November 2, 1998

A fond farewell to Kenneth Norris

By Tim Stephens

A capacity crowd of around 400 people gathered in the Music Center Recital Hall on Saturday, October 24, for a celebration of the life and work of

Kenneth Norris in 1980

the late Kenneth Norris, professor of natural history. Norris, an acclaimed researcher and highly influential teacher, died in August at the age of 74.

A procession of distinguished speakers took the stage to share their memories of Norris and to pay tribute to his many accomplishments. The speakers included Chancellor Greenwood; Chancellor Emeritus Karl S. Pister; 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; and Craig Schindler, president of Project Victory.

The spoken presentations, as well as letters and e-mail messages in honor of Norris, will be compiled in a tribute book to be presented to Norris's wife Phyllis. A copy of the tribute book will be donated to

Singer and songwriter Alisa Fineman, a former student of Norris's, was among the musicians who entertained the audience

the UCSC library, and copies will also be made available to interested parties for the cost of copying and shipping. Contributions to the tribute book will be accepted until November 18 and should be mailed to Randall S. Wells, Director, Center for Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34236.

The Regional History Project at the UCSC Library will be publishing a two-volume oral history memoir of Norris in spring 1999. To receive a publication announcement and order form in the spring, send an e-mail message to ihreti@cats.ucsc.edu or mail to Regional History Project, McHenry Library (Rm. 155A), University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064.

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