Faculty & Staff

Honorary Life Trustee THOMAS E. CAESTECKER of Green Lake, Wisconsin, and Kenilworth, Illinois, died Oct. 6, 2022. He graduated from Georgetown University, served in the U.S. Navy and held several leadership business positions, lastly as an investment broker and president at Markham Investments LLC. For Ripon College, he served as Trustee from 1985-2002, gave the gift to build a new wing of C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts and supported several major initiatives. He received an honorary degree and the 2017 Founders’ Day Award. He also supported the Green Lake Association, Green Lake Festival of Music, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Caestecker Public Library in Green Lake. Survivors include one son, Thomas E. Caestecker Jr., of Wilmette, Illinois.

SEALE DOSS , professor emeritus of philosophy from 1964-1999, died Aug. 3, 2022. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics, math and philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He spent eight years as a newspaper reporter, columnist and assistant editor. He taught at the University of California and University of Washington. At Ripon, he received three May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Awards and the Senior Class Award. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea, Germany, Vietnam, the Middle East, and Latin America, commanding several Army Reserve and Army Special Forces groups. An avid paratrooper, he made more than 780 jumps, completing his last at age 89. He received the Army’s Legion of Merit in 1974. His books include Elementary Logic for Philosophy Students and several novels. Survivors include two sons, JONATHAN DOSS ’ 83 and VONELLY DOSS ’ 88 , and one daughter, ERIKA DOSS ’ 78 ; and a son-in-law, GEOFFREY THRUMSTON ’ 78

EVELYN M. KAIN of Madison, Wisconsin, and Palm Springs, California, professor emerita of art, died Dec. 30, 2022. She earned a degree in art history from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna, Austria, where she lived for 13 years. She taught at Ripon from 1983-2011, was the Helen Swift Neilson Professor of Cultural Studies and received the James R. Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1994. She performed with Collegium Musicum, Ceresco String Band and the college choir for decades. Fiber arts were her greatest passion. As an art historian, she wrote and lectured about medieval art, women artists and Vienna 1900, and translated scholarly books from German to English. She enjoyed writing in several mediums, gardening, hiking, biking and reading. Survivors include her husband, EUGENE J. KAIN , associate professor emeritus of art; and two sons.

JACK W. POWERS of Brevard, North Carolina, a professor of chemistry at Ripon from 1957-1969, died Oct. 28, 2022. He served as a Scoutmaster for Troop 40 while in Ripon. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Purdue University in 1957 and completed post-graduate work at the University of

Utah and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. He later worked for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and Davidson and St. Andrews Presbyterian Colleges in North Carolina. He also ran a consulting firm, was active in arts and historical societies and church activities, and enjoyed golfing, camping, fishing and creating artwork. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Ollhoff Powers; two sons and two daughters.

ESTELITA L. SALDANHA of Harpswell, Maine, an assistant professor of psychology at Ripon from 1950-1954, died March 22, 2019. He received degrees from the University of Lisbon and University of Nebraska; and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. He was a researcher at the Medical Research Council, Cambridge University; associate professor at Wells College in Aurora, New York; and professor at the University of Southern Maine, Portland, from which he retired while continuing to teach part time into the 1990s. He specialized in behavioral and educational psychology. He was an editorial reviewer for numerous psychology textbooks and a contributor of research papers to the Acoustical Society of America. He was an avid gardener and enjoyed opera and classical music. Survivors include two sons and one daughter.

LEROY “LEE” SCHOENFELD of Westfield, Indiana, died Oct. 31, 2022. He was an assistant professor of physical education and coached wrestling at Ripon College from 1963-1967. He attended the University of Wisconsin on a football scholarship, received his bachelor’s degree in education and biology from Luther College and his master’s degree from Wittenberg University. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952-1954 during the Korean War. He retired from DePauw University, where he taught and coached wrestling, golf and football for 23 years. He helped with the Greencastle High School swim team and for 30 years during summers was assistant director of Camp Voyageur in Ely, Minnesota. Survivors include one son and one daughter.

MARY E. WILLIAMS-NORTON of Poynette, Wisconsin, professor of physics and astronomy at Ripon from 1975-2012, died Sept. 27, 2022. She received her bachelor’s degree from Bates College and her master’s and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. At Ripon, she was the Harrison E. Farnsworth 1918 Chair in Physics and chair of the department. She designed Physics Fun Force, where Ripon students worked with elementary school students; was a director of Project Madog, a collaboration between Wisconsin and Welsh schools; and facilitated Ripon’s study-abroad program in Wales. She worked tirelessly to promote education and science. She also was an enthusiast for Welsh culture and heritage, was an avid knitter, quilter and seamstress, led Girl Scout troops and loved cats, antiques, Pocket Dragons and murder mysteries. Survivors include her husband, Gregory A. Norton; two daughters, including JEANNE NORTON ’99 ; and a grandson, MAXWELL DUNDAY ’26

Megellas, a native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was a paratrooper and one of the most decorated soldiers of the 82nd Airborne during World War II. He died April 2, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Showing their respects at his funeral were several high-ranking officers, including Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. James C. McConville, Army Chief of Staff; and Maj. Gen. Christopher C. LaNeve, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division.

During World War II, Megellas had singlehandedly knocked out a German tank, rowed across a Dutch river in a flimsy boat under enemy fire and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.