Contact: Cynthia Rawitch,
(818) 677-3135

Obituary for Keith Morton, professor of anthropology at California State University Northridge

Dr. Keith L. Morton, former Anthropology Department chair who taught thousands of students over 26 years as a professor at California State University, Northridge, died Saturday after a year-long battle with cancer. Morton was 53.

Morton came to CSUN in 1972, after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, in 1970-71 he did extensive field work in the kingdom of Tonga. In 1978 he served as a consultant on Tongan culture for the Peace Corps and later researched the Tongan immigrant community of Los Angeles. He recently completed work on California's Chumash Indians.

Morton was chair of the Anthropology Department from 1978 to 1984, and was to have been chair again this fall. He also served as coordinator of the American Indian Studies Program for a number of years.

In his leisure hours, Morton was active as a coach and a member of the board of directors of Westhills Baseball, where he was one of the founders of the winter baseball program.

Morton is survived by his wife of 33 years, Vicki; his son Josh and daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and John Leggat IV. Also surviving are his mother, Agnes Morton; brother Joe Gamblin and sisters Doris McAlister and Sue Daily, all of Oregon.

Services will be held in Lebanon, Oregon, on Sept. 12 and a "celebration of life" memorial service will be held on campus in October. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Keith Morton Memorial Scholarship/CSUN Foundation, Department of Anthropology, CSU Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St. Northridge, 91330-8244.

For further information, contact Cynthia Rawitch, journalism department chair at (818) 677-3135 or Dr. Antonio Gilman, anthropology dept. chair (818) 677-3331.