In Memoriam: Richard Anthony Arthur

Professor Emeritus Richard Anthony (Tony) Arthur passed away on Thursday, December 17, 2009. Equally devoted to his scholarly activities and to the Department of English, Tony Arthur enjoyed an extraordinary career both during his more than thirty years at California State University, Northridge and following his 2002 retirement.

During his long association with CSUN, Tony inaugurated a successful internship program for professional writing and authored six books on a range of historical and literary subjects. Known for being generous with his time, he embraced departmental duties willingly—and repeatedly.

In his dedication to academic service and professional achievement, Tony was truly exemplary and his commitments did not diminish following his retirement. In 2006 he published Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair, a critical biography of the progressive social reformer Sinclair, best-known for his muckraking exposé of the meatpacking industry in the 1906 novel The Jungle. This book received widespread national and international acclaim, and proved instrumental in Tony being awarded CSUN's Preeminent Scholarly Publication Award (2006-07). At the time of his death, from cancer, Tony was completing another historical work, this one on the Mexican Expedition of Confederate General Joseph Shelby: General Jo Shelby's March (Random House, 2010). This book has been submitted by the publisher as its nominee for a Pulitzer Prize.

In Memoriam: Lesley Johnstone

Lesley Johnstone, Professor Emeritus of English at California State University, Northridge, died on August 7, 2010.

Lesley was born on October 9, 1935 in Shillong, Assam, India, where her father managed a tea estate. The family returned to Scotland in 1937, and she later completed her education at Cambridge University in 1962. She was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in English literature from Cambridge University. After a brief teaching stint at the University of Nebraska, Lesley accepted a position at California State University, Northridge in 1965. In 1987 she received a distinguished teaching award in recognition of her excellence in teaching and her mentorship of students. In addition to her academic career, she was very active in animal rescue work, becoming the inspiration for the Good Samaritan Program at Pet Medical Centers of West Hills, Chatoak, and Sunland. Services were held on August 14, 2010 at Bastian and Perrott Mortuary Chapel. Donations may be made to Living-Free Animal Sanctuary on their web site or via the mailing address at P.O. Box 5, Mountain Center, CA 92561. Donations also may be made to support the English Faculty Scholarship, which is designed to support student success and to honor the memories of colleagues in the English Department. Checks can be made to CSUN Foundation, with English Faculty Scholarship on the memo line, and sent to the

Delphine Ulibarri Lucero Memorial Award in Linguistics

A scholarship fund has been established in the name of Delphine Ulibarri Lucero (1923-2010). Born on the downside of advantage and orphaned at an early age, she was a woman of accomplishment who sustained a love of learning throughout her life. Profiled in The Los Angeles Times (1996) article that recognized unique students who had defied obstacles on the way to earning their degrees: "At age 69, Lucero fulfilled her lifelong dream of earning a college degree when she graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies in 1992. But for Lucero, that wasn't enough. Four years later, Lucero received her master's degree in linguistics and a credential in English as a Second Language - making it through school despite heart problems, surgeries and a cancer scare. 'I'm 73 and I'm proud of being old and still learning,' said the Chatsworth resident."

With her master's degree, Lucero taught English as a Second Language (ESL) and the textbook and teaching aids she developed continue to be used by ESL teachers. At the time of her death at age 87, she was developing a multimedia website to make her materials available online and was about to launch online tutoring using see-you-see-me technology. Her interest in English as a second language began when she taught bilingual students in a one-room country school in Cordova, CO under a special teaching credential during WW II. Her passion for teaching and commitment to improving social conditions and educational opportunities for all ages led to careers that championed programs that spanned ages beginning with preschool to the elderly. She will be remembered as the driving force behind the establishment of the Head Start Program in Trinidad, CO, her home town, and for establishing Colorado's first Senior Center under the Johnson administration's Model Cities Program. Lucero was Colorado's representative to the White House Conference on Aging during the Nixon administration. She served as the Director of the Senior Center for many years prior to joining her daughters in California in 1988.

Delphine realized a life-long dream when she received her degrees from California State University, Northridge. One of her daughters, Professor Brennis Lucero-Wagoner, served as the Interim Associate Dean of the College of Humanities in 2006. Donations to the scholarship may be sent to the College of Humanities noting: "Delphine Ulibarri Lucero"in the check's memo line.

Donations can be mailed to: CSUN/College of Humanities, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330-8252