who have made outstanding contributions to Mills. What do these women have in common? As Karen May, incoming president of the Alumnae Association, says, “It is our passion for and loyalty to Mills College” that unites us.

The passion and loyalty of Mills alumnae, faculty, students, and staff have made possible the realization of lofty goals. For each student who earned a degree or certificate from Mills this year, many objectives were realized and more were set in place. If these recent graduates are like others who are profiled in this issue, Mills will remain an important part of their lives.

The passion, loyalty, and dedication of Mills alumnae made possible another gift of $1 million to the College this year; the Alumnae Association is proud of this achievement and extends thanks to all who contributed. We have been challenged to continue to increase the percentage of our alumnae who give to the Alumnae Fund, and in this fiscal year, which began June 1, we hope you will be counted among those who give. Your gift, large or small, will demonstrate your loyalty and confidence in Mills College.

When you read this issue of the Mills Quarterly, I hope you will get a sense of just how much can be accomplished through passion and loyalty. Because so many members of the Mills community possess these qualities, the College has thrived and will continue to do so well into the future.

Letters to the Editor Computer Science at Mills The Spring 2001 issue of the Quarterly had an article on science at Mills, featuring the exciting plans for new facilities. The article enumerated our undergraduate and graduate programs in the sciences, but omitted the graduate programs in computer science.

Mills has three renowned and unique graduate re-entry programs in computer science. Our two postbaccalaureate CS tracks allow new students to enter the field, preparing them for a computing career or further graduate study. Students in our Masters program in Interdisciplinary Computer Science (ICS) start with a little programming background and learn to apply computer science to other fields. Our graduates have gone on to great things ranging from careers at places like HewlettPackard, Sun, and Macromedia, and to further graduate study at MIT and UC Berkeley.

I wanted to assure our alums, both graduate and undergraduate, that the programs in computer science are prospering. In fact, our graduate enrollment is near an alltime high and the future looks very bright indeed.

Professor Matthew Merzbacher Director, Graduate Programs in Interdisciplinary Computer Science P.S. Please check out the new ICS web site: <http://ics.mills.edu>.

I was happy to see a recent article in USA Today about Ellen Spertus, assistant professor of computer science. I read the article with great interest.

I am a 71-year-old Mills graduate who recently passed the A+ Computer Certificate, qualifying me for employment as a computer technician. I also built my own computer.

This, in itself, is not significant. What is significant is that my Alma Mater fosters the kind of environment for women that truly encourages them to push any and all available limits.

There are many Mills graduates who have done this, and I am incredibly proud that Mills College has added Dr. Spertus to its faculty to be a role model for young women.

I am delighted to know Mills students are receiving the benefit of her knowledge. I wish I could have been one of her students!

Joan L. Dyer, EdD, MA ’52 The Sexiest Geek is Among Us! I want to be sure that your readers know that the Sexiest Geek Alive is on the Mills faculty. Assistant Professor of Computer Science Ellen Spertus was crowned with the title on June 20 at the San Jose Convention Center.

Of the 10,000 or so people who entered the contest by taking an online quiz, eight finalists were chosen. Dr. Spertus claimed she was the sexiest candidate because she had reproduced the most geeks (her students and her students’ students).

Her winning attire was a PVC corset with a printed-circuit board pattern and a black slit skirt.

Strapped to her leg was the slide rule her father used at MIT, the same institution from which Dr. Spertus received her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees.

In response to the question, “How does it feel to be the Sexiest Geek Alive?” she replied, “It feels great! I wish I could upload the experience so every geek could enjoy it.”

You can read more about Dr. Spertus and the contest on the Mills College website, <www.mills.edu>.

Donna Chan, ’90 Likes the Quarterly For the past two years I have had the pleasure of reading the Quarterly as an observer rather than as a participant in its development.

It’s time I put into written words my appreciation for your professional and creative editing of the magazine.

You’ve managed to include information from the College which so many alumnae have wanted while still finding room for articles about alumnae and their lives today. The article in the April issue on Thoraya Obaid, ’66, by Ann McKinstry Micou, ’52, for instance, was a great choice of both subject and writer.

The necessary and recurring sections, such as the class notes and “Elect Your Alumna Trustee” are clear, clean, and readable.

Only former editors can know the challenge involved in putting together the magazine with all its disparate parts and the diversified expectations of its readers. You and your staff and volunteers are doing a great job.

Marge Miskelly Thomas, MA ’67 [The writer is the former Executive Director of the AAMC and Editor of the Quarterly.]

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inside mills The 2000-2001 academic year drew to a close with many highlights to report. The faculty approved several exciting new academic programs. Each of the new offerings demonstrates Mills’ commitment to providing an educational environment that prepares women with skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the world. Some of the new programs were mentioned in previous issues of the Quarterly, such as the public policy and environmental science majors, the 3/2 program in engineering (with the University of Southern California), and the Institute for Civic Leadership. The newest of all is a 4+1 BA/MBA program, which leverages our strong undergraduate economics major into a graduate business degree with only one additional year of study. In addition to coursework during the academic year, MBA students will participate in an intensive summer internship preceding the fifth year. Economics department chair Nancy Thornborrow reports, “We developed this program in response to our own students’ desire for greater continuity in graduate education and professional development.” The College will begin offering the fifth year to its 2001 graduates this fall and is welcoming new undergraduates who wish to begin the program. The new BA/MBA program makes Mills one of the few women’s colleges in the nation to offer a master’s degree in business administration.

At the May meeting of the Board of Trustees Clare Springs, ’66, completed her term as chair. Clare has been a very able leader for the Board through the last five years. I am personally grateful for her insight and energy as Board chair. Clare, who continues as a member of the Board, will be succeeded as chair by Suzanne Adams, ’48, a Trustee since 1994 (see profile on page 6). The Board also acknowledged the fine service of four Trustees who completed their Board service: Marianne Austin, Kathryn Hall, Alumna Trustee Harriet Isom, ’58, and Sesquicentennial Campaign cochair Cris Russell, ’71. Two Trustees, Earl Cheit and Muff McKinstry Thorne, ’48, were elected Lifetime Trustees. New Trustees beginning three-year terms on June 1, 2001 are: poet Thea Hillman, MFA ’99; retired psychiatrist Dr. Pauline Langsley, ’49 (see profile, page 5); HealthNet CEO Cora Tellez, ’72; and the successful alumna candidate elected by ballot in this issue. Be sure to vote!

If you visit campus this summer you will see construction workers busily at work on a number of projects. Already underway are the first phases of renovations in the Music Building and Haas Pavilion. By the start of the school year we expect to have a new roof on the Music Building and a new elevator, fitness center improvements, and a new upstairs dance studio at Haas Pavilion. We thank the Prothro family and the Walter and Elise Haas Foundation for their Sesquicentennial Campaign gifts supporting renovation projects in these two campus landmark buildings. Also scheduled for this summer are a new front access ramp for the Student Union and renovations to the kitchen and one set of bathrooms in Ethel Moore Hall. An extensive renovation of Orchard Meadow Hall will begin in the fall and continue through the academic year.

We will welcome students back to residence in Orchard Meadow Hall in fall 2002.

For your summer reading, consider Respect: an Exploration by Sara LawrenceLightfoot, Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. This is the book we are sending to entering Mills students to read before they arrive in the fall.

Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot will be our speaker at Convocation on Friday, September 14, 2001, during Reunion Weekend. All alumnae are welcome to attend Convocation and Reunion Weekend—even if it’s not your official class reunion year. I will look forward to seeing you there.

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JENNIFER LEIGH SAUER

REPORT FROM PRESIDENT JANET L. HOLMGREN

S E S Q U I C E N T E N N I A L C A M PA I G N N E W S

NAOMI SALAS PINEDA SCHOLARSHIP FUND

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atricia Pineda, ’74, and her mother, Naomi, shared the strong belief that “a college education is essential for the advancement of Hispanics.” As a Sesquicentennial Campaign gift, Patricia established the Naomi Salas Pineda Scholarship Fund. “Scholarships such as this one will help to ensure that Latinas have opportunities to attain a college education,” Patricia said. She plans to continue adding to the scholarship so the endowment will grow and offer evergreater scholarship support. Patricia explained, “Over the years, I have come to truly value the liberal arts education I received at Mills. It’s a way of saying thank you.”

Patricia received her BA from Mills in 1974 with a major in government, and served as a Mills Trustee from 1986 to 1995. She earned her JD from Boalt Law School at the University of California at Berkeley. She is Vice President and Corporate Secretary of New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), a joint

venture of General Motors and Toyota in Fremont, California, where she has primary responsibility for the legal, governmental relations, and environmental departments.

She currently serves on the boards of The James Irvine Foundation, Levi Strauss & Co., RAND Corporation, and the California Manufacturing Association.

The Naomi Salas Pineda Scholarship is one of more than 100 endowed scholarships, created by gifts from alumnae, their families, and friends of the College over time. In addition, annual gifts to the Alumnae Fund provide a valuable contribution to financial aid resources of the College. Mills admits students on the strength of their credentials without regard to their ability to pay. The College backs this policy with a historic commitment to financial aid so that every qualified applicant can benefit from a Mills education. More than 80 percent of undergraduates receive some portion of their assistance

Patricia Pineda, ’74

directly from Mills—a percent comparable to that experienced in other leading colleges and universities.

Scholarships are a top priority objective of the Mills Sesquicentennial Campaign. Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement (510) 4302097) for more information about how you can support Mills students.

Pauline R. Langsley, MD, ’49 to Chair Mills Major Gifts Committee

TOP: FIRESTONE PHOTOGRAPHY

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s of June 1, 2001, Pauline Royal Langsley, ’49, will become chair of the Mills Major Gifts Committee, succeeding Trustee Helen Drake Muirhead, ’58. Dr. Langsley, known as Polly, also was elected to the Board of Trustees for a three-year term beginning June 1, 2001. Polly joined the Major Gifts Committee in 1998 while at work on the Class of 1949 50th Reunion Fund. She has a long list of Mills volunteer service, including membership on the AAMC Board of Governors from 1969 to 1974 and a previous term on the Mills Board of Trustees from 1974 to 1979.

“Polly has a contagious affection

for the College and a real talent for connecting with Mills alumnae,” says Sally Randel, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “Together, Polly and I have had some wonderful visits with Mills women in the Midwest in the last few years. And after all, major gifts work is about sharing the satisfaction of helping Mills achieve its goals.”

Polly is a retired psychiatrist, as is her husband, Donald Langsley. They live in Evanston, Illinois and have three daughters, Dorrie, Karen, ’78, and Susan, ’83.

The Mills Major Gifts Committee was established in 1992. It has a current membership of 17 alumnae who focus

on soliciting Sesquicentennial Campaign gifts of $100,000 and more. The committee has a geographic spread from Honolulu to London and includes alumnae of every decade from the 1940s to the 1990s. In addition to Helen Drake Muirhead, ’58, past chairs are Joan Lewis Danforth, ’53, Ellen Higginbotham Rogers, ’63, and Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48.

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inside mills SUZANNE ADAMS, ’48, TO CHAIR MILLS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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[To] Suzanne Adams, who understands that a college’s heart beats in its gathering places, where chance encounters and conversations generate ideas that bring individual students and teachers together in a true community of learning – a vision her commitment, caring, and leadership have brought to life for the Mills she loves, the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

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ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

uzanne Adams, ’48, has been an energetic, inventive, staunch volunteer for Mills for many years. She has served in leadership positions for the AAMC (two-term member of the Board of Governors, Chair of the Alumnae Fund) and the College (Trustee since 1994, Chair of the Board’s Educational Policies Committee, Major Gift volunteer). A generous donor to the Alumnae Fund and the Sesquicentennial Campaign, she funded the creation of what is known as Suzanne Adams Plaza, where the old Hellman Pool was located.

As of June 1, Suzanne became Chair the Board of Trustees, succeeding Clare Springs, ’66, who continues as a Board member.

Entering Mills with the class of 1948, Suzanne ultimately graduated from Pomona College in 1949, then earned a PhD in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1961. She carried out a distinguished career as a professor and academic administrator in Oakland’s Peralta Community College District, from which she retired in 1988. At Degree Day on May 12, 2001, Suzanne finally received a Mills degree. The citation on her honorary doctorate reads:

Historic Music Building Gets New Roof The first phase of the renovation of the music building, designed by Walter Ratcliff, Jr. and built in 1928, is taking place this summer. The concert hall is getting a much needed new roof as well as some seismic work. The lead architect for the project is Karen Fiene, while the architect of record is Christopher Ratcliff, grandson of the original architect. The photos show the progress of the new roof (top), roofing tiles stacked in the Greek Theater, the scaffolding outside the front of the building, and historic carvings flanking the front doors,

PAUL RICHARDS (4)

temporarily protected by a wooden structure.

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MILLS MATTERS

NEWS OF THE COLLEGE

College Picks a New Provost The College’s two-year search for a provost ended in March with the announcement that Dr. Susan M. Steele would fill the role.

As provost, Steele is expected to be the liaison between the faculty and administration. As the College’s chief academic officer, she will be responsible for many important decisions.

Having served as vice provost at the University of Connecticut since 1998 and as an associate vice provost at the University of Arizona prior to that, Steele brings more than a decade of experience.

In April, Heather Blonkenfeld, former editor of the Mills Weekly, had the opportunity to chat with Steele about her past experiences and her hopes for Mills College as it enters its 150th year.

You spent three and one-half years at the University of Connecticut as the vice-provost. What were you brought in to do and which of your accomplishments are you most proud?

Steele: I was hired on as a change agent, and I was the first person to hold the position I held, which had its pluses and minuses. But it was clear there was a lot of attention that needed to be paid to undergraduate education at the University of Connecticut. The pendulum had swung very heavily towards research, and I was supposed to bring that back into balance.

I revamped the advising structure. I set up what I thought of as an advising portal, a place that all students could go through when they entered the institution.

The reason I’m most proud of that: When I got to UConn, I was looking at student surveys, and one of the things the surveys said was how unhappy students were with advising. Just three weeks ago, in the school paper, there was an editorial proposing that every student should go through this advising portal that I created. It was clear that students had witnessed a change and were happy.

What prompted your search for a new position and why did you choose Mills?

Steele: Any time you’re a change agent,

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you can’t stick around too long. I’d gotten a lot of things started and put people in place to carry them through. And I knew that I wanted to be a provost. So this year I was in the process of looking at various positions, and this one felt most comfortable and it felt like it fit best.

I’d like to help the institution think more globally about itself. I’d like Mills to think about how we fit in the world of higher education and how we measure ourselves against what other people are doing.

them is retention. The percentage is way too low.

We also need to look carefully at our internal organization. We have a large number of small departments, and we need to think about whether that’s the best way to organize or whether we’ll get more in a different organizational structure. Another thing we need to think about is whether the bachelor’s degree is the right terminus.

We’ve developed more and more of these five-year BA/MA degrees. We need to think about whether that’s the right thing for many of our degrees.

We also have some areas of real strength to build on. We need a better pipeline for women into mathematics and computer science, and we’re well positioned to do that. Multiculturalism is also a very important aspect of this institution.

People always talk about it, but we need to make it a part of our fabric. It needs to be integrated into everything that we do.

Finally, something that the president has already started work on and I want to continue is connection with Oakland and the East Bay. There are tremendous needs here and tremendous potential, and Mills can be an important part of changing the situation. These are all things that won’t be completed by fall 2002 but will be ongoing conversations that we should be having.

How do you see Mills as different from the other universities where you have worked?

Steele: I’ve been at bigger institutions and one of the things I’ve done at bigger institutions is to try to make them feel small. But here I’m doing the opposite.

This is a small institution, but what it needs to do is think bigger.

How might this vision feel for faculty?

Steele: It could very well look scary for some, but for other faculty members, it’s probably exciting. What I heard from many faculty members is “this is a pretty small place, but even so I don’t feel part of the larger picture.” So if you think about what this institution is doing and organize around that, then everybody has a part to play in it.

Imagine that it is the 2002 fall semester. How do you imagine the college will have changed by that point?

Steele: Fall 2002. That’s quick. It might take a little longer than that. But there are several things that we need to be looking at in the next year, and one of

Dr. Steele assumed the position of provost on June 1, 2001. She is already immersed in the job, familiarizing herself with Mills and working on some of the plans outlined in this article.

BRUCE COOK PHOTOGRAPHY

by h. n. blonkenfeld, ’99

Commencement 2001 Commencement Speaker Antonia Hernandez, President and General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund I believe the first challenge to overcome is the myth that you can have it all, at once, right now. You can and will be able to do many of the things you set out to do, but not all at once and not all right now. . . .

The real issue is what will you do with your Mills education, how will you fulfill your many roles, as daughters, sisters, mothers, wives, community leaders, activists, women of conscience?

Caitlin Stanton, ’01, Speaking for the Senior Class Many of us have overcome great obstacles to be here. We have struggled with self-doubt, we have strived to balance family, work, and school commitments, we have stared down racism, sexism, homo-

Antonia Hernandez

phobia, ageism. . . . We have had the pleasure of doing what others said we could not do. We have journeyed rough and winding roads to be here, and we are stronger because of it.

Members of the graduating class Cristina Rosas (left), Brenda Orozco, and Mary Susan Carruthers

President Janet L. Holmgren Members of the faculty and Trustees and staff hope for each of you that Mills has strengthened your

Adrienne Rodriguez (left) and Melissa Roberts

commitment to diversity, to academic, creative, and professional excellence, to community, and to social

TOP: ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

justice. As you become Mills alumnae and alumni, always keep in mind these words of self-respect and responsibility to community from our own Dean Ege: “Remember who you are and what you represent.”

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Tadd Onomowale Scott, MA, ’01, Speaking for Graduate Students Much has been and is expected from us. There is much that our professions, our world, our society needs from us — especially in our relationships with others. We are the future executives, leaders, teachers, doctors, politicians, producers, biologists, researchers, composers, divas, dancers, principals, writers, and researchers.

As we interact in our various careers and industry there is light that shines from Mills. Let us remember to practice an ethic of care in all that we do. Mills — you have been wonderful. In the spirit of Commencement, let us begin.

Class of 2001 Members of the Class of 2001 distinguished themselves with many academic awards.

Sandra Chapin received a Truman Scholarship, a $30,000 scholarship to help fund graduate studies by students interested in public service careers. Mills junior Julie Trinder also received a Truman Scholarship, as did Breonna Cole, ’00.

Kristine Vejar (right) joined a long line of Mills students who have received Fulbright Scholarships. Vejar will study at the National Institute for Design in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. She will research tribal textiles in the Kutch area of India.

English major Hanna Love was awarded the Ina Coolbrith Poetry Prize of the State of California.

Speaker for the senior class, Caitlin Stanton, received the Outstanding Senior Award along with Stephanie Pennington (far right).

Honorary Degrees were bestowed on Antonia Hernandez and Trustee Suzanne Adams.

Bent Twigs 1 Amy Elizabeth McKee, ’01, with her mother, Linda Reimer McKee, ’71 2 Sarah MonPere, ’01, with her sister, Sacha MonPere, ’98 3 Dawn Post, ’01, with her aunt, Merrill Neave, ’98 4 Suzanne DiLillo, MA ’01, with her daughter, Karin Mulloy, ’00

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Retiring Faculty Susan Bassein, Professor of Mathematics, retired this year after 24 years at Mills. She took an innovative approach to teaching and brought tremendous dedication and creative energy to each of the courses she taught.

When she first started teaching precalculus, she wrote a computer game called “math cave,” so that her students could learn mathematics in a fun environment. Later she introduced projects as an essential part of all her courses, so that students would be able to explore some topics more deeply and independently.

Over the years she developed a unique approach to calculus in which she used infinite series to introduce some of the main ideas—an approach that reflects the history of calculus: the idea of an infinite series preceded the notions of derivative and integral. She wrote a beautiful book on the subject, called Calculus, an Infinite Series Approach. Anyone who pages through the book will be impressed with her original approach to mathematics.

Dr. Bassein introduced many new courses during her tenure. She was the first at Mills to develop and teach a course in discrete mathematics, aimed at students interested in computer science. She also developed an exciting introductory course called “Mathematics Electrified,” in which students could learn about the connections between mathematics, electronic circuits, randomness, and chaos.

Dr. Bassein is the devoted parent of two daughters as well as an avid backpacker, cross-country skier, and kayaker.

—Associate Professor of Computer Science Susan Wang

Professor of Chemistry Charles Lutz retired after 38 years at Mills. Dr. Lutz taught general chemistry, a twosemester introductory course for all natural science majors, often viewed by students as a challenging course.

He was greatly valued as an advisor and worked closely with students reviewing difficult concepts, assisting them in developing better problemsolving skills, and helping them with study skills. In addition, he created and continued to update a large suite of educational computer software designed to aid students taking general chemistry.

Dr. Lutz is an expert in nitrogen chemistry and transition metals. He conducted research on the chemical interaction between vitamin C and nitrite, the only established carcinogen that is knowingly added to the food supply.

For the last ten years, Chuck Lutz was “Mr. Premed” at Mills. As director of the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, he helped students with undergraduate majors outside of science to prepare for medical, dental, and veterinary school.

The program grew in size from about 20 students to almost 60 during the time Dr. Lutz was director. He created a strong sense of community among these students and took great pride in the successes they had gaining admission to the best medical schools in the country.

—Associate Professor of Chemistry John S. Brabson Professor of Dramatic Arts James Wright came to Mills in 1969. During his years at Mills he taught scenic design, lighting, and theater history and provided theatrical scenery and lighting for Mills productions as well as for other performance venues in

the Bay Area. He also developed and marketed a line of computer software for theatrical lighting, first used in Lisser Hall productions and now used at locations throughout the U.S. As a professor at Mills, Mr. Wright trained some of America’s foremost theatrical designers, including Ann Hould-Ward, ’73, and Linda Conaway-Parsloe, ’75. At the regional level most of the women currently affiliated with Local 16 of the International Association of Theater and Stage Employees are former students of Mr. Wright.

In the mid-1980s Mr. Wright became head of the dramatic arts department, taking the department in a direction that stressed the social consciousness of public productions, an attitude further supported with his history classes such as “Theater of Social Comment” and “Diverse Voices in Theater.” In 1990 the communication program became part of the department, which has evolved into today’s dramatic arts and media studies department.

Among Mr. Wright’s many accomplishments are the design and installation of the current performance space of the Lisser Hall theater and work as the principal designer for the Woodminster Theatre, the Oakland Opera, and Grande Ballet Classique in Burlingame.

James Wright, along with his wife, Sandra Wright, who has also worked in many design and managerial capacities for the dramatic arts program, will move to southern New England where they will own and manage a bed and breakfast inn.

— Professor of Communication Ken L. Burke and Artist/Lecturer in Dramatic Arts Richard Battle

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An Amazement of Women “’Tis education forms the common mind: Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclin’d.”

— Alexander Pope

by Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48

WE KNOW ABOUT A PRIDE OF LIONS AND AN EXALTATION OF LARKS. LAWRENCE DURRELL CALLED A GROUP OF WOMEN “AN AMAZEMENT.” HOW WOULD HE DESCRIBE TEN SETS OF THREE OR MORE SISTERS WHO ARE ALL MILLS GRADUATES? NO MATTER HOW ONE SLICES THE MILLS DEMOGRAPHIC PIE, THE RESULT IS A REMARKABLE AMAZEMENT. IN THIS CASE, IT IS AN AMAZEMENT OF REMARKABLE SISTERHOODS, VARIOUS IN AGE, ETHNICITY, GEOGRAPHY, AND EXPERIENCE.

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hy did they come? Did having sisters at Mills influence their college experience? What have been the highlights of their lives so far, and are they traceable to Mills?

Would they have done anything differently? Would they recommend Mills to their young women friends and relatives?

The eldest sister’s decision to apply to Mills was often influenced by family tradition, parents’ wishes, or the lure of the Bay Area.

Financial aid was frequently a major consideration. “In 1954,” writes Mary Lois Hudson Sweatt, ’60, MA ’62, “our nation was in racial chaos following the Supreme Court decision to desegregate the public schools. At Mills, Dr. George Hedley asked his sociology class to write a paper about the situation in their home communities. I met Beverly Bell Busching, ’58, when she came to our house for dinner after she interviewed my father, a leader in the Dallas AfricanAmerican community.” Beverly was determined that Mary Lois go to Mills, but it was impossible without financial aid. Fortunately, Sally Zook Burdick, ’54, and her family provided a scholarship “for a young woman from the segregated south.” Mary Lois came to Mills, and the Hudson legacy began.

Followed by her four sisters, Linda Stingily, ’78, started another dynasty. She transferred to Mills from St. Mary’s, and she chose very M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY S U M M E R 2 0 0 1

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carefully. “I wanted a place that taught and understood the need for protocol and manners in order that real communication might have a chance to take root and grow. . . . I found Mills to be such a place for me.” Linda is now a writer, teacher of English, and lecturer. She has completed the course work for her PhD and relishes her roles as mother and grandmother. She mentions many of her Mills professors with gratitude, especially Dr. Elizabeth Pope, “who was a beacon.”

For many younger sisters, a visit to Mills made the difference. Bonnee Stingily Christian, ’90, was studying in her cramped room at San Francisco State when she decided to visit her sister Yvette. “I went up to her spacious room (she even had a porch). It was Wednesday, so we had a sitdown dinner in Orchard Meadow Hall. . . . My transfer was a done deal. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Bonnee is an actor/director with the African American Shakespeare Theatre, teaches at two junior colleges, and is an Artist-in-Residence with the California Arts Council. “My Mills experience helped me to form my own creative process, to express my own artistic vision, and to know that I could make a life, and a living, doing just that.” Yvette Stingily Williams, ’85, picks as highlights of her life her trips to London with the Mills theater class and to China and Hong Kong to play basketball on an amateur women’s team. Jacquelyn Stingily Major, ’78, wishes she had majored in theater rather than administrative and legal processes. “I fell in love with theater after taking Dr. Malpas’ class in London.” She is now a core member of the African American Shakespeare Theatre.

Eldest sister Katherine Mahood, ’93, came to Mills from South Dakota because of the way a friend of her mother’s talked about her college experience. “Her eyes began to sparkle as she told me about her engaging professors and interesting classes, the beautiful campus, and the friendships she had made.” Of course she was a Mills alumna—Mary Crew Smart, ‘68. Katherine and Cynthia Mahood Levin, ’95, overlapped during part of their Mills years. “We even shared a porch,” reports Cynthia, “and she learned that I would not let her boss me around.”

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1: Back row, left to right, Yvette Stingily Williams, ’85, Linda Stingily, ’78, Bonnee Stingily Christian, ’90. Front row, left to right, Adilisha Stingily Hodari, ’91, Jacquelyn Stingily Major, ’78. This photo was taken in March 2001 in their mother’s backyard in Pittsburg, CA. All are Mills graduates except Adilisha who left Mills when her husband’s career took their family to Ohio. The Stingilys’ parents hold the record for having five Mills daughters.

2: Katherine Mahood, ’93, Cynthia Mahood Levin, ’95, and Ashlin Mahood, ’00, at Ashlin’s graduation from Mills. Katherine and Cynthia are now pursuing careers in law and health administration, respectively, in California, while Ashlin is teaching abroad on a Fulbright Fellowship.

3: The Mahood sisters with their violins.

Katherine won a Fulbright Fellowship to teach in Germany.

Since then she has gone to law school, was married in the Mills Chapel, and has become a district attorney.

Cynthia began her career in microbiology, earned her master’s degree in health services administration, and is doing a fellowship at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California. She wishes she had more opportunities to sing and perform. The youngest sister, Ashlin Mahood, ’00, writes, “I was a Mills woman long before I stepped foot on campus. My mother raised us alone while holding down three jobs and getting her master’s degree.” Before following Katherine’s lead to Germany on a Fulbright, Ashlin worked at a law firm in Palo Alto.

For Sybil Johnson Dray, ’41, the Mills connection began when her mother encouraged her to go to either coast to be with bright women from diverse backgrounds.

“I was attracted by the Mills Viewbook and the completely new-to-me climate/topography.” Sybil, a student leader and extremely active alumna—as Assistant Director of Admission, Regional Governor, and Alumna Trustee— believes “My Mills education underlies all my achievements to date.” She was a delegate to the 1970 White House Conference on Children, president of the Family Service Center, and is an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church USA. Because they were friends as well as sisters, sibling rivalry was mentioned by several only as an asset in keeping standards high. “Having a sister precede me was wonderful!” says Barbara Johnson Penhallow, ’46. “We were both in Mills Hall. . . . Our campus lives were so different that my sense of identity was not hampered but enhanced. I was proud of Sybil’s many achievements including the ASMC presidency.” Barbara was recruited from Mills to teach at

TOP MIDDLE: ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

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1: Barbara Johnson Penhallow, ’46, Sybil Johnson Dray, ’41, and Sarah Johnson Stewart, ’56 in 1956. The Johnson sisters came to Mills from Wyoming and cleverly graduated at appropriate intervals so that they can share their reunions. Sybil and Barbara have retired to Arizona, and Sarah, recently retired from the law, lives in New York City.

2: Alice Eto Sumida, ’36, and Grace Eto Shibata, ’00, at Grace’s graduation last May. Two other sisters were also Mills graduates: Toshiko Eto Nakamura, ’33, and Mary Eto Karato, ’40, both deceased. As Grace describes them: “Toshiko was a no-nonsense, intelligent student. Her Mills professors crossed barriers so she could go to Stanford Nursing School, from which she graduated first in her class. . . . Mary was immersed in literature and arts.

Besides painting, she loved to listen to classical music on our hand-cranked ‘Victrola.’”

the Punahou School in Hawaii. “The highlight of my life is my 50-year marriage!”

3: Estrellita Hudson Redus, ’65, MFA ’75, Camellia Hudson Franklin, ’73, and Mary Lois she exclaims. Her husband encouraged Hudson Sweatt, ’60, MA ’62, at Camellia’s graduation. The Hudson sisters came to Mills her to get a master’s degree in library from Dallas because of “three extraordinary Mills people.” The story is detailed in the studies, and her career lasted 20 years. article “Three Sisters and Two Alumnae,” in the Mills Quarterly, Fall, 1995.

“The strong educational background at Mills was my fortress.”

Sarah Johnson Stewart, ’56, considwalked across the stage in Toyon Meadow and received ered other options before following her sisters to Mills. She her BA degree. “There were many advantages. I had was accepted at Wellesley and changed her mind “for reatime to appreciate each class, understand more deeply sons I can’t explain (perhaps memories of sliding down the what the professors were trying to nurture . . . and relate banister in Mills Hall when Sybil was graduating and I was my own experiences to what we read and discussed.” six.)” If she could live her Mills years over again, she says, Grace was so appreciative of the sensitive and accurate “I would become proficient in at least one foreign lanway in which Professor of History Marianne Sheldon lecguage, take more science and more classes with Tony tured about Japanese American internment that she Prieto. . . . My experiences at Mills have been central to my honored Dr. Sheldon with a gift to Mills of $20,000, the life . . . and the sheer fun of learning has made life infinitely amount the U.S. government paid to redress her internmore interesting.” Sarah is Vice Chair of the State Bar ment. Grace majored in English and writes professionally.

Association Committee on Women in the Law and volunAlice Eto Sumida continues her interest in music and teers at a library for the physically handicapped. sports, honed at Mills. “I’m taking Tai Chi, yoga, tap dancFor some, the path to Mills was long and mined with ing, choir, and ballroom dancing!” After the beginning of obstacles. The Eto family of seven sisters and one brother World War II, interned with her family, Alice and her husband, grew up near San Luis Obispo. The eldest daughter, Kofugi Mark, volunteered to work on a sugar beet farm in Oregon.

Eto Fukunaga, did not go to college herself, but convinced Soon they were able to buy 200 acres in nearby Idaho, to her parents that her sisters should go to Mills for a “cultural which the Eto family came when they were released from education.” Toshiko Eto Nakamura, ’33, Alice Eto internment. The farm was successful growing gladiolus Sumida, ’36, and Mary Eto Kurata, ’40, graduated from bulbs and became a showplace. After 22 years, the college before World War II. On the evening of December Sumidas sold their land and moved to Portland.

7, 1941, their father was taken by the FBI and spent four Having begun the Hudson legacy at Mills, Mary Lois years in prison while the rest of the family was interned in a Hudson Sweatt took full advantage of her opportunities: desert camp. Having to postpone her education because of “Mills provided me with the education, knowledge, and the war and later because of marriage and children, Grace confidence to accomplish my goals.” She has been direcEto Shibata, ’00, the youngest daughter, waited more than tor/owner/founder for 30 years of the Mary Lois School of 50 years to follow her sisters to Mills.

Dance in Dallas. The first African American to teach at the At Commencement last May, at age 74, Grace M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY S U M M E R 2 0 0 1

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1: Ann McKinstry Micou, ’52, Sally McKinstry Hall, ’50, and Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48, in Santa Barbara, 1951. Ann has retired to Vermont and become the family historian. Sally enjoys all Santa Barbara’s musical offerings and is an instigating member of the local Mills Club.

Muffy is a Lifetime Trustee of Mills College.

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Hockaday School, she served as a resource specialist and lecturer for black liturgical dance at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She has won many awards for her community work and has been on hand when all nine grandchildren were born.

Mary Lois introduced her sister, Estrellita Hudson Redus, ’65, MFA ’75, to the campus. “It was very rewarding to see her blossom and grow in the Bay Area environment and at Mills.” In her career, Estrellita was one of the first women to become a sales representative at Xerox. “I was determined to change the business world and create more opportunities for women and minorities. . . . At the same time, I taught ceramics, which fed my soul while I battled corporate America.” As an Alumna Trustee, Estrellita is “dedicated to providing support for Mills students, faculty, and administrators of color and to advancing multi-cultural priorities.” When it was her turn, writes Camellia Hudson Franklin, ’73, “The strong, liberal arts education at Mills helped me work successfully as a public relations consultant for 13 years. My art major helped me work as a makeup artist while I studied at UCLA Extension.” However, she adds, “The most significant highlight of my professional life was skating in the Ice Capades for four years. . . . It was my dream come true.”

When sisters overlapped, they enjoyed their mutual experience, as Sally McKinstry Hall, ’50, remembers: “Having Muffy and Ann at college with me was a great source of pleasure and pride. We rarely met, sometimes only in the Olney/OM kitchen because we were student waitresses. . . . I remember an amusing speech Ann gave as a candidate (and winner!) for ASMC secretary. Muffy and I tested each other before Dr. Neumeyer’s art history finals by striking poses from sculpture and painting, like ‘Marat Dead in his Bath.’” After a year’s Fulbright scholarship at St. Andrew’s University and a brief teaching career, Sally married an Episcopal clergyman with whom she has shared the triumphs and tribulations of a busy congregation and a large family.

Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48: “My sisters, both better students than I, followed me at Mills, and I have been in awe of their abilities and achievements ever since!” Ann McKinstry Micou, ’52, made a career of international causes. In her last job as director of the Southern African Information Exchange at the Institute of International

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2: Lela Lois Hudson Beard, ’94, Stacie Samissa Hudson, ’99, and Samzie Jennifer Hudson, ’97, at Stacie’s graduation. These Hudson sisters, nieces of the earlier Hudsons, continue the family legacy of “proud women, strong women, Mills women!”

3: Betsy Taves Whitman, ’46, Cindy Taves, ’48, and Lynda Taves Ogren, ’54, enjoying a preprandial libation in Big Sur, 1999. Betsy led the way for the Taves sisters to Mills from Long Beach because their mother, Wilma Waite Taves, and their aunt, Esther Waite, were enthusiastic graduates of the class of 1922.

Education, she traveled to southern Africa 40 times and produced over 35 publications about development resources. “I could never have imagined, studying in a library carrel at Mills, that I would find myself in a township outside Port Elizabeth talking to the father of the next president of South Africa!”

The Hudson dynasty began in the ’50s and continued in the next generation with the nieces of the original three Hudson sisters. Lela Lois Hudson Beard, ’94, found that “Having Samzie on campus enriched my experience because I witnessed my little sister’s beautiful transition into womanhood.” For her part, Samzie Hudson, ’97, says “Lela Lois was my educational and social coach. She helped me maintain focus and direction in my studies.” And from Stacie Hudson, ’99, the youngest sister: “Lela Lois and Samzie were my rock!” Lela Lois is now working as an independent artist/filmmaker, having earned her MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. Stacie is following in her footsteps, pursuing an advanced degree in film at San Francisco Academy of Art. Samzie spent her junior year in Ghana studying African psychology and arts. She is now a certified health educator and massage therapist, a coach in track and field at Merritt College, and has organized a web site for the Oakland Parks and Recreation Department.

Accomplished in so many fields, the majority of the sisters consider marriage and children to be their ultimate successes.

“I like to think that Dr. Waggoner’s ‘Child D’ courses helped me raise my very nice kids,” writes Betsy Taves Whitman, ’46. Betsy attended graduate school at Western Reserve University, taught in an experimental nursery school in Monterey and at the local college. “There isn’t a day goes by that my life is not enriched by something I learned at Mills.”

Cindy Taves, ’48, speaks for many younger sisters: “I flirted with the idea of not following in the family footsteps, but I couldn’t think of any burning reason to take a different direction.” Cindy was a zoology major at Mills, did graduate work at the University of Michigan, and became supervisor of the hematology lab at UC San Francisco. “Had I ever entertained the possibility that I would have a career, not a family,” she explains, “I might well have pursued one

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1: Yoko Kawasaki Umeda, ’53, Kikuko Kawasaki Nishi, ’57, and Seiko Kawasaki Tamura, ’62.

2: The Kawasaki girls: Yoko, age 12, Kikuko, age 6, and Seiko, age 2. The Kawasaki sisters’ father was a Buddhist minister. When World War II started, he feared that the FBI would take him from his family to a special internment camp for ministers and other community leaders, so he rushed them to a studio and had this picture taken in case he was separated from them.

(Fortunately, he wasn’t!)

of the more creative aspects of science.”

Her volunteer hours are spent at Mills and helping to preserve the historic Sausalito Women’s Club. Lynda 3: Maria Salaices Dinella, ’81, Gina Taves Ogren, ’54, Salaices Ney, ’85, and Lauren Salaices, writes, “Mills has ’84, in August 1994 on the eve of given my sisters and Gina’s wedding. Although the Salaices me another bond sisters now live in three different states, they plan to travel together to beyond that of family.”

Italy this summer with their families.

After marriage, children, and community work, Lynda made a successful foray into the New York work force in personnel administration and then began her own benefits business. Now retired to North Carolina, she spins and weaves, a long-postponed hobby.

“I have been a homemaker ever since my marriage and to this day I have not regretted leaving my teaching career,” says Yoko Kawasaki Umeda, ’53. “I have been able to participate in temple, school, and community activities.” Yoko and her husband also worked for redress for Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during the war.

The middle sister, Kikuko Kawasaki Nishi, ’57, after raising her children, returned to teaching in an English language program for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean students and as a Japanese language teacher. She has won awards and trips to the Far East for excellence in her profession.

When it was time for Seiko Kawasaki Tamura, ’62, to think about college, she was inclined to go elsewhere, but “When I sat in on Kikuko’s European Art History class, I was knocked off my feet.” After Mills, Seiko also taught school until her children were born, then turned to volunteering: “I can definitely say that Mills prepared me with organizational and leadership skills,” she writes about her chairmanship of the 10th World Buddhist Women’s Convention with 3,400 attendees. Her enthusiasm is being put to good use as an Alumnae Admission Representative. “I’m always touting the benefits of an all-women’s institution, specifically Mills.”

Homemaking is also validated by more recent graduates.

Maria Salaices Dinella, ’81, majored in chemistry and worked for almost 15 years in business planning and analysis before leaving to have children. Her sister, Gina Salaices Ney, ’85, had a successful career in high technology publishing and received an MBA from UC Berkeley before becoming a full-time mom: “Some people say it’s a shame not to be using my degrees, but I don’t see it that way. No one can take away what I’ve learned.” Their youngest sister, Lauren Salaices, ’84, transferred to Mills from Wellesley as a junior and majored in biochemistry. Gina and Lauren overlapped at Mills and, though they majored in different subjects, took several economics classes together. (“We loved Marion Ross.”) Lauren is now the campus physician at Santa Clara University. While she finds “medicine much more demanding and stressful than I ever imagined,” spending time with her nieces and nephews is “the favorite part of my life.”

As for recommending Mills, the record speaks for itself.

Elder sisters, by word or deed, portrayed the College in ways that influenced the younger ones as they came of age. The three earlier Hudson sisters were instrumental in their three nieces becoming Bent Twigs. Sybil Dray, Sally Hall, and Seiko Tamura each have a Mills graduate daughter.

Sally’s granddaughter, Leah Yanoff, will enter Mills in the fall as a member of the class of 2005.

Finally, we can all agree with Maria Salacies Dinella, who is active in the New York Mills Club. “I have met a lot of interesting alumnae . . . from many different backgrounds and generations. It keeps my Mills experience fresh, and I think constantly of what a great college Mills is to produce all these terrific people.”

We regret that some sets of sisters did not respond to our inquiries and that there may be others of whom we are unaware.

Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48, has served on the Mills Board of Trustees since 1992. She has been President of the AAMC and Editor of the Quarterly.

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Beyond Harry Potter Writing for Young Adults at Mills

by Julie Campbell Moss, MFA ’00

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n a recent afternoon, the Middle School Book Club of the Berkeley Public Library shuffled into a back room to hear Professor Kathryn Reiss, accompanied by graduate students Moya Stone and Rachel Parker read from their novels and novels-in-progress.

Like any group of young teens, this one buzzed with energy. They played with each other’s hair and squirmed in their seats. But the mood of the group changed when the three Mills authors began reading from their novels, all of which featured a teenage protagonist. The young audience, some of whom were aspiring writers, were drawn into different times and places to share the experiences of characters their own age.

Because teenagers tend to be more likely to pick up a novel if it features characters with whom they can identify, book publishers categorize writings for teenagers separately, calling this body of works “young adult literature” (or YA lit). While the term generally refers to literature written for readers aged 12 to 17, featuring a teenage protagonist, in reality YA lit attracts everyone from wellread preteens to the young-at-heart. Anyone who’s ever heard the name “Harry Potter” knows something about the latest craze in YA lit. Harry is a daily presence in most middle and high schools, and he can often be spotted, as well, on trains being read unabashedly by commuters in business suits.

Harry author J.K. Rowlings is much talked about in YA circles these days, but Mills can boast its own community of writers who are making a splash in young adult literature.

Mills alumna Rosemary DeCamp Shidler, who recently died, was best known for starring in the 1950s and ’60s on TV shows such as The Bob Cummings Show and That Girl. She entered this illustrious community of Mills writers in 1962 when she published the YA novel Here Duke: The Adventures of an Irish Setter, (Van Rees Press).

These days Mills has become an exciting place to explore this body of literature. Students now benefit from classes, scholarships, awards, and special events all geared toward fostering the development of young adult writers.

Kathryn Reiss, Mills instructor and YA author, wants the world to appreciate YA lit. “It is a body of literature in and of itself, and has many genres within it,” says Reiss. As in adult literature, she comments, “There’s the good, the great, the classic, and the inconsequential.”

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Reiss began teaching creative writing at Mills after publishing two YA novels (she now has nine in print). In the 1980s, she introduced the study and writing of YA lit to the Mills campus. Since then, she’s seen it blossom into the rapidly growing area of interest that it is today.

According to Reiss, a few things are important for writers and readers of YA lit to know.

“The subject matter can be very complex,” she asserts.

“In fact, virtually nothing is taboo. But it is the handling of the subject matter that determines whether the book will be considered YA or Adult. The author needs to keep the reader in mind when writing a YA novel, but never write ‘down.’”

Wendy Whorton, ’01, submitted several chapters of a YA novel for her senior project. Her love of the genre came to light in Reiss’ course, “The Craft of YA Fiction.” During the semester Whorton realized that nearly every book she owns is YA, and most of her writing could be considered YA. She says that the interest had always been there but credits Reiss’ class with “[giving] my interest a name.”

One of the draws of YA lit is that it often speaks to common experiences in adolescence. Says Whorton, “I don’t think there’s a single person who didn’t have a difficult time at this age. . . .

There’s a need for something to help the kids, let them know it’s okay.”

With a similar take on YA lit, graduate student Moya Stone says her interest in YA lit developed when she realized she had a story to share about death.

“Children’s and young adult needs are often overlooked when dealing with a death in the family,” says Stone. “I want to offer guidance and

support for kids who are facing the pain and difficulty of losing a loved one.”

Currently, Stone is working on a YA novel that she describes as “a ghost story with a 12-year-old protagonist who is struggling with the death of her father.” Stone plans to submit this work of fiction as her MFA thesis.

The work of YA writers at Mills is being encouraged by the Marion Hood Boess Haworth Fund for Children’s Literature, established by Marjorie Haworth, ’41, to memorialize her mother. Haworth described her mother as “a valiant, vivid lady among whose many attributes was a compulsion for fine literature. One of her special gifts was finding and giving topnotch children’s literature, first to her three children, later to her nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Marjorie Haworth passed away in 1997, but the Haworth family’s love for literature lives on in the writing community at Mills.

By request of the family, at least 50 percent of the income from the endowment goes to fund scholarships. Past recipients have included both writing students and book arts students working on children’s or young adult books.

Kathy Walkup, director of the book arts program, says that though they do not currently have a specific course on children’s books or YA lit, interested students are encouraged to work within the curriculum to create children’s books.

Says Walkup, “I would love to see more options for students with an interest in children’s book creation. I suspect that as the English curriculum supports more writing for children and young adults, we may see more

students wanting to make these books as well.”

Several past students have majored in the children’s book format within the book arts curriculum; among them were Brenda Finnell Ellis, ’94, and Stacey Boales Varner, ’93.

Their projects can be seen in the Heller collection of the F.W. Olin library.

YA readers and enthusiasts may have already discovered the works of Dia Calhoun, ’80. Her recent novel, Firegold, (Winslow Press, 1999), is a young adult fantasy-adventure described by the publisher as “a young man’s quest for identity.” Calhoun, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a double major in English and book arts, has received several awards for this novel. These include the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults 2000, and A Booklist Editor’s Choice for Top Ten First Novels of 1999.

Writing fiction is not the only way in which Mills students are making a name for themselves in the world of YA lit. Last year three graduate students made up the Young Adult Literature Panel at the Popular Culture Association’s annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The panel discussed YA favorites such as the Nancy Drew mysteries and Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret. The presentations covered a variety of topics from publishing trends and reader loyalty to the role of YA lit in educating adolescent girls about puberty.

Among the presenters was graduate student Tigress Osborn, who discussed how the topic of menstruation is covered in YA novels. Her paper was well received and was accepted at the annual Figuring the Body conference at the University of Southern California.

Osborn, who works with high school students in the Mills College Upward Bound program, says that as a teenager from a biracial family who was attending a predominantly white school, she had few reading choices that mirrored her own life. Osborn hopes to write literature that will appeal to adolescents who are currently underrepresented in YA lit. She says of her goal that “the growing diversity of YA lit is really exciting to me, and I want to be a part of that.”

Julie Campbell Moss, MFA ’00, is on her way to Japan to teach English, as we go to print. Moss is a huge fan of YA lit and has a couple of novels in progress herself.

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Elect Your Alumna Trustee Editor’s note: I apologize for needing to ask you to vote again for Alumna Trustee. Our election procedures require that you list all three candidates in order of preference; however, in the last issue I mistakenly provided you with a ballot with room only for one choice. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Please vote in this important election. — D.M.B.

SARA McCLURE, ’81 Current Residence: Albuquerque, NM Mills Major: Music Student Activities: ASMC President, Olney Hall President, Jud Board and Freshman rep. Numerous student, faculty, and staff committees.

Employment/ Volunteer Experience: 1996 to date— Development Officer, College of Fine Arts, University of New Mexico; 1993–96—Manager of Major and Planned Giving, American Heart Association/New York City Affiliate; 1991–92—Director of Annual Giving, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center; 1990–91—Executive Director, New Orchestra of Westchester; 1989/90— Orchestra Management Fellow, American Symphony Orchestra League; 1986–89— Director of Annual Giving, Alumnae Association of Mills College; 1984–86— Prospect Researcher, Mills College Development Office; 1982–84—fundraiser, Mills College Art Gallery/Tour Coordinator, Fukusa Exhibition; 1981–82—volunteer, Mills College Art Gallery.

Throughout my paid working time, I have also spent considerable time as a volunteer. My current non-Mills work includes board member and presidentelect of my professional organization, (Association of Fundraising Professionals [formerly NSFRE]), and board member for Friends of Music and Friends of Dance here in New Mexico. In New York I was on the board of the Festival Chamber Music Society, and had various other smaller “assignments.”

AAMC Involvement: Currently I serve as the “coordinator” for the New Mexico Alumnae—there is no formal

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NANGEE (NANCY-GENE) WARNER MORRISON, ’63 Current Residence: Los Angeles, CA Mills Major: Art Student Activities: ASMC Vice President; World Affairs Conference Committee; Mills Hall Tea Chair Employment/ Volunteer Experience: Current employment: Clinical Director, Airport Marina Counseling Service, Los Angeles; Marriage Family Therapist and Art Therapist Registered; Clinical Supervisor, Loyola Marymount University, Marital and Family Therapy (Clinical Art Therapy). Pervious employment: Art Therapist, Program site coordinator, Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, Culver City and Gardena, Day Rehabilitation Programs for chronically mentally ill; Didi Hirsch Homeless Center, established and developed Homeless Day Center, obtained United Way Grant Funding; Served as co-chair of a regional Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Quality Improvement Committee and on the countywide QIC. Volunteer: Lupus Foundation of America, Southern California Chapter; Arthritis Foundation, Southern California Chapter Community Service Award for LAC/USC Medical Center Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic; graduate studies in painting, exhibits and collections, art teacher.

AAMC Involvement: Student referral/ Alumnae Admissions Representative; AAR area manager; Alumnae Admissions Advisory Committee; Mills Campaign Network; Consistent Annual donor to the Alumnae Fund; Class Agent, two terms;

GAYLE ROTHROCK, ’68 Current Residence: Tacoma, WA Mills Major: American Civilization Student Activities: As an undergraduate it was twice my privilege to be a student officer. Also, I was active in college sports and recreation programs. Occasionally I spoke to prospective students and families in California cities and in my hometown of Portland, OR. Employment/ Volunteer Experience: For nearly 30 years I’ve been involved in public interest work through employment and volunteer work. For 20 years my career was largely with state and local government entities in the state of Washington. I worked for the United States Senate as well. My employment specialty is quasi-judicial review of land use, environmental impact, community development, and energy facility proposals. Able to work with a variety of people, I was selected by governors three times to serve on state governance and review councils.

Charitable foundation management and board of trustee service have also been a significant part of my career and community service. I was Director of the Northwest Fund for the Environment for 5 years following service on their board.

In academia I have 14 years experience with college teaching, including five years on the faculty of the Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA). I hold a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington. The most significant training I undertook was in mediation. It has proven to be invaluable in my employment and community life.

McClure, cont. branch structure here. In New York I served on the alumnae board from 1990–1996, with the last two years as President. I served on the board of the Oakland Mills Branch—first as telethon chair and then as President for a couple of years. I have been a class agent.

How My Mills Education Has Affected My Life: It was the genesis of my becoming a truly strong, able leader and independent thinker. I was encouraged by my teachers, peers, and administrators to push myself just a little further than I thought I’d be comfortable going, which then emboldened me to go even further. However, my life as an alumna, now nearly 20 years, has also added tremendously to my “Mills Education”— the Mills women and men I meet, and the opportunities afforded, add immeasurably to my life.

On the Future of the AAMC: We must try to find a common thread to tie together 15,000 women who, as students, were encouraged to find their own way in the world and march to the beat of a different drummer. The Alumnae Association should be involved in: Raising Funds—The financial health of any college is dependent upon ongoing contributions from its alumnae. Teaching the value of philanthropy and support of one’s alma mater is an important role for the Alumnae Association.

Communication—Communication from Mills (for instance, through the Quarterly) to its alumnae is important. It’s a great way to keep Mills in the forefront of alums’ minds.

Being Inclusive—My experience as President of two branches has confirmed how important it is to have a strong branch structure—and one that is inclusive. The more people we are able to include, the better the experiences for the alumnae.

On the Significance of our Alumnae Association’s Independence from the College: It’s a good thing! Having separate governance is an asset to both the College and the Association. One important aspect of the separation—the Board of Governors

Warner Morrison, cont.

DuCasse Scholarship Committee; New England Branch Board; Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae Board, 1969–present, including President; Women for the New Century Conference Committee in February, 1998.

How My Mills Education Has Affected My Life: Among the most important ways Mills has impacted me was learning that women can do anything. The educational experience gave me increased self-esteem and self-confidence, and taught me to think clearly, synthesize material, speak and present material in public, and work collaboratively. The strength of the arts and working creatively at Mills will always be a part of my life. I take joy in learning and exploring material that enriches my life, and I have life-long friends from Mills.

On the Future of the AAMC: The Alumnae Association must remain independent and work with the diverse alumnae of the College to represent the combined strength of Mills. I would like to see the Association develop more conferences for alumnae such as the Women of the New Century Conference. I know the Association is working with the diversity of the alumnae population and I would like to see more changes occur to include recent alumnae as well as earlier graduates working together, especially in areas away from campus. In the future we must continue to increase the rate of participation in annual giving. The rate of alumnae participation is a factor in ranking colleges.

On the Significance of our Alumnae Association’s Independence from the College: If it were not for the independence of the Alumnae Association, Mills College would no longer be a women’s college. The strength of the alumnae of the college helped to reverse the vote for co-education. Since there is a separation of governance and administration between the College and the Alumnae Association, the alumnae of Mills College have a voice, can express their voices, and be heard.

Rothrock, cont.

Public radio special broadcasts and Mistress of Ceremonies duties are on my resumé. I served on the board of Washington Women United, the local chapters of the World Affairs Council, and Audubon Society, the regional chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, and on local Disabled Citizens Services and Help for the Homeless committees.

AAMC Involvement: I have made annual gifts to the AAMC regularly, even during years of adversity. It has been my pleasure to attend more than half of the campus-based reunions of my class. While in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia I was active with the National Capital branch of the AAMC. While residing in Vancouver, WA, I was active with the Greater Portland (OR) branch of the association. Currently I am the President and Treasurer of the Mills College Alumnae of Puget Sound.

How My Mills Education Has Affected My Life: My education at Mills formed me into a believer that my life was full of possibilities for public service and thoughtful participation in community affairs. While at Mills I realized I could think and act with others in effective ways if I remained an open-minded woman with convictions.

On the Future of the AAMC: My hope for the AAMC is that it continues to configure itself to help alumnae experience a supportive and satisfying relationship with the College, caring about its integrity, its future, and the welfare of its students, faculty, and staff. The Association can thrive if it uses a variety of means to help graduates and other alumnae stay in touch with the historic, present, and future life of Mills and with one another for mutual social, economic, and political benefit. The AAMC must regularly address how it is helping alumnae experience the tie that binds.

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McClure, cont. gives its members the chance to have true fiduciary responsibility, not just responsibility for programmatic functions.

My Hopes and Expectations for the Future of Mills College: That Mills remain a women’s college at the undergraduate level. That it continues to be internationally known for its arts programs and for the women who graduate from all its programs. That it continues to recruit traditional-aged students, and encourage resumers to come back to school. I want Mills to remain a leader in women’s issues.

On the Role of Women’s Colleges in Higher Education: There is certainly a need for women’s colleges as an educational option. Women’s college education is as relevant today as at any time in history. Look at the women holding prominent leadership positions in corporations and elected government—the overwhelming majority are women’s college graduates. While this is only one way in which to measure the relevancy of a women’s college education, it’s an impressive way.

Getting the women’s college message out to prospective students is the challenge. If the women who are the beneficiaries of this unique education will continue to set an example for others by their achievements—and write regular, generous checks to keep their alma maters going, there should always be women in the pipeline ready to take advantage of this wonderful educational opportunity.

Warner Morrison, cont.

My Hopes and Expectations for the Future of Mills College: My hopes are for Mills to remain strong educationally and fiscally, with innovative programs keeping up with our changing world and technology. At the same time, Mills College needs to continue to maintain strength in the creative arts and core educational curriculum in order to provide a challenging and supportive educational institution for women.

The Role of Women’s Colleges in Higher Education: Women’s colleges are a very important option in higher education. I feel very strongly that Mills needs to remain in the forefront of this field. At a women’s college, women gain leadership ability, the ability to take an active role in all that they do and will do in the future, and they strengthen their ability to work collaboratively. There are opportunities for self-discovery, for working creatively, and for the development of critical thinking.

An education at a women’s college is the one time in women’s lives that they find themselves in a woman-centered environment, with many women as role models and the time and opportunity to develop their self growth and independence.

Research has shown that graduates of women’s colleges excel in leadership, graduate school, research and discovery, as well as in the arts. Mills is unique in the west as a true women’s college and needs to continue to excel as an institution for women with a woman-centered environment and educational curriculum.

BALLOT for Alumna Trustee for 2001–2004

Please indicate your first, second, and third choice for alumna trustee: FIRST CHOICE

SECOND CHOICE

THIRD CHOICE

Rothrock, cont.

On the Significance of our Alumnae Association’s Independence from the College: The Mills-AAMC partnership appears to work better than “captured” alumni associations or other auxiliary groups at many colleges and universities.

The separation makes sense in that it allows each body to exercise its powers and develop appropriate strategies for action.

My Hopes and Expectations for the Future of Mills College: It is my hope that Mills College will remain a modestsized undergraduate and graduate institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition, catering to women undergraduates and always open to students from around the world. However, it must be an entity willing to offer graduate professional degrees and educate its students and alumnae with time-honored teaching and research techniques while taking even better advantage of high technology and the Internet.

The Role of Women’s Colleges in Higher Education: The College must continue to provide inspiration and strong academic and personal support for women who desire to have fulfilling and successful lives, whatever their field of endeavor. Girls and women in this world will forever continue to benefit by education and training which changes their self-concept and readies them for an ever-changing world.

Ballots must be received at Reinhardt Alumnae House by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 5, 2001, to be counted. You may use the Alumnae Fund envelope enclosed to mail in your ballot. Only ballots cut from the Quarterly will be counted. Faxed ballots and call-in votes cannot be counted.

Upon request, the AAMC will send a Summer Quarterly to replace the one from which you have cut this ballot.

ALUMNAE ACTION

N E W S O F T H E A L U M N A E A S S O C I AT I O N

Alumnae Association Has New Leader

by David M. Brin, MA ’75

K

aren May, ’86, is the new president of the Alumnae Association of Mills College. May has a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a principal at Terranova Consulting Group, which advises businesses and organizations on how to maximize their human resources.

May was a psychology major at Mills.

Initially she was interested in clinical psychology, and she worked as a peer counselor and RA at Mills. During her junior year, she cross-registered at U. C. Berkeley, where she studied industrial and organization psychology. She found that she liked knowing about how organizations work and decided to pursue graduate studies in the field. During her second year of graduate school, she started consulting with Human Resource Solutions (now Terranova Consulting Group).

May has already served in several capacities at the Alumnae Association.

She was chair of the Human Resources Committee and most recently Vice President for Operations.

Because May sees her work as help-

ing leaders help others realize their potential, her work with the AAMC seems a logical extension of her work at Terranova Consulting. “Over the summer, I plan to step back and look at our goals, what I think those goals mean, and what it will take for us to achieve those goals,” she says. “What have we done historically that has worked, and what are we doing today that isn’t serving us?

“Our diversity is the key to our success,” she continues. “Just as the motto of Mills College states: Many paths, one destiny. How do we explore many paths while keeping our eye on the ball? It’s easier to take full advantage of diverse perspectives if you have a common goal; absent a common goal, your differences become more salient. We need to be able to articulate our goal: for the AAMC one important goal is fundraising. But more importantly, what unites us is our passion for and loyalty to Mills College.

For most of us connected to the AAMC, Mills College gave us a gift—some saw the gift as awareness, insight, or opportunity, but whatever the gift, we all feel gratitude for it. As an organization, if we can

help people reconnect to the feeling of good fortune for having Mills in their lives, to remember the gifts Mills gave them, we will revive their desire to stay connected and to give financial support.

“Through our experience at Mills, many of us came to value women’s education and women’s leadership. I’d like the Alumnae Association to be well connected to other organizations that support women leaders and women’s education.”

May is looking forward to starting her term as president. “As I look ahead to the next three years, I am absolutely thrilled to have such a terrific team with whom to work. We have talented AAMC staff members, an experienced Executive Director, a diverse and passionate Board of Governors (including two terrific and experienced Vice Presidents, Jane Cudlip King, ’42, and Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60), and scores of committed volunteers. I am confident that we will do great things together.”

CALENDAR FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 6:00–7:00 PM Welcome Barbecue for Freshwomen and Transfer Students, Cosponsored by the Alumnae-Student Relations Committee and the Diversity Committee of the AAMC. This event is free for incoming students and alumnae. Reinhardt Alumnae House Patio FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7– SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 True Grit: Seven Female Visionaries before Feminism, Mills Art Museum

SEPTEMBER 13–16 Reunion 2001 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Special activities and dinner for the Class of 1951 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 10:30 AM–NOON Convocation, with guest speaker Sara LawrenceLightfoot, author of Respect: An Exploration. Greek Theater FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1:30–3 PM President’s Colloquium.

Concert Hall

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 8:00 PM Concert of music by Darius Milhaud. Concert Hall FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 8:00 PM Jazz Café. Student Union SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 8:15 AM Jane’s Stroll. Jane Cudlip King, ’42, will lead a historic tour of the Mills campus.

Reinhardt Alumnae House

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 9:30 AM State of the College.

Addresses by College and AAMC officials. Concert Hall SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1:30 – 4:30 PM Celebration of the Arts.

Showcase of artistic achievements of Mills alumnae in the literary, performing, and studio arts. Various campus locations Events are subject to change.

Please call (510) 430-2110 to confirm times and dates.

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ALUMNAE ACTION We Did It: AAMC Gives Mills College Another $1 Million!

The AAMC will give a gift of $1,000,000 to Mills College this summer. Earmarked for student scholarships and faculty salaries, the gift was the result of thousands of donations to the Alumnae Fund from Mills alumnae the world over. Because the AAMC was able to increase its rate of participation from 36 to 39 percent, a $110,000 bonus grant from eight generous donors was added. Every gift, large and small, counted; the 39 percent was capped by a mere seven donors. For the 2001–2002 fiscal year, the challenge will be to increase participation by another three points, to 42 percent.

Pearl Ms The AAMC awarded Pearl Ms at the Alumnae/Senior Dinner to Noris Bentivegna and Cristina Rosas, shown here at their graduation. Pearl Ms are awarded to seniors who have given outstanding service to the AAMC. In addition, on Degree Day, Suzanne Adams was presented a Pearl M by her friends Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48, and Cindy Taves, ’48, on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Mills College.

AAMC Study/Travel Programs for 2002 February 27–March 15 The Cultural Diversity of Southern Africa Dr. Brinda Mehta, Mills Associate Professor of French, will accompany the group. The itinerary includes Cape Town, Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, 2-day safaris, and opportunities to interact with local people. $6,649 including air.

April 14–22 Alumnae College in Chianti Spend 7 days in the Tuscan village of Marcialla overlooking the Elsa Valley. Visit Pica, Sienna, and Florence. All-inclusive (air, meals, lodgings and excursions) $2,495.

April 23–May 4 Art and Architecture in the Southern Heartland Memphis, Nashville, Ashville, and Raleigh are rich in museums, private collections, and gardens, to be visited at prime time. $2,995 plus air.

May 15–31 Europe’s Favorite Cities (London, Paris, Rome, Athens) Designed for young and active alumnae. A fast paced tour for the adventuresome that educates and allows time to explore special interests. Stay in tourist-class hotels in good locations, private baths, and double occupancy.

Seventeen days, $1,946 plus air.

June 16–27 Trans-Canada Rail Odyssey The trip begins in Vancouver in a dome car with deluxe service en route to Toronto. Excursions to National Parks and scenic areas of outstanding beauty are highlighted.

Eleven days, $2,999 (land price).

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July 6–14 Paris: a Family Learning Adventure The base for this intergenerational program is the new Hotel Villa Modigliani, centrally located on a quiet street between the artist district and the Latin Quarter. Youth experts lead a series of educational and recreational activities designed to enhance the appreciation of the many famous sites visited. $3,645 (adult), $2,795 (child).

August 16–24 Sailing the Great Lakes Sail from Toronto to Chicago on the 5-star “Le Levant,” a rare opportunity to visit all Great Lakes and reconnect with our historic past; includes a full day trip to Niagara Falls.

Nine days, all meals and excursions included, from $3,995.

September 23–30 Alumni College in Provence The campus site is Aix-en-Provence, the area loved by the impressionist painters, and the traditional capital of Provence with well-preserved 17th and 18th century mansions and fountains. Airfare, food, lodging, seminars, and excursions are included for $2,495.

Early November (TBA) Cuba, the Island and Its People Discover a culture isolated from the United States for two generations. The itinerary balances the urban areas with visits to smaller towns and covers almost the entire length of the island. Ten days, $3,995 plus air.

For more information call the AAMC at (510) 430-2110

PASSAGES Gifts in Honor of Suzanne Adams, ’48,

by Liza Kuney, ’88, and Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Hatzune Aguilar, ’03,

by June Philippi McKenna, ’55 Laura Lundegaard Anderson, ’45,

by Eleanore Lundegaard Nissen, ’42 Joan and Fred Angelopoulos by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Mr. and Mrs. W. Reece Bader

by Phyllis Cole Bader, ’35 Lynne Bantle, ’74,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 June Barnum, ’50,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Mara-Michelle Batlin, ‘83 and David Deniger by the Mills College Club of New York Jalila Bell, ’98,

by Toni Renee Vierra, ’98 Katherine Field Caldwell

by Carolyn Price Dyer, ’53, MA ’55

Kathryn Dudley Chase, ’61,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Class of 1936

by Ruth Gillard, ’36 Heather Cox, ’88, and Laura Dolp, ’90, by Maud Steyaert, ’88 Christine Daniel, ’86,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Ben and Sonja Piper Dosti, ’92, by the Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae Gloria Espinoza, ’01,

by Luanne Edquist Gilbert, ’56, MA ’58 Dr. Barbara Garcia

by Sharon Heaton Kinney, ’56 Alice Heber Gordon

by Ann Gordon Bigler, ’61 Janet and Wylie Greig by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Lucile Pedler Griffiths, ’46, MA ’47,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Laurie Harden and Jim Sacherman by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club

Maurine Martin Harkness, ’71,

by Geraldine Stevens Toms, ’44 Beth Johnson, ’84,

by Jennifer Moxley, ’93 Robert Johnston

by Linda Denny Knox, ’56 Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Elizabeth Kelley, ’86,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Jane Cudlip King, ’42,

by Sue Bengston Steele, ’42, and Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Mary Ann Childers Kinkead, ’63,

by Karen Cardon Swearingen, ’63 Catherine Foster Koko, ’85,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Susan Krzywicki, ’74,

by Laurel Burden, ’68 Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Caryn Malhi, ’98,

by Toni Renee Vierra, ’98 Ruth Penney McManus

by Deborah McManus Avery, ’78 Emi Miyamura

by Koh, Tomyoe and

Sharon Tatai, ’80 Shari Mundel-Weiner, ’92,

by Karilee Wirthlin, ’92 Wendy Ng, ’79,

by Patricia Yoshida Orr, ’63 Mr. and Mrs. Joe Nolan

by Kazuko Tsunematsu Tajima, ’69, MA ’71 Loadel Harter Piner, ’50,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Nicola Place, ’95,

by Seiko Kawasaki Tamura, ’62 Estrellita Hudson Redus, ’65, MA ’75,

by Jennifer Moxley, ’93, and Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Tim and Lorinda Bader Reichert, ’67, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Elise Feldman Rosenfeld, ’47,

by Joan and Clarence Coleman, Mary Ausplund Tooze, ’44, and Ernie and Emmie Peck White, ’35 Janet and Richard Seaman by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club

Hazel Kraemer

Helen Bryan Wik

HAZEL KRAEMER, Professor of Home Economics at Mills from 1951 to 1962, died May 2, 2001, at her home in Honolulu, four days short of her 88th birthday. Raised in Washington state, Dr. Kraemer received her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to Mills she taught at Washington State College, UC Davis, UCLA, and the University of Hawaii. During her years at Mills she taught courses in dietetics and nutrition and reorganized the home economics major toward a greater focus on social and cultural development. After leaving Mills, she returned to the University of Hawaii where, as Associate Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture, she reorganized what had been a traditional “Home Ec” program and created the major in Human Development. Dr. Kraemer was the author of Youth and Culture: A Human Development Approach (1974). She is survived by two sons, Karl and Ric, both alumni of the Children’s School. Her husband, Erich, died in 1990.

— Jim Graham, Director of Technical Services

HELEN BRYAN WIK, Music and Reference Librarian Emerita, died on May 13, 2001, at the Piedmont Gardens retirement home in Oakland. Born in Cairo, Nebraska, in 1913, Mrs. Wik graduated from Sioux Falls College, where she majored in music, and received her advanced degree in library science from the University of Minnesota in 1949. In 1951, she arrived at Mills with her husband, Reynold Millard Wik, May Treat Morrison Professor of American History. In the following year, she began her association with the Mills Library, which lasted until her retirement in 1978. Mrs. Wik delighted in travel, and she was a member of the choir of the First Baptist Church of Oakland for 46 years. The Wiks will be remembered by generations of Mills faculty and alumnae for their generous and warm hospitality in their home in Oakland. Helen Wik is survived by her husband, her son, Denis, his wife, Teresa, and their two sons, Jason and Peter.

— Charles Larsen, Professor Emeritus of History

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY S U M M E R 2 0 0 1

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Passages

26

Gifts in Memory of Ruth Snyde Amodei, ’31,

by Steve, Anthony and Molly Bishop Romero, ’86 Jane Keeling Barnes, ’41,

by Victor Barnes Nancy Fay Barry, ’42,

by Ann Witter Mary Woods Bennett

by Gaye Kawano George Berman by the Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae Patti Widdifield Bethel, ’67,

by Elizabeth Agee Hancock, ’40 Alice Vidoroni Bevan, ’45,

by Margery Foote Meyer, ’45 Patricia Brauel

by Jean Portello Katherine Brose

by Dr. Marion Ross, ’44 Beatrice Chassy Bullard, ’33,

by Georgia Thomas Peel, ’35 North Burn

by Killara Burn, ’73 Helen and Earl Botts

by Janis Botts Camper, ’51 Gustav Breuer

by Alice Putnam Erskine, ’31, MA ’35 Inger Christensen

by Nancy Meyer Neal, ’70 Diana LaRoche Clark

by Catherine LaRoche, ’85 John C. Curtiss

by Dorie de Vries Curtiss, ’43 Evelyn Deane, ’41,

by Helen Clarke, ’42, Donald and Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60, and Elaine Bowe Johnson, ’62 Al Evans

by Phyllis Cole Bader, ’35, Anne Sherwood Copenhagen, ’44, Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, Carolee Rodgers Finney, ’48, Donald and Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60, Mark and Melody Clarke Teppola, ’64, Mary Ausplund Tooze, ’44, and Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Beverly Mater Folger, ’56 by the estate of Beverly Folger Gary Gephart

by April Hopkins, Aileen Ivazes, and Jennifer Moxley, ’93

Rosemary DeCamp Shidler, ‘32, MA ‘33

Peggy Stuart Graupner, ’37

THE WELL-KNOWN ACTRESS, ROSEMARY DECAMP, died on February 20, 2001, at the age of 90. Her work ranged from Broadway to radio, movies, and television and included leading roles in The Life of Riley and The Bob Cummings Show. She was also a respected copper enamel artist and author. She received BA and MA degrees from Mills in dramatic arts and appeared in a number of plays by Shakespeare and Ibsen at Rosemary DeCamp Shidler, Mills. She was fond of Mills and ‘32, MA ‘33, with Duke, the attended Reunions and off-campus hero of her book for young events whenever possible. adults, Here Duke!

After teaching for one year, she was hired as an understudy on Broadway. Although she was attractive, she always played matronly parts, starting in her 30s, often under heavy make-up to mask her young age. After work on Broadway and radio, she played James Cagney’s mother in the 1942 film Yankee Doodle Dandy. Cagney was about 10 years older than DeCamp. The mature roles secured her a place as one of the film industry’s top supporting actresses.

She appeared in The Jungle Book, Eyes in the Night, and Commandos Strike at Dawn, as well as in two movies that starred Ronald Reagan. She played the role of mother so well on television, in the movies, and in real life, that the Institute of Family Relations gave her its “Mother of Distinction” award. Rosemary DeCamp is survived by her four daughters and a grandchild.

SERVICES FOR PEGGY STUART GRAUPNER, ’37, filled St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley. The Bishop of California presided, in recognition of Mrs. Graupner’s generosity and work in the diocese. Family and representatives from the many charitable and cultural organizations she was involved with attended. Born in Seattle in 1915, Mrs. Graupner was the niece of the founder of Carnation Milk. She majored in English at Mills and married in 1937, the year she received her bachelor’s degree. Following the end of her first marriage, she became more involved in community events. In 1961 she married Adolphus Grapuner, Jr., an executive in the accounting firm of Wolf & Co. Mrs. Graupner was active in many educational, musical, and artistic organizations, including the Young Musicians Program at UC, Berkeley, the East Bay Community Foundation, the Berkeley Symphony, and Cal Performances. She was a generous supporter of Mills College and the Alumnae Association. Mrs. Graupner is survived by her brother, two daughters, a son, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY S U M M E R 2 0 0 1

HERB AGID

Cheryl Stern Seltzer, ’59,

by Susan Stern Fineman, ’68 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Spence

by Kazuko Tsunematsu Tajima, ’69 Clare Springs, ’66,

by Harry and Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48 Sharon Tatai, ’80,

by Carolyn Nissen Rathbun, ’68, Koh and Tomoye Tatai, Harry and Muffy McKinstry Thorne, ’48, and Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Susan Shapiro Taylor, ’63,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Margaret Stern Thornton, ’65,

by Susan Stern Fineman, ’68

Passages

Lena Gerlach

by Koh, Tomoye and Sharon Tatai, ’80 Margaret Stuart Graupner, ’37,

by Yvonne Mero Baker, ’49, Ruth Gillard, ’36, and Sally Mayock Hartley, ’48 Sara Amodei Grosskettler, ’58,

by Rosalie Cuneo Amer, ’62, Marilyn Carlson Baldwin, ’55, and family, Mary Johnson Basye, ’51, Drusilla Eaton Binney, ’58, Bruce and Alice London Bishop, ’58, Elizabeth Holmes Clewe, ’38, Christine Daniel, ’86, Engilis, Payne, Kmetz & Daley, Lori Green, Home Economists in Business, Wynetta Spencer Kollman, ’73, Marilyn Endres Larsen, ’47, Sarah Lehman, ’86, Irene Marler, Amy Schanno McCarthy, ’58, Mary Stewart McClain, ’57, Helen Drake Muirhead, ’58, Leone and Keith Provost, E. Bernon Riggs, Steve, Anthony and Molly Bishop Romero, ’86, the Mills College Club of Sacramento, Ellen McDaniels Sanford, ’88, Mary Huckins Smiser, ’58, Dorothy Snyde, Gerard and Arpiné Tertzakian, Anne Sheridan Tiber, ’58, and David and Darlene Vassos Ross Hancock

by Carol Rugetti Alcalay, ’53, Laurel Burden, ’68, Maurie Davidson, ’63, Susan Stern Fineman, ’68, Elizabeth Agee Hancock, ’40, the Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae, Carole Joseph Silva, ’54, and Barbara Gilinsky Werlin, ’50 Jeannie Samis Hansen, ’45,

by Joyce Reimers Bailey, ’45, Patricia Campbell Campbell, ’45, and Harriett Pratt Trueblood, ’46 Virginia Isham Harvey, ’39 by the Puget Sound Mills College Alumnae

Ann Hunt Hocking, ’57,

by Emily Hunt, ’61 William Hollomon

by Eleanor McDonald Meyer, ’36 Byron Holt

by Mark and Melody Clarke Teppola, ’64 Donna Hunt

by Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, and Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Edith Peterson Hutcheon, ’32,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Edwin Jenkins

by Georgi Criswell Heitman, ’60 Marsha Martin-King, ’72,

by Mary MacWilliams Hunter, ’72 Kathryn McCune Krauskopf, MA ’35, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club John Krzywicki

by Laurel Burden, ’68 Jean Bush Lathrap, ’45,

by Philip Lathrap Warner LeRoy by the Mills College Club of New York Grace Forrest MacMartin, ’28,

by Patricia Tiggard Boese, ’50 Sarah Graham Madsen, ’54,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Robert Mannon

by Suzanne Mannon O’Connor, ’65 Mildred Moir Mason, ’47,

by Mary Ausplund Tooze, ’44 Douglas Mayock

by Sally Mayock Hartley, ’48 Eloise Randleman McCain, ’57,

by Myrna Bostwick Cowman, ’57 Elizabeth McKeon

by Laura McKeon Scholtz, ’62 Kenneth McLaren

by Ruth Gillard, ’36 Margaret Moriyama by the Mills College Club of New York Jennifer Nissen

by Carolyn Rathbun, ’68 Marie Nogues

by Joanne Pellissier, ’49

Constance Carter Orton, ’56,

by Barbara Parsons Sheldon, ’56 Frank Pannorfi by Gaye Kawano Irene Damis Papan, ’58,

by Louis Papan Reba Brace Perkins, ’45,

by Marilyn Wilson Newland, ’48 Jennie-Belle Willmott Philippi, ’28,

by June Philippi McKenna, ’55 Eugene Phillips

by Anne Sherwood Copenhagen, ’44, Gaye Kawano, Dr. Marion Ross, ’44, Karen Cardon Swearingen, ’63, Bill and Marge Miskelly Thomas, MA ’67, and Mary Thomson Richard Phinney

by Borgee Ng Chinn, ’41 Naomi Salas Pineda

by Morio and Kyoko Owaki Antonio Prieto

by Sara Shuttleworth Anderson, ’56 C. Vin Prothro by the Mills College Club of New York Margaret Quigley, ’63,

by Elaine Bowe Johnson, ’62 Leah Wright Reichman, ’36,

by Eleanor McDonald Meyer, ’36 Ruth Button Ritchey, ’38,

by Maryon Huestis Welty, ’45 Betty Clapp Robinson, ’34,

by Elizabeth Bryant Miles, ’34 William Rook

by Carolyn Moulton Nadeau, ’42 Jane Hink Rule

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Katherine Sherman, ’34,

by Ruth Gillard, ’36 Paul Sherrill by Mark and Melody Clarke Teppola, ’64 Rosemary DeCamp Shidler, ’32, by the Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae, Elizabeth Bryant Miles, ’34, and Georgia Thomas Peel, ’35 Elinor Kilgore Snyder, ’38,

by Louise Hayes Vanderliet, ’53 Don Stanberry

by Borgee Ng Chinn, ’41

Jeanie Thomas, ’64, by the Puget Sound Mills Club Helen Taylor Thrasher

by Irma Cummins Johnson, ’34 Henry Vaux, Sr. and Jean Macduff Vaux, ’33,

by Kathryn Thrift Files, ’33 Walter J. Whipple

by Imogene Fluno Whipple, ’43 Maude McArthur White

by Priscilla-Joy Everts, ’40, the Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae, Phyllis Carman Marling, ’41, Doris Mount, MA ’40, and Barbara Sue White, ’64, MA ’67 Lola Wistar

by Mike and Claire Stephens Conner, ’57 Walter Young

by Borgee Ng Chinn, ’41

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY S U M M E R 2 0 0 1

27

Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of Mills Quarterly.

Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College alumnae community.

To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills. edu.

Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of the Mills Quarterly.

Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College Alumnae Community, alumnae.mills.edu. To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills.edu.

We believe that charitable giving provides a deeper sense of fulfillment for all who participate. By contributing to the Annual Fund on a yearly basis you are helping others graduate from Mills.

Your annual gifts contribute to student scholarships and faculty salaries and help the College attract and retain top students and faculty.

Congratulations Class of 2001 Welcome to the Alumnae Association

“In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree….”

But his had nothing on what we’re going to offer you for

State of the College; hear our Executive Director Anne

Reunion 2001! Particularly on Saturday for the Celebration

Gillespie Brown on Reunion Giving results; and hear our

of the Arts and the class dinners, we’re going to give

new AAMC President Karen May in her debut performance

Kubla a run for his money. You’ll be using a clothing range

on the State of the Alumnae Association.

from academic regalia for Convocation to running shorts

By now you should have received your Reunion brochure.

for exercise as you savor all we offer from September

If you aren’t a member of a class ending in 1 or 6, call

13–16. We’re looking forward to a great weekend house

Reinhardt Alumnae House at (510) 430-2111, or email at

party in our own pleasure dome where you can enjoy your

cherylm@mills.edu, because everyone from every class year

beautiful campus; catch up with old friends and make new

is welcome. There’ll even be a brand new Welcome sign

ones; hear great music at the Milhaud Concert, courtesy

over Richard Gate to greet you! Remember: sun screen, sun

of the Class of 1945’s 50th Reunion Gift, and at the Jazz

glasses, layered clothing because September is usually hot,

Café; enjoy art, dance, and literature at the Celebration

but just in case, bring a sweater too. We’re here waiting

of the Arts; pick up memorabilia at the College Shop and

eagerly to see you, but we aren’t expecting Kubla Khan. He

at the AAMC boutique sale; and stroll down all sorts of

didn’t have the privilege of attending Mills.

memory lanes. Hear President Janet Holmgren on the

— Jane Cudlip King, ’42

Mills Quarterly Alumnae Association of Mills College Reinhardt Alumnae House Mills College PO Box 9998 Oakland, CA 94613-0998 510 430-2110 aamc@mills.edu www.mills.edu

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