 Carolyn Swift, one of the most active historians in this area, seen here holding up Capitola’s unofficial city motto. |
Distinguished Alumnae
Many
of those who have shaped the history business in the region have taken
the class including (listed alphabetically):
• Marcy Alancraig, Cabrillo English instructor
• Jane Borg, Curator, Pajaro Valley Historical
Association
 |
||
Bruce
Bratton, local columnist and historian, seen here dressed as Juan
Rodriguez Cabrillo. Bruce has written and thought so hard about
Cabrillo that he BELIEVES that he’s Portuguese… |
•
Bruce Bratton, Columnist and historian
• Celeste DeWald, Executive Director, California
Museum Association
• Geoffrey Dunn, filmmaker and author of Santa
Cruz is in the Heart
• Gary Griggs, Professor of Earth Sciences, UCSC
• Cynthia Jahn, Map Librarian, UCSC
• Donna Jones, reporter for the Santa Cruz Sentinel
and author Santa Cruz County: A Century
 |
||
History
Dude and the late Edna Kimbro at the Branciforte Adobe, 1980.
Edna became one of the country’s leading experts on Spanish
and Mexican colonial architecture. She and her husband Joe restored
the Branciforte adobe and then went on to the take on the Castro
Adobe in the Pajaro Valley. Edna died in 2005 and we miss her. |
• Edna Kimbro, the leading expert on California’s
Spanish Colonial era
• Christoper Krohn, past Santa Cruz City Councilman
• Madelyn McCaul, editor, songwriter
 |
||
Sandy
and Lillian McPherson Rouse sitting on “Harry’s Bench”
at the Carmel Mission, 1997. Lillian took this class many times
and through her generosity helped support local and regional history.
She was the driving force behind the development of the Museum
of Art and History in Santa Cruz. |
Lillian’s
Chair – The middle seat of the front row will
always be left vacant for Lillian McPherson Rouse. You won’t be
able to see her, but she’ll be sitting there nevertheless, trying
to keep the History Dude honest and respectable.
• Lillian McPherson Rouse, pioneer descendant and driving
force behind the creation of the Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz
• Joanne Nelson, UCSC librarian (ret.) and Calif.
Powder Works Historian
• Alverda Orlando, the reigning historian of
Davenport and the North Coast
 |
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Past
mayor of Watsonville, Dennis Osmer, expressing his opinion about
something the History Dude did or didn’t say. Photo taken
May 2000 when the History Dude retired from full-time teaching.
|
•
Dennis Osmer, former Mayor, City of Watsonville
• Frank Perry, regional lighthouse historian
and museum exhibit designer
• Jill Perry, antique plant and garden expert
• Karell Reader, Redman House Foundation
• Phil Reader, Live Oak Historian and author
of forthcoming history of African Americans in Santa Cruz County
• Mike Rotkin, Santa Cruz City Council
• Elizabeth Schilling, Live Oak Historian and
community leader
• Nikki Silva, founding curator of the Museum
of Art and History, Santa Cruz, founding member of the Kitchen Sisters
and Peabody Award winning documentarian on NPR
• July Slattum, Cabrillo College theater faculty
and Balinese mask historian
• Audrey Stanley, founder of Shakespeare Santa
Cruz and UCSC faculty member
• Carolyn Swift, historian, columnist, author,
and currently the official historian for the City of Capitola and curator
of the Capitola Museum
• Jerry Weber, geologist, UCSC geology instructor,
river rafter