UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center 50th Celebration: "Fabulous at First, Fantastic at Fifty"

Chancellor Charles E. Young inspired the creation of the ERRC in 1969, not only building an interconnected space for retired campus personnel, but also establishing a model for academic institutions across the country.

There is a vibrant intersection between programs and activities among UCLA's Faculty Women Club, UCLA ERRC, the Faculty Center, and the entire UCLA community.

This was evident yesterday when the UCLA ERRC held its 50th Annual Celebration in the dining hall of the Faculty Center.

I took a few photos during the program and the delicious luncheon menu prepared by the Faculty Center.

Many of our FWC members were in the attendance. I am posting a few of these photographs to document the event.

Ms. Toshi Ashikaga who celebrates her 102nd birthday was present everywhere

Jo Knopoff, Helen Nefkens, and Claudia Hinnebusch enjoying the ERRC 50th Anniversary

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily Carter

Special remarks were presented from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily A. Carter.
She was joined by:

Keynote Speaker, Vice Chancellor Emeritus of Planning, Adrian Harris

Distinguished Research Professor of Law, Carole Goldberg

Vice Chancellor of Academic Personnel, Michael Levine

Emeriti Association President, Ronald Mellor
Retiree Association President, Susan Abeles

Eddie Murphy with Zorana Ercegovac

Eddie Murphy provided leadership for more than 16 years to the retired UCLA personnel.

Simone King with Toshi Ashikaga, her son Mr. Ashikaga, and Zorana Ercegovac:
Enjoying the DOUBLE TOAST
Toshi's 102nd birthday on December 29, 2019
ERRC's 50th Anniversary

Our Oral History Legacy Project has been enriched by the newest FWC story by Ms. Toshi Ashikaga. Details about the beginnings of the Project are published in Daily Bruin, March 4, 2013 "Faculty Womens Club Compiles Rich History Through Oral Project."

https://dailybruin.com/2013/03/04/faculty-womens-club-compiles-rich-history-through-oral-project

Ercegovac, who started the Project in 2012-2013, interviewed Ms. Ashikaga on May 2019. A full transcript was published in UPDATE, March-April issue of 2020.

Getting Ready to The New FWC 2019-2020 Season

The UCLA's Faculty Women's Club Board members, Ad Hoc & Off Board & Coordinators met on August 6th at the UCLA's Faculty Center, Cypress Room. This is the first meeting in the 2019-2020 Academic Year.

The following FWC members participated in the meeting, and here's the group photograph.

Seated from left: Debby Wagger, Helene Des Ruisseaux, Shirley Ho (President), Bette Billet, and Barbara Lippe
Standing from left: Zorana Ercegovac, Dagmar Lestrel, Patti Nagy, Sandy Spolsky, Estellaleigh Franenberg, Jarka Wilcox, June Bulkacz, Rochelle Caballero, and Geraldine Walter

Photo credits: Jasmine Dade, The Faculty Center

The group addressed all pertinent issues, laid out in the meeting agenda, by Shirley Ho.
The group consists of 8 past presidents and recruited new Board Members, including
June Bulkacz, Estellaleigh Franenberg, and Helene Des Ruisseaux.

From another "working" angle of the FWC members
Photo credits: Jasmine Dade

Geraldine Walter, Past President (2018-2019) on the right with
Barbara Lippe (President 2017-2018)

Photo credits: Zorana Ercegovac

2019 LUNCHEON STARTS the 2nd CENTURY of The UCLA Faculty Women's Club

At the May 21st 2019 Sixth General Meeting, we gathered to honor several important events.

Firstoff, we celebrated the start of the second century of the Faculty Women's Club.

We honored our incoming 2019-2020 FWC President, Shirley Ho. I interviewed Shirley in the Spring of 2013 for our Centennial Oral Legacy Project. Shirley joined the FWC, inspired by the Scholarship Program in 1997, when their son Dean was awarded a FWC Scholarship in 1997. Shirley is our Music Section soprano soloist, and the Music Section member for the inception.

Dianne Homsher is our 2018-2019 FWC Outstanding Member. Dianne was also interviewed in the Spring of 2013 for the Centennial Oral Legacy Project. Jo Knopoff and Penny Hutchinson, whom I also interviewed for the Legacy Project, summarized numerous Dianne's achievement for us. I am using the photo below, which tells us all we need to know about the wonderful vibes of General Meeting Program. All four outstanding ladies have been with the UCLA's FWC from our beginnings. I personally have been fortunate to have interviewed them all in that Spring 2013!

Janet Pregler, MD looking at Shirley Ho, Dianne Homsher, Penny Hutchinson, and Jo Knopoff

We welcomed our guest speaker, Janet Pregler, MD, Director of the Iris Cantor UCLA Women's Health Center.

Dr. Pregler has served as an advocate and educator on women's health.

Her primary academic interests are breast cancer survivorship and menopause.

Dr. Pregler's topic, as the slide shows:

"Requiem for the 70 kg Man:
A short history of women's health and
academic medicine."

Finally, we celebrated PAST PRESIDENTS with traditional roses:

Zorana Ercegovac, President 2012-2013

Spring Luncheons are well attended, and the 2019 General Meeting was no exception.

Patti Nagy, Marianne Afifi, Rochelle Caballero, Dagmar Lestrel

Helen Nefkens, Simone, King, Glorya Dixon, Virginia Shabaik

FWC CENTENNIAL Closing FEST, March 19th 2019

To close the Centennial Celebration of the UCLA's Faculty Women's Club, founded in mid March od 1918, we will gather to honor our organization, to celebrate Women's History Month, and to learn about the iconic Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000). Professor Danijela Cabric of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UCLA will illuminate on Lamarr's passion for scientific discovery in secure communication systems.

Our story begins with a teachers' training program, founded in 1862 as the California State Normal School in San Francisco. In 1881 a southern branch was added--the Los Angeles State Normal School (LASNS), which eventually moved to a site on Vermont Avenue. In 1887, LASNS became independent of the parent school under the leadership of Dr. E. C. Moore. Desiring to transform the 2-year college into a 4-year institution that would be part of the University of California (UC), Dr. Moore met with Southern California Regent E.A. Dickson to discuss putting in place a plan that let to the founding of today's UCLA.

LASNS Prof. Mary Burney Porter led the advocacy for the transformation which she felt would support equal opportunities for all. On March 15, 1918, she and about 45 faculty members created the Faculty Women's Club of LASNS for the purpose to place a measure for a 4-year school before the Women's Legislative Council of California. It represented about 80,000 women voters "interested in the welfare of women and children." Prof. Burney became president of the Club.

Promoting good fellowship among the faculty, their spouses, and the entire UCLA community, through educational and social activities and to assist UCLA students through a scholarship program remains the three-pronged mission we honor today.

THE CENTENNIAL CAKE
Debby Wagger, Joyce Glantz, Michaelyn Duboff, Sunny Harris, Jarka Wilcox,
Zorana Ercegovac (Program Chair), Danijela Cabric (keynote speaker)
Geraldine Walter (FWC president), Heidi Crooks, Virginia Shabaik, Bette Billet

At our Centennial closingFest on March 19th, we had a highest attendance ever, celebrated with bubblies, delicious chantilly triple berry cake, greetings from Carole Goldberg, and Julie Sina. They all praised the healthy longevity and the significance of the UCLA's Faculty Women's Club.

Carole Goldberg reminds us that while one hundred years (for UCLA) is indeed a long time, it is not compared with founding of other major higher education institutions.

Zorana Ercegovac, left, Centennial co-chair, introduces the keynote speaker Professor Danijela Cabric.

The banner at the podium reads:
UCLA FWC The Second Century.

Prof. Danijela Cabric:
"A CLOSER LOOK AT WOMEN IN ENGINEERING:
THE Hedy Lamarr STORY"

The Centennial Gala had more than 80 attendees, and many arrived to listen to the keynote presentation and sample a delicious triple berry birthday cake. I will keep adding photos, but here's for the start:

Glorya Dixon enjoys the Centennial event, along with our FWC members:

Roma King (red top)
Simone King
Helen Nefkens
Penny Hutchinson
Helene Des Ruisseaux

If I have missed to name you, please let me know your name(s), THANKS!

From left: Sandy Spolsky, Marianne Afifi, Kate Geller

Jo Knopoff reminded me to make photos of the attendees, yet another of my
Centennial Gala responsibilities
from left: Jo Knopoff, Penny Hutchinson, Pat Moore, Roma, and Simone

FWC Scholarship Dinner 2019

The Faculty Women's Club started off our new season with The 2019 Centennial Scholarship Dinner. We celebrated six undergraduate students. Their wide academic interests range from Arts and Architecture, African American Studies, and Cell biology, to political science and physiology.

Mary Territo introduced us to six Undergraduate UCLA students:
from left: Dani Williams-Jones, Betty Markarian, Cameron Vernali, Jessica Huang,
Joyce Li, and Salman Mubashir Azfar

Professional interests of our four graduate recipients of the FWC Scholarship were in Clinical Psychology, Asian American Studies, Public Affairs, and Film & Television.

From lefty: Brenda Tully, Tiffany Tran, Caroline Diehl, and Jacqueline Barnes

Each recipient introduced us in their area of research interest.

The Scholarship Program 2019 Acknowledged
THE "SONNY" and ADRIAN HARRIS FACULTY WOMEN'S CLUB SCHOLARSHIP

Sonny Harris, our FWC Outstanding Member, admires the design of
The BIRTHDAY CAKE, all un Bruin blue and gold colors

Special time, as always, was the time spent with our students recipients, chatting about their aspirations, interests, and hobbies.

Betty Markarian with her hostess, Zorana Ercegovac, during the Scholarship reception.

Great time to catch up with friends and the recipients.

"HYPE: Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice," was the title of Dr. Shapiro's talk. It is based on her recently published book on the subject.