CANYONS PIONEER PASSES ROCKWELL CREDITED WITH COLLEGE'S VISION.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer VALENCIA - When Robert Rockwell Robert Rockwell (October 151920—January 252003) was an American actor best known for playing the handsome, but awkward biology teacher Philip Boynton in the radio and television situation comedy Our Miss Brooks. arrived in the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. more than 30 years ago, he saw more than the rolling hills Rolling hills are like a mountain chain, only a "hill chain" of hills that roll on and on continually. You will often find them in between plains and mountains, near major rivers, or randomly anywhere. The only places without rolling hills are deserts and flood plains. and open space. He saw a need for higher education and vision for the future. As the first superintendent/president of College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. , Rockwell is credited for laying the foundation for what today has become the state's fastest-growing community college. ``He had a vision of this college into the decades that followed him,'' said Al Adelini, former counselor and division chair of students services, who was hired by Rockwell and retired this year after 30 years at the college. ``He predicted the growth at the time. ``He was a great planner and a true pioneer.'' Rockwell died Friday, his 87th birthday, in a convalescence convalescence /con·va·les·cence/ (kon?vah-les´ins) the stage of recovery from an illness, operation, or injury. con·va·les·cence n. 1. hospital in Encinitas of complications from Alzheimer's. ``He was probably one of the most loved and most respected people I know,'' said Bruce Fortine, a College of the Canyon board of trustees board of trustees Politics The posse of thugs who oversee an institution's administration. See Board of directors. member, who was on the founding board that hired Rockwell. ``He had a calm, quiet manner but was a giant of a man. ``He laid the foundation for what the College of the Canyons is today. From the first employee to the first mound of dirt. He was able to make things happen.'' Rockwell negotiated the purchase of the Valencia site where the campus was built and oversaw construction of the region's only public community college where enrollment now tops 10,000 students. Participating in building the college was one of her husband proudest moments, said Betty Rockwell. ``He was an excellent leader and a wonderful pioneer for starting College of the Canyons,'' Adelini said. ``Rockwell put all the pieces together for what is now is college.'' Hired by the college's first board of trustees in 1968 following a nationwide search, Rockwell came to the Santa Clarita Valley from Santa Barbara City College As of 2004, total enrollment of full-time and part-time students reached 17,000. It is currently led by President John Romo, who will be retiring at the end of Spring 2008 after seven years with the institution. . The college opened with 735 students and 13 faculty members who taught classes at night at Hart Hart School. Rockwell saw the opening of the first buildings, the first graduating class of 89 students. During his tenure, he helped write a facilities master plan that still exists today. The Valencia Boulevard college now is adjacent to a road bearing his name. ``He was a very strong president and was one of the nicest people you could meet,'' Fortine said. Education became a passion for Rockwell early in his life. As a youngster in Santa Barbara, the youngest of 13 children, he graduated from Carpenteria High School with numerous honors. On a full four-year scholarship, he attended Harvard and graduated in 1935 with a bachelor's degree in English. Rockwell began teaching at Covina High School Covina High School is one of three comprehensive high schools within the Covina-Valley Unified School District. Established in 1899, Covina High is accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges. There are approximately 1,304 students enrolled for the 1997-98 school year. where he also coached track before he joined the Army Air Corps, receiving an honorable discharge as a captain. Rockwell returned to his studies, acquiring a master's and doctorate in education from the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission while he taught at Fullerton Junior College. In 1955, Rockwell was selected as one of the administrators to develop Cerritos College. He was there for eight years before being named the superintendent/president of Santa Barbara City College. ``In some way, what the college is or what it has become can all be credited to him,'' said Jan Keller, who was hired by Rockwell as a librarian and now serves as the dean of learning resources. ``The college and community certainly owes him debt in the talents that he brought here to begin the college.'' Rockwell is survived by his wife, Betty, three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Memorial Services will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday at United Methodist Church United Methodist Church, in the United States, religious body formed by the union in 1968 of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church (see Methodism). on Calle Magdalema in Encinitas. A scholarship fund in his name is being established at College of the Canyons. |
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