Friends
Mary Jane Stamm, ’39, 1915–2007
Kenneth Holmgren, father of President Janet Holmgren / March 27, 2007
A few of the constants that define true Mills women are high intellect, bold goals, and the determination to succeed where others may fail. A woman who exemplified these characteristics was Mary Jane Stamm, MD. On February 6, the Mills community was saddened to say goodbye to Dr. Stamm, who passed away peacefully at the age of 91. A 1939 graduate of the College with a pre-medical bachelor degree in zoology, Dr. Stamm was a courageous and determined individual who was the only woman in her 1943 graduating class at the University of Oregon Medical School. Trained as an obstetrician, she studied surgical techniques and, over the ensuing decades, held several significant positions in medicine including assistant clinical professor on the obstetrics-gynecology attending staff at the UC San Francisco. At various times she also practiced at San Francisco General Hospital, Hayward Hospital, and Peralta Hospital. In addition, she was the first female ob-gyn at Hayward’s Eden Hospital and worked there from 1954 until her retirement. Known for her honesty and integrity, Dr. Stamm delighted in giving generously to help others achieve their life goals. To that end, she created and funded the Dr. Mary Jane Stamm scholarship for Castro Valley High school graduates. She was also a consistently generous contributor to the AAMC. Dr. Stamm will be missed by the thousands of lives she touched through her medical practice and her financial generosity. —Willi Fuller, ’04, MFA ’06
Don Conway, husband of Constance “Connie” Hellyer Conway, ’59, brother-in-law of Dorothy “Doro” Hellyer Oliver, ’60, and Tirrell Hellyer Kimball, ’62, cousin-in-law of Natalie Hellyer Gordon, ’58, and Marion Hellyer King, ’54 / January 30, 2005 Dorothy Gillard, sister of Ruth Gillard, ’36 (deceased) / December 13, 2006 Wallace Harmon, husband of Patricia Reid Harmon, ’57, and father of Jennifer Harmon, ’82 / October 10, 2006 Alan Hjellum, husband of Nanette “Nan” Ostrander Hjellum, ’48 / February 1, 2007 Donald Kroll, father of Laura “Katie” Kroll, ’00 / April 19, 2006 John Mee, husband of Sally Cheek Mee, ’42 / April 2, 2007 William “Bill” Rogers, husband of Bonnie Grosser Rogers, ’48 / March 15, 2007 Walter “Wally” Schirra, husband of Josephine Fraser Schirra, ’47 / May 3, 2007 Mr. Schirra was one of the original seven Mercury astronauts named by NASA in April 1959. He was the only astronaut to have flown on Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecrafts. Charles Stoddard, father of Carol Stoddard Segur, ’68 / December 21, 2006 Clyde Yasuhara, father of Clyde Yasuhara, MFA ’91 / January 31, 2007
Gifts in Memory of Chloe Doerr Ackman, ’40, aunt of Katherine Doerr, ’64, by Katherine Doerr, ’64 Nick Antone, by Diane Smith Janusch, ’55 Laura Balas, MA ’92, by Helen and Arne Hovdesven Alda Nye Byron, ’88, by Isabelle Hagopian Arabian, ’45 Jane “Jae” Giddings Carmichael, ’46, by Barbara Perren Evelyn “Peg” Deane, ’41, by
Alda Nye Byron, ’88, 1943-2007 Alda Nye Byron, ’88, dedicated her professional life to academia, carving out lengthy careers supporting students, faculty, and staff at both Mills College and UC Berkeley. Alda died unexpectedly on March 25. Alda worked at Mills from 1979 to 2000 in the positions of registrar and academic analyst. As registrar, Alda managed the office that tracked students’ academic progress, and in so doing she interacted with many generations of Mills students—from the time a student entered the College as a freshwoman to the day she walked across the stage at graduation. She also convened the Academic Standing Committee, a faculty committee, and guided generations of faculty in academic policies, protocols, and traditions. In her role as academic analyst, she worked on curricular issues including the annual revision of the course catalog and the review of new and revised courses. Marion Ross, ’44, professor emerita of economics and former dean of faculty, said of her long-time friend, “Late in my professorial tenure I chaired the Academic Standing Committee for three years. We met weekly and reviewed the registrar’s summary of the cases before us. Alda’s presentation of each and every case was succinct, complete, and clear. Some of the decisions were difficult, but in no case did we lack information of either the particular circumstances or the College’s regulations and any previous exemptions granted to those regulations.” While working full-time at Mills to support her family, Alda completed her undergraduate degree, earning a BA in economic and political analysis in 1988. “Her heart was entirely in the academic enterprise,” recalled close friend and colleague Sharon PageMedrich, ’05, who worked in the offices of the president and provost during Alda’s tenure at Mills; Sharon and Alda again worked together in the graduate dean’s office at UC Berkeley from 2003 to 2004. “She was devoted to the mission of women’s education, as well as the liberal education of a well-informed and civic-minded citizenry. She exemplified the Mills adage of ‘Remember who you are and what you represent.’” Before coming to Mills, Alda worked in UC Berkeley’s office of records from 1964 to 1979. Alda will be remembered not only for her dedication to higher education but also for her creativity, generosity, and genuine interest in others. She was an integral part of the Mills Faculty-Staff Club, which hosts a weekly happy hour and biannual special events for members. “She was the heart and soul of the club’s gatherings, and expert at culinary creations,” noted Ms. Page-Medrich. She also enjoyed baking and often brought delicious treats to the office to share with her colleagues. She had a wonderful sense of fashion, often wearing festive hats for special occasions. Always well read, she was a witty conversationalist, with a wide range of eclectic interests and a droll sense of humor. Alda Nye Byron is survived by her son, Ethan, her sister and brothers, and many other relatives and loving friends. Almost 100 gathered at Mills on May 2 to pay tribute to “Lady B,” as she was known by many. SHARON PAGE-MEDRICH, ’05
Spouses/Family
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