September 21, 2006

Dear Friends:

It is with a sorrowful heart that I share with you the news that Mrs. Myrtle Whitsett Harris--distinguished emeriti member of the California State University, Northridge Foundation Board from 1987 to 1995, and chair of the W.P. Whitsett Foundation--passed away at Stanford Hospital on September 14th.

Mrs. Harris was a committed, passionate donor to the university and established the W.P. Whitsett Chair and Lecture Series in California History on our campus. She made many friends here, and had a particularly close relationship with the Department of History and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Mrs. Harris was a generous, warm and dynamic woman who was devoted to her family. She will be deeply missed. I know members of the university community join me in conveying condolences to the family.

According to her husband Bill, she had recently undergone extreme chemotherapy for recurrence of cancer and, ultimately, was unable to overcome an internal infection. Her final weeks were filled with the happy sounds of her grandchildren and the support of her family at their home in Menlo Park.

In addition to her beloved husband, Mrs. Harris is survived by three sons, their wives and seven grandchildren.

The family’s official obituary for Mrs. Harris and her photo may be found below.

Jolene Koester
President
California State University, Northridge

Myrtle Elizabeth Whitsett Harris
(June 4, 1934 – Sept 14, 2006)

Myrtle W. Harris passed away at the Stanford Hospital on September 14, 2006. She was wrapped in the love and warmth of her family. She died with grace and dignity after fighting cancer and we are certain she was looking forward to her next adventure.

Myrtle was born in Los Angeles, California as the daughter of William Paul Whitsett, Jr. and Mary Elizabeth Atkinson Whitsett. She earned a B.A. from Occidental College in 1956, and in 1958 earned an M.A. in Education from Stanford University. In that same year she married William Nelson Harris. She was the loving mother of three sons and grandmother of seven grandchildren.

Outside of the family Myrtle maintained an active interest in education and her community. Highlights of her extensive community service included serving as an alumni trustee of Occidental College, President of the Myrtle L. Atkinson Foundation and a Director of the W.P. Whitsett Foundation. She was dedicated to the YWCA and was a member of the World Service Council for more than 30 years, where she held various positions including Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee. She also served on the Mid-Peninsula YWCA board for 10 years. Myrtle served on the President’s Investment Board for California State University, Northridge, and established the W.P. Whitsett Chair and Lecture Series in California History at that university. She was on the Chaplaincy Advisory Committee at Stanford Hospital and a member of the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County and the local P.E.O. chapter.

Myrtle is survived by her husband, William N. Harris, their sons Robert and his wife Kathy of Corvallis, OR, John and his wife Katy of Bellevue, WA and Bill and his wife Cristina of Menlo Park, CA, seven grandchildren and her brother John F. Whitsett.

To celebrate her life, a memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on October 7th at the Woodside Village Church where she was a long time member and served a term as Moderator. Memorial gifts may be sent to Sempervirens Fund, Drawer BE, Los Altos, CA 94023.

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September 2006