N. Annette Orton ’58 (Zoology) writes: “I did a 5th year at UCLA working on my teaching credential. Was a UCLA recommended credential with Life Sciences major and Physical Sciences minor. Worked for the Los Angeles School District for 33 years. Taught assorted science and math classes, mostly high school and mostly at University High, WLA and Palisades High, PP. Especially enjoyed teaching AP Biology, Chemistry and Physiology. Was a mentor teacher for LAUSD, as well as a department chairman and training teacher. My students did well in science fairs. I did an additional 2 years taking graduate courses at UCLA working on a Master’s and Administration credential. Did not finish as I decided that I did not want administration but preferred the classroom. Retired teaching 5 classes of chemistry. After retirement, I moved to North Idaho. due to a shortage of substitute teachers, I went back to work and enjoyed 10 more years of teaching. One time I was able to step in to teaching 4 honors biology classes for 2 months. Loved it! My favorite subjects as a substitute were: chemistry, biology, French, German and Spanish as well as math classes of Algebra and Geometry. Since I have sold my house, I have moved into a state-of-the-art senior apartment and have no responsibilities other than myself. So at 78 years old and widowed again, I have stopped teaching so I can have more time to fly my airplane (earned my pilot license in 2009 at 78) and train for triathlons. I have done 30 triathlons since age 66 as well as numerous races of varying lengths and distance swimming in the lake. My plans are to continue doing triathlons and fly as long as I am able. I fly alone most of the time but enjoy when other pilots come along, each in their own plane. Here in my senior housing I am able to use my education to teach nutrition and participate in various other ways including writing a monthly column for our newsletter. UCLA prepared me well. Life is good!! (As a grad student and teacher, my last name was Herbst.)”
Category Archives: 1950’s
J. Donald Hughes ’54
J. Donald Hughes ’54 (Botany) writes “I received my A.B. degree in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in botanical genetics under Harlan Lewis. In graduate school, I majored in History and received my Ph.D. from Boston University. I created a hybrid of those two subjects and became one of the founders of the field of Environmental History in the 1970s. Two of my books are ‘What is Environmental History?’ (Polity Press, 2006)
and ‘An Environmental History of the World’ (Routledge, 2000 and 2009).” Dr. Hughes is the John Evans Distinguished Professor in the Department of History at the University of Denver.
Marsden Wagner ’51
Marsden Wagner ’51 (Zoology) writes: “I received a B.S from UCLA in Zoology in 1951. I then went directly to the first class of the new School of Medicine at UCLA. Upon graduation I was one of the first interns at the newly opened UCLA Hospital. I then did specialty training at UCLA followed by a two year NIH fellowship at the newly opened UCLA School of Public Health. I was then on the faculty at the new School of Public Health,
followed by a Directorship at the California State Health Department and then 15 years as a Director of Women’s and Children’s Health at the World Health Organization.”
J. Donald Hughes ’54
J. Donald Hughes ’54 is John Evans Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Denver. His research fields are environmental history (world), ancient history (Greece, Rome, and Egypt), Pacific islands history, and world history. His active research includes work on a book on the environmental history of the Oceanic Pacific Islands. His PhD was earned at Boston University, with graduate study at Cambridge University, UK, and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece.
Werner Heim ’50
Werner Heim ’50, ’52 MA, ’54 PhD is a Professor Emeritus of Biology at The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado.