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Occidental College Profiles
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Occidental Student Profiles |
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Mary
Kariya, current student, was a
sophomore and working in
the library when the U.S. entered World War II. She
was a member of the Varronians, i.e.“builders of
libraries” a club for female library workers. In April 1942
She relocated to Berea College in Kentucky, a
Christian institution with a strong tradition of
interracial education. While a student, she
worked in the business office of the Berea College
library. She received her degree in 1945. She later
became a system analyst at USC. She died
in 1995.
Photos: La Encina '42: pages 61, 142. Browse related correspondence |
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![]() December 10, 1942 |
Sinpachi
Kanow, current student, left school in
December 1941 or in the spring of 1942. He worked as
assistant minister at the Santa Anita Assembly
Center and later was ordained by the Presbytery of
Little Rock in order to serve at the Jerome
Relocation Center in Arkansas, where he was
interned. He
died in 1998. No photo available. Browse related correspondence |
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![]() Christmas Card, 1944 |
Helen
Matsunaga, prospective student, graduated from
J. Francis Polytechnic High School in 1942. Bird
served as a judge for an oratorical contest at
Polytechnic which Helen won. Matsunaga and her
family evacuated to Santa Anita Assembly Center
interrupting her plans to attend Occidental.
Matsunaga helped by Bird and the the National
Japanese Student Relocation Council was accepted to
Rockford College, Illinois. She was an active
community speaker for the Council during her college
years. Deceased. No photo available.
Browse related correspondence |
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Russell
Nakata, current student, grew up in Pasadena
and entered Occidental College in 1938. Near the end
of his Senior year, in mid-April, he was forced to
leave Occidental by the evacuation. His
parents advised him to move to Chicago to avoid
having to go in to an internment camp. Nakata was
granted his Bachelor of Arts degree on June 1, 1942
(after his departure). He was ordained to the
ministry of the Presbyterian Church and then
voluntarily entered the Poston Relocation Center in
Arizona to serve as the English-speaking minister to
the interned Japanese Americans. He continued his
studies at Presbyterian Theology Seminary, Chicago
and received his Master of Arts, Theology from
University of Chicago. Rev. Nakata went on to be a
minister in Colorado and was an active Oxy alumnus.
He died in 1996. [biographical information provided
by Arthur Nakata, ] Photos:
La Encina '42: pages 58, 171.
Browse related correspondence |
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John
Nishiyama, current student, was ending his
junior year in 1942. He was helped to relocate to
Oberlin College before being caught up in the
evacuation. After a year at Oberlin, his class
credits were transferred from Oberlin to Occidental
where he was granted his Bachelor of Arts in Physics
in 1943. Then, Nishiyama served in the U.S. Army
where he was trained as an interpreter for Military
Intelligence and sent to Hawaii. He was in Hawaii
when the war ended. Nishiyama returned to California
and worked until his retirement as a chemist. His
sister Kiyoko Nishiyama, '39, is pictured with
Sophie Tajima in a student group photo in the 1938
edition of La Encina. Photos:
La Encina '42: pages 103, 138. Browse related correspondence |
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Akira
Shiraishi, prospective student, was a
distinguished member of the 1942 Polytechnic High
School graduating class awarded an Achievement
Scholarship to Occidental. Shiraishi was
evacuated and relocated to Heart Mountain, Wyoming,
and could not commence his studies at
Occidental. President Bird wrote letters on behalf of Akira's father, Kinjiro Shiraishi, in order that he could be re-united with his family at Heart Mountain. President Bird wrote a recommendation for Akira to Springfield College and followed up with Akira on his plans. He and his parents returned to Los Angeles after internment. Shiraishi did not attend college. Deceased. Browse related correspondence |
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Ted Tajima,
current student, was feature editor of The
Occidental writing The
Japanese Exile. He voluntarily evacuated
to Japanese Church of Christ, Salt Lake City,
Utah. In 1942, Remsen Bird wrote on his behalf
to Wooster College in Ohio. Tajima was accepted but
did not attend. Ted briefly attended the University
of Utah but left to join his family who had
voluntarily relocated to Cleveland, Ohio.
Marrying in Ohio, Tajima returned to the West Coast
and Occidental. He received a Bachelor of Arts in
English in 1946. After a year of military service,
he returned to Occidental for his teaching
credential. Recognized for a lifetime achievement in
teaching, Tajima taught journalism at Altadena High
School for 35 years. Photos:
La Encina '46: page 90. Browse related correspondence |
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Shizona Tanaka, graduate of 1926. While a student at Occidental, Tanaka was captain of the baseball team and held many honors, including being a member of Phi Beta Kappa. When war broke out, he was a florist at S. Murata & Co and may have been president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. He was picked up by the FBI shortly after war was declared. President Bird contacted Tanaka offering his assistance and wrote to Fletcher Bowron, Mayor of Los Angeles, as well as to the Owens Valley center director on behalf of Tanaka. Bird supported Tanaka’s request to be relocated to the Owens Valley Evacuation Camp (which later became Manzanar Relocation Center) and to be given meaningful work during wartime. Tanaka died in 1985. Photos: La Encina '26: pages 178, 50. Browse related correspondence |
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Iko
Tanzawa, left
Occidental in the spring of 1942, her senior year,
to evacuate with her family to Ririe, Idaho. The
family moved to Ririe, where her father once had a
business, to avoid internment in a relocation camp
and to enable that her younger brothers to
continue in the public schools. Tanzawa was
granted her degree in June of 1942, after her
departure. While her parents returned to
Pasadena around 1944, Tanzawa did not. She married
and has lived in New York and Chicago.
Tanzawa currently resides in Bellevue, Washington.
Photos: La Encina '42. |
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Sophie Tagima
Toriumi, graduate of 1938, married to Don
Toriumi, the newly installed pastor of Union Church
in Little Tokyo when war was declared. While a
student she had worked in the President's
office with Olive Hutchison, secretary to President
Bird. Toriumi corresponded with Dr. Bird and Olive
Hutchison while she was interned at Santa Anita
Assembly Center and Heart Mountain Relocation
Center, Wyoming. Sophie, Ted and their
brother Calvin Tajima are Occidental alumni. Photos: La Encina '38. Browse related correspondence |
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Shig Okada is included in the list of prospective students by Dr. Robert E. Fitch. The files do not contain any correspondence related to Okada. |
Occidental College Faculty and Staff |
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![]() Remsen Bird, College President, 1921 - 1946. Bio |
![]() Elizabeth McCloy College Librarian, 1928 - 1957. |
The
Letters & Papers includes correspondence with
the following Occidental faculty and staff.
See La Encina '42
for photos.
Robert E. Fitch, Associate Professor of Philosophy, 1938 - 1944; Professor, 1944 - 1946 George M. Day, Olive Hutchison, Theodore Brodhead, |
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