Volume 29 · Number 1 · Fall 2010
In Memoriam
From left: Ronald Baskin, Hendrik Ketellapper, Catherine Morrison Paul, Lloyd Musolf and John Ward
ronald baskin, professor emeritus of molecular and cellular biology, died july 3 in his davis home at age 74. he was an authority on the molecular basis of muscle contraction and the first in his family to attend college. a renowned mentor and teacher, baskin chaired uc davis’ zoology department from 1971 to 1979 and the graduate group in zoology from 1971 to 1978. he also helped establish uc davis’ biophysics department and chaired the graduate group in biophysics from 1983 to 1986.
hendrik ketellapper, a professor emeritus of plant biology, died in colorado in july after living with parkinson’s disease for 35 years. he was 84. professor ketellapper began work on campus in 1964 as a faculty member in the botany department, and eventually served in administrative positions, including 16 years as associate dean of the college of letters and science before retiring in 1991. a native of the netherlands, professor ketellapper visited australia and other countries for professional meetings and spent a month in the soviet union in 1962 as part of a research exchange program. beyond botany, his other passions included music, photography, stamp collecting and books.
catherine morrison paul, one of the nation’s top academic economists, died in a sacramento hospital in june from complications of leukemia. she was 57. a prolific researcher, she joined the department of agricultural and resource economics in 1995; a year later, she ranked 15th among economists for research productivity as measured by publication in the top 36 economics journals. professor morrison paul’s work addressed key issues facing the u.s. food system, such as market power in the meat packing industry and the environmental consequences of pesticide use. “she was incredibly humble and a fun person to work with,” said colleague colin carter.
lloyd musolf, a professor emeritus of political science who directed the institute of governmental affairs for 21 years, died in july at a davis retirement center. he was 90. a faculty member during 1963–87, he wrote numerous books and articles on public administration and legislation in the u.s., canada and southeast asia.
librarian john ward died at his sacramento home of a heart attack in june at age 57. he started at uc davis in 1988 as the librarian in charge of the engineering collection at the physical sciences library. in 1993, he transferred to what is now the blaisdell medical library, where he spent the rest of his career. “john was a librarian extraordinaire, linguist, biologist, historian, computer expert and a true renaissance man,” said colleague rebecca davis. ward received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences before switching fields to earn a master’s in library science in 1987 from san josé state university.