Go To (this site): News From DVC Go To (related sites): Chemistry, 1998: The last of our Chemistry Department "Founding Fathers" retire Why are these guys smiling? Because they have all recently retired. (Don Brunner, Bob Flanagan, Doug Flynn) What do you think they looked like 30 years ago? To see, hold your mouse over the picture and see if something starts happening. (This only works if you
are using Netscape 3.0 or higher or Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher.) If nothing happens on your computer, click here instead At the end of Spring 1998, Bob Flanagan retired from 40 years
of teaching at DVC. Vern Duvall, who came to DVC 32 years ago
also retired. The first member of DVC's chemistry faculty was Don Brunner (retired
1995). In 1951, when he joined the college, it was called East
Contra Costa Junior College and was located in Martinez in a previously
condemned elementary school and an old relocated military officers
club. In the fall of 1952 the campus moved to its current DVC
location and chemistry was taught in the officers club building,which
had been moved to the new site, and a Quonset hut. During this
time, Don was joined by chemistry instructor Mike Pizanis (retired
1986) and four others who did not stay in the Department longterm.
One of the four, Floyd Svensson, moved to physics and later engineering,
retiring after a long tenure at DVC. Wendell Taylor 1998. To see him as he looked 30 years ago hold your mouse over the picture or click here. Another recent chemistry retiree is Josephine (Jo) Wall (retired
1996) who joined the department full time in 1990 after 5 years
of part time teaching. Paul Yeager 1998. To see him as he looked 30 years ago hold your mouse over the picture or click here.
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News from us
In 1958 the name of the East Contra Costa Junior College campus
was changed to Diablo Valley College. Between 1958 and 1961 four
new chemistry faculty came to DVC: Bob Flanagan (retired 1998),
Wendell Taylor (retired 1985), Paul Yeager (retired 1990), and
Doug Flynn (retired 1993). Paul Yeager actually started as a physics
instructor. All also taught mathematics at that time. Ken Howard
(retired 1993) joined the department in 1963, followed by Vern
Duvall (retired 1998) in 1966. Stan Chin, hired in 1972, transferred
to Los Medanos College when it opened in 1974. There he taught
chemistry, then became Dean, and finally became President of the
College before he succumbed to cancer.
What are the retirees doing now? Well, some of them (Doug Flynn, Don Brunner, and Bob Flanagan)
have been teaching chemistry part time at DVC, in addition to
other pursuits. Doug and Don are getting to spend more time on
their ranches. Bob just returned from an extensive trip to Europe
and is becoming an expert on his grandsons' computer games. Mike
Pizanis lived in Greece for some time. Wendell Taylor is still
tracking the stock market as well as trying to keep up with his
5 grandchildren, travelling, backpacking, and skiing. Paul Yeager
has been travelling worldwide and leading numerous backpacking
and cross-country skiing trips. Jo Wall has spent time travelling
(China and Latin America), improving her Spanish, practicing Tai
Chi, volunteering in inner city programs, and doting on her granddaughter.
Ken Howard has, unfortunately, passed away.
