Few people are more connected to Westmont than Don Goehner ’60. A trustee since 1986, he is a graduate, a former college staff member, the father of two alumni and the grandfather of an incoming student. “Westmont has changed dramatically in 50 years and all for the better,” he says. “I’m so impressed by the high caliber of the trustees, … [more]
Jean Bergman grew up on a farm near Tulare, Calif., in a Christian home. Her parents and four brothers raised alfalfa and grains before becoming dairy farmers and delivering milk. Jean still remembers their slogan: “The quality goes in before the cap goes on.” Concerned about the education of their children, Jean’s parents donated two acres for a two-room schoolhouse. … [more]
Angela Hanson DeGrado ’64 has faced significant pain and loss in her life. Since her teenage years, she has suffered from the crippling affliction of arthritis. Then in 2001, her husband of 33 years died suddenly. Her strong faith, study of God’s word and love for writing poetry helped heal her anguish. A grief recovery group gave her invaluable support, … [more]
David Cole says a central theme of his life is watching things grow. A biochemist for 36 years at UC Berkeley, he observed biology develop from a collection of unrelated fields to a unified, systematic discipline attracting an increasing number of majors. With three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, he has seen his family expand over the years. A … [more]
He’s a software engineer who earned a doctorate in computer science after majoring in music and philosophy. She’s a former social worker who studied psychology and plays the organ. Neither took a single art class at Westmont, but Dewayne ’62 and Faith Mell ’62 Perry have become educated and passionate collectors of prints, especially 16th and 17th century Dutch prints. … [more]
Marian Lorenz Groff ’59 lost her home of 46 years in the Tea Fire last fall. “It exploded like a volcano on the hillside behind our house,” she says. “We had less than an hour to evacuate.” She and her husband, Jerry, left behind countless heirlooms: rings that belonged to their mothers, hand-painted china, family photos. But they’re rebuild-ing on … [more]
Bert Brown ’58 played the trumpet in the Westmont pep band, but he didn’t have time to sing in the choir. The need to work and pay for his education interfered with such activities. He has always loved music — he plays in two Long Beach community bands and at his church — and he wishes he could have been … [more]
For more than 60 years, Howie Stevenson ’50 has ministered through music, often in partnership with his wife, Marilyn Danielson Stevenson ’53. At college events, in churches and during summer conferences they’ve shared their musical gifts with skill and joy. Years later, many alumni vividly remember Howie’s energetic hymn sings in chapel. As a student, Howie performed with the Westmont … [more]
Adaline Bare’s connection to Westmont extends more than 6o years. Her late husband, Bruce, was the longest-serving trustee in college history (1947-1996), and he chaired the board twice (1954-57 and 1964-1970). Her daughter, Barbara Bare Spaulding ’63, attended for three years and later directed the alumni office. Three of her grandchildren, Melinda Bare Scarbosa ’83, Rob Loucks ’88 and Ian … [more]
Greg Dixon ’66 enrolled at Westmont hoping to sing with the Westmont Quartet, a group he admired as a youngster growing up in Southern California. Happily, he succeeded in joining the ensemble as a sophomore and a junior. The quartet traveled on weekends and in the summer, leaving him little time for anything besides his psychology major. But the group … [more]