October 12, 1998

Norris memorial tribute planned as a 'celebration' of his life

By Tim Stephens

The life of naturalist Kenneth S. Norris, who died in August at the age of 74, will be celebrated in a memorial tribute at UCSC on Saturday, October 24, from 1 to 5 p.m. The memorial will be held in the Music Center Recital Hall.

Kenneth Norris

During his years at UCSC, Norris, a professor of natural history, served as director of the Center for Coastal Marine Studies (now the Institute of Marine Sciences), chair of the Environmental Studies Department, and coordinator of the Environmental Studies Field Program. He was a highly influential teacher and an acclaimed researcher, best known for his work on communication and social relations in dolphins and whales. He was also the founder of the University of California Natural Reserve System.

Family, friends, former students, and colleagues will gather at UCSC for the memorial, planned as a joyous tribute to Norris and a celebration of his life. The event is open to the public. Those who plan to attend are asked to let the organizers know they will be coming by sending e-mail to martha@zzyx.ucsc.edu or a postcard to Norris Memorial, UC Santa Cruz, Institute of Marine Sciences (A317 EMS), 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064.

The memorial will begin with a formal program of distinguished speakers and music from 1 to 2:30 p.m., followed by refreshments, an open microphone, and informal gatherings and presentations.

The speakers will include Chancellor Greenwood; Norris's brother Robert, professor emeritus of geology, UC Santa Barbara; William N. McFarland, Friday Harbor Marine Laboratory; Sam Ridgway, senior scientist, Navy Marine Mammal Program, San Diego; Roger Samuelsen, chief of staff and director of administration, UC Merced, and director emeritus of the UC Natural Reserve System; William Doyle, professor emeritus of biology and director emeritus of the Institute of Marine Sciences, UCSC; Shannon Brownlee, senior writer, U.S. News & World Report; Stephen Gliessman, Alfred E. Heller Professor of Agroecology at UCSC; Karl S. Pister, UCSC chancellor emeritus; and Craig Schindler, president of Project Victory.

Music will be provided by guitarist Eric Jarmea; singer and songwriter Alisa Fineman; Dan Warrick, a former student of Norris and now an editor at Health magazine; and singers Fred Carlson and Suzie Norris with "The Intensive Carollers."

Randall Jarrell, head of the UCSC Library's Regional History Project, said she expects the memorial to be a "gathering of the old clan," bringing together people from all over the world who knew and were influenced by Norris.

"He was a remarkable scientist and human being, and he touched a lot of lives," said Jarrell, who is editing Norris's oral history memoirs and a companion volume of oral history interviews with his colleagues and former students.

Additional information about the memorial is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.realsurf.com/KenNorris/.

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