Proud of his accomplishments, University of La Verne President Steve Morgan retires in 2011 after 25 years at the helm. / photo by Michael D. Martinez

by Kevin Garrity
photography by Michael D. Martinez

Steve Morgan sits, legs crossed, hands folded. A grin slips onto his face as he peers out his office windows that overlook Founders Hall’s front lawn, home of the freshly painted University rock, its translucence exaggerated against the gray sky. The rock is bright white, a clean canvas, a new beginning. “Society changes, and institutions have to change in order to make sure everybody is prepared for the future,” Morgan reflects.

Not since Ronald Reagan was president and “Back to the Future” was tops at the box office has the University of La Verne been forced to find new leadership. But with the recent announcement that Morgan will retire in 2011, after an impressive 25 years of presidential service, the future he so fondly envisions will not be led with him behind the desk, but by a new vision, one that is being formed by a select few on a search committee.

A University legacy

Steve accepted the position of University president in 1985 amidst recession-caused low financial times for the University, but even today with California’s education financing shakier than a common aftershock, La Verne’s promise, under Steve’s guidance, continues to weather the storm. “I think he has been fantastic; he had the ability to keep La Verne being La Verne,” says Ken Calkins, University Board of Trustees member since 1980 and member of the new presidential search committee. “He came in during a time of financial problems for the institution, and I think from that came one of his greatest strengths: He understands La Verne.” Calkins, a retired educator, had a hand in selecting Morgan as the University’s president in 1985 and will now occupy a more intricate role in finding his successor.

Emmet Terrell occupies his time during the day as the deputy superintendent in the Pomona Unified School District, but this evening he walks on campus as co-chair of the presidential search committee and as Board of Trustee member for 11 years. His tenure has only known Steve Morgan at the helm. “First and foremost he is about people; he values people. He has been involved with much more than the University of La Verne; he is involved in the greater community. He really is a special kind of guy.”

Morgan says his retirement decision was part of a long plan that always saw him retiring at the normal age of 65, but for a University that has not seen new leadership in more than two decades, the announcement still left many in the community wondering what is next for La Verne.

Jonathan Reed, dean of arts and sciences at ULV, hopes the new president will continue President Morgan’s commitment to academics. “I have seen significant growth and depth at the University since I have been here, and I believe that Steve has laid a solid foundation for success in the 21st century.”

“The University was struggling financially, and from the College of Law perspective he provided enormous support for us to help move us toward getting full approval from the American Bar Association,” states Allen Easley, dean and professor of the University of La Verne College of Law.

“In the future, I look at the University as being stronger down the road because it will build on the foundations of its earlier days. All of us contribute to adding a bit more to that foundation of an institution, and then the next generation builds on that,” Morgan reflects.

A new united vision

Areas that will outlive Morgan’s presidency and be first on a new president’s list of chores were brought to life by a recent visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In WASC’s findings, La Verne needs to unite with one common vision for the University that brings together the community, values and intricacies of its mission statement.

“Our mission needs to resonate particularly with our HSI [Hispanic Serving Institution] status. Nearly half of our undergraduate operations are Latino, and that is a strength, and we need to continue to develop that by hiring more diverse faculty and by reaching out in new ways to be a diverse community in Southern California,” articulates Glenn Gamst, chair of the psychology department.

But Calkins and Terrell are not exactly sure what definitive qualities they will seek to make a new University president; in fact the process is just underway. It is a process whose importance is not measured with strict guidelines, but may come down to something deeper: chemistry. “There will be a chemistry that you can’t even describe. It will be something that we know when we see it,” says Calkins. “We want somebody who obviously has experience in education, but also somebody who is going to really champion the undergraduate program at La Verne. We are really proud of our other programs, but the undergraduate program is the nucleus of La Verne.” Adds Terrell, “It’s a tough time in education right now in California so we are seeking somebody smart, creative and passionate. With this role comes a great opportunity to establish a lead role for the University of La Verne. I guess what we are looking for is a superman or superwoman.” With the search team in place, both trustee members agree that this decision is the most important that they have ever had to make in their professional lives.

Morgan envisions the new president will continue emboldening the campus, and he has complete confidence in the Board of Trustees and the rest of the search committee to ensure that the future of La Verne is promising. “The University president has a variety of roles, and I think it’s helping the institution create a vision and own that vision, and helping the institution move toward the fulfillment of that vision. The key is to develop a vision—people buy into the vision because it’s theirs—and they help develop the vision, and then you move together toward that,” Morgan explains. “We look back to our founding, and we were all housed in the old hotel, and it was just a handful of people than what we have today. I would just imagine that in the next 10, 20, 30, 100 years this institution will continue to strengthen and meet the needs of the students.”

All of the colleges on campus will be represented on the search committee staff to voice the opinion of their colleagues. Gamst will serve as the College of Arts and Sciences faculty representative and has many qualification expectations for whoever will serve as the next president. Educational experience is at the top of his list. “The University is at a crossroads as to where we are going to be heading in the next decade, and it’s an exciting time,” explains Gamst. “We need a Ph.D. academician; somebody who has both taught at various levels at a university and also produced research and/or scholarship. Our next president needs to be a fundraiser extraordinaire; that to me is job one for a university president in this day and age. In order for the University to shine on down the road, we need to continually focus on quality improvement of our academic programs.” Gamst says that with crucial issues needing to be addressed around the campus such as building upgrades in the science departments and renovating dorm facilities, a key attribute for candidates will be to have the ability to generate enough money to solve some of these problems. ULV is a 98 percent tuition based institution, so reducing the amount of money received exclusively from tuition will also be on the minds of those making the decisions.

“The priority of the search committee is to find somebody who understands academic quality and who is a high level fundraiser,” explains Dean Reed. “I hope we can find someone who has dedication and passion for the University of La Verne. We are now in a point of stability, and so we are now able to take the next step in academic quality while continually growing the endowment. Our future is tied directly to our academic quality. We need to focus on having academic depth in all of our programs and being known beyond the region as being a high quality institution.” Mark Goor, dean of the college of education and organizational leadership, hopes the next president will trust the provost and deans to lead the academic work of the University. He also hopes the new president will recognize the strong reputation of developing educators and leaders at the school of education. “It would be good for the faculty to respect the new president as a scholar; however, in my opinion strong leadership abilities are more important,” says Goor. “We need an individual who is a good fundraiser, public speaker and who can articulate a vision to raise the profile of the University,” expresses Abe Helou, dean of the college of business and public management. “I think a wide variety of field experiences would be beneficial to understand what a comprehensive university entails. We also need somebody who will be able to delegate while holding people accountable.”

Forward moving symbols

For some La Verne residents, memories of the old basketball gym linger as a community staple; however, now erected in that same spot is an environmentally friendly student and faculty hub of activity. The two exhibits that stand alongside the Campus Center are modern, forward thinking pieces of art.

The first Presidential Search Committee meeting was conducted at the Hanawalt House, recently resurrected into a beautiful model of tradition with fresh perspective. These symbols are harbingers for the University of La Verne: an institution with a long-held vision undergoing a new focus for its future.

Seemingly nestling the University of La Verne’s future in their hands, Board of Trustees members Ken Calkins and Emmet Terrell serve as important voices as to who will serve as the next visionary La Verne president. / photo by Michael D. Martinez

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Holy Name of Mary Church, San Dimas and Bonita avenues. / photo by Courtney Droke

by Kevin Garrity
photography by Courtney Droke

A La Verne street at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains bears his name, and the private high school at its south end proudly recalls his life’s work. Indeed, in so many other ways the Catholic leadership in Southern California has made him a native son. But while people in La Verne and San Dimas call him their own, his story and selfless actions made national prominence when he was canonized Oct. 11. Saint Damien, father to lepers, brother to all, is now revered by all.

The official sainthood pronouncement was over, and, at the time, Vatican City was filled with people wearing leis representing their leader from Molokai. But four days later about 75 people, their eyes deep and passionate, sang “Amazing Grace” on their festive half mile march from Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas to Damien High School in La Verne to celebrate their hero’s sainthood. Damien is their inspiration, and his spiritual presence is felt throughout the community. He no longer just lends his name to the local high school and street; he now owns a high-ranking status in the Catholic sect and garners as much national attention as he does local. The high ranking accolades now reach from the pope to the United States President.

“He invites us to open our eyes toward the leprosies that disfigure the humanity of our brothers and sisters and that today still call, more than for our generosity, for the charity of our serving presence,” proclaims Pope Benedict XVI at the canonization in Vatican City. President Obama, himself a Hawaii native, says, “Fr. Damien has earned a special place in the hearts of the Hawaiians. I recall many stories from my youth about his tireless work to care for those suffering from leprosy who had been cast out. Fr. Damien challenged the stigmatizing effects of the disease, giving voice to the voiceless and, ultimately, sacrificing his own life to bring dignity to so many.”

Saint Damien in the late 1800s voluntarily went to the Hawaiian island of Molokai to help a leper colony. He developed churches, created laws and provided care for those who were shunned by society. His life of selflessness, charity and devotion was the first building block to a life that could officially be considered saintly. But first he needed two miracles.

Miracle man

In 1895, a French nun, Simplicia Hue, age 37, was in grave condition for more than seven months. She prayed to Damien for her recovery of a gastrointestinal disease. Her prayers pleaded for Saint Damien to intercede with God and heal her. Hue was allegedly cured overnight, and she remarkably lived for another 32 years.

It would be 114 years before the Pope was to recognize the second miracle. In 1999, Audrey Toguchi, 81, a teacher for 44 years, prayed every day to Saint Damien for a healthy recovery from her battle with terminal lung cancer. Toguchi went to Damien’s grave site in Kalawao, Molokai to pray resiliently. Inexplicably, by the end of 1999, her cancer was cured without treatment.

“She had visited Father Damien’s grave site constantly. She prayed to Father Damien to ask Jesus to cure her cancer. The next time she saw the doctor, her tests showed the cancer was shrinking. The doctor, who himself was not Catholic, kept all the medical records and told her to show them to whoever she needed to in the church because he believed that it was a miracle,” articulates Jennifer Hoge, University of La Verne alumna and co-writer/director of “Damien: Making a Difference, God Making a Saint.”

The tireless prayers of thousands were finally answered. On Feb. 21, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI approved the second miracle and a saint was canonized.

It becomes official

Father Damien de Veuster of Molokai was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 11, 2009, and the Catholic Church in Vatican City, elevated his status from father to saint. The three-step process was finally complete. First, Damien was declared venerable by Pope Paul VI in 1977. To become verified, one must live a life free of sin and not involve himself with anything that would prevent a person from becoming a saint. Then he became Blessed Damien in 1995 by Pope John Paul II after his first miracle was officially recognized. And, finally, the second miracle was pronounced legitimate, and he was propelled into sainthood, elevating his status to the highest level a person can achieve in the Church.

A community celebration

Damien entered the Catholic order of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1863. The order has established denominations in the La Verne, Pomona and San Dimas areas, all of which proved instrumental in propelling Damien into sainthood. It was the inspiration his charitable life that gave the people strength in pursuing Damien’s rightful recognition to such a coveted status in the Catholic Church. “The mission of the congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is to live, contemplate and proclaim the love of God in the midst of the world,” says Martin O’Loghlen, Holy Name of Mary associate pastor.

Once the canonization news broke, a worldwide celebration started, with its roots in the streets of La Verne, Hawaii and Vatican City. People celebrated with week-long events that led up to the final declaration by the Pope. Four days before Damien officially become a saint, the local Church held a special mass in his name. “The 150 year wait comes to an end this weekend with a great moment for our community of the Sacred Hearts,” preached Father John Roche, Holy Name of Mary pastor. “His example of charity and generosity is an example for all of us on how to live the gospel. A brother to all, father to lepers, Damien was able to give up everything and serve the poor and needy.”

After the mass, the Church staged a luau. The congregation wore leis, and propped up pictures of Saint Damien graced the alter fronts. Even the mass featured a ceremonial Hawaiian dance, bringing the flock to life in a true celebratory moment for people within the community and the dozen visitors from Hawaii.

Four days after the official canonization, members of Holy Name of Mary walked east from their Church on Bonita Avenue to the gymnasium at Damien High School. There, a Thursday night mass was observed. On the walk, men, women and children harmoniously sang “Amazing Grace,” paying their admirations to not just any saint, but their saint.

“We promise to imitate Christ, and saints are great examples of people who imitate Christ,” says Father O’Loghlen. “I find Damien very inspirational. His humanitarian efforts should even be inspirational for people who are not necessarily religious.”

“He was already a saint to people even before he was canonized. He was that kind of a person; he didn’t need this expression because people already saw what he did, and that he was a special kind of a man,” says Father Rich Danyluk, vice provincial of the Sacred Hearts.

A life to remember

In 1840, Joseph de Veuster was born in Belgium, the seventh of eight children, to Frans de Veuster, a corn merchant. Expected to take over the family farm business, he instead followed in his brother’s footsteps and entered the seminary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at age 23 and took the religious name of “Damien.”

His brother Auguste was scheduled to serve the Sacred Hearts order in Hawaii but was stricken with typhus. The illness required a long recuperation period, and thus Auguste was unable to journey to Hawaii. Damien offered himself to serve in his brother’s place, although not yet an ordained priest. Even though this was not allowed in the Catholic Church, Damien’s unconventional request was granted, and, in 1864, he assumed the responsibility of serving as a missionary in Hawaii. In the same year, he was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of Our Lady Peace.

“He brought the presence of God there, but only because of his deep faith, total commitment and his willingness to give himself totally. He didn’t just come to visit as many others had. He came to be with them,” expresses Father O’Loghlen in the documentary “Making a Difference.” “Damien should not have been sent, because he was only a seminarian; he hadn’t achieved ordination. This is a miracle itself,” says Father Michael Berry in “Making a Difference.”

During this time, the native Hawaiians faced a dire health problem: leprosy, now called Hansen’s disease. The United States government enforced “The Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy” in 1865, thus leading to the purchase of a five-square-mile village on the Makanalua peninsula, which jutted out from the island of Molokai, in effect to establish a leper settlement. The law prohibited people from leaving the island, and since Damien integrated himself there, it meant he would never be allowed to leave either. Lepers were often forcibly taken from their homes, stripped from their families and thrown onto the peninsula, effectively quarantined away from loved ones and society.

Leprosy, now extinguished with antibiotics, was then a feared and grotesque disease of the peripheral nerves. It caused disfigurement—swollen eyes, protuberances in the cheeks and ears and infected legs, which made it difficult to walk, were all external ailments people endured. Damien was able to provide priestly leadership to these societal outcasts, and during his 16 years of guidance, houses were built, schools were in session and basic community laws were enforced. “Damien was able to serve people both spiritually and physically who everybody thought were outcasts,” Father O’ Loghlen says.

Damien acquired leprosy that would ultimately take his life on April 15, 1889, at age 49. The first effective treatment for Leprosy was developed in the 1930s.

“I look at him during that time in the world as a man who had special kinds of eyes. He was able to look beyond all the negativity and all the ugliness that the world saw and was able to see more in them. He saw the beauty in them and transformed their lives,” Father Danyluk says.

Saint Damien’s canonization was as much representational for his life’s achievements as it was a community’s resilience in seeing the sainthood process through. And while his selfless life is recognized throughout the world, those singing “Amazing Grace” down Bonita Avenue are still proud to call him their very own.

Also see the companion story, “A Touch of God.”

Seemingly looking to his sainthood future, a statue of Father Damien presides over the sanctuary courtyard of Holy Name of Mary Church. Father Damien volunteered to work among lepers on Molokai, Hawaii, beginning in 1873. The sainthood canonization of Father Damien took place Oct. 11, 2009, at the Vatican. / photo by Courtney Droke

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Larry Marino fills KRLA’s signal with news everyday for the Inland Empire. Marino has also been involved with television broadcasting work and has taught radio/tele­vi­sion news and production at the University of La Verne. / photo by Courtney Droke

by Kevin Garrity
photo by Courtney Droke

At the age of 9, Larry Marino connected a wire from his bedroom window in Pasadena to his next door neighbor’s house. He read the news, shared pictures and discussed current events, trying to connect people through radio airwaves. Thirty years later that now invisible wire has connected Arnold Schwarzenegger, George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton.

870-AM KRLA, present day, noon. A humming noise fills the KRLA radio station. The overture music sounds, the red “On Air” sign illuminates, and the baritone voice of the University of La Verne alumnus transports the news, weather and traffic into the cars of the many commuters in the Inland Empire.

Larry Marino graduated from La Verne magna cum laude in 1983 with a degree in Radio Broadcasting and has been working in the industry ever since. A transfer student from Pasadena City College, Marino came to La Verne after hearing about the quality experience he would receive.

“La Verne was very hands on, and it was great being able to work with the equipment,” he says. “I was told how great of an education I would get, and, after going there myself, I saw that firsthand.”

“I was around when the radio station was located under the gym in the big tents. The media building has seen quite an upgrade since then.” Marino was drawn to the radio stations on campus, KULV and KBOB, where he gained experience that further established his love for radio.

KULV, now LEO-FM, is still the running radio station for the University, unlike KBOB, which broadcasted live, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week in the old Supertents media center. The station featured big band music and news, read live by the on-air personality.

“Larry’s skills were at a level where he was able to go on live with no problem,” says Mike Laponis, professor of communications at La Verne and Marino’s radio teacher.

“He used to do the most innovative stories like a five-part week-long aviation series. He went on air and gave his report on things like hot air ballooning and getting a pilot’s license. Now he has to do what he used to do in a week in a day.”

“Mike was pretty much my adviser. I remember coming to him before I graduated to see what was going to happen, if I was going to get a job. And I did,” Larry says.

As soon as he graduated from college, he received a phone call from a Lancaster radio station. The owner wasted no time offering him a job. Since then, Marino has never left the news industry; he has worked in San Bernardino, Texas, Florida and Glendale, Calif., where he is currently stationed.

He was a network anchor in Abilene, Texas, where he reported sidebar stories from the days’ top stories, hosted his own radio show where he interviewed Larry King, and he has guest hosted radio shows for national personalities such as Michael Savage and Laura Ingram.

Whether it is TV or radio, Marino’s career has been highlighted by historic events and interviews with high profile newsmakers. In 1999, Larry picked up his phone to hear “Hey, Larry, it’s George.” The person on the other end of the phone was George W. Bush, who was campaigning for the 2000 presidential election.

This was not the last time Bush would impact Marino’s day. Larry was in Washington, D.C. the day the President decided to invade Iraq. The KRLA network gave him the assignment and told him to report the breaking news and the subsequent protests that erupted in front of the White House.

Larry was able to report live from his cell phone back to the station. The next morning, he was on the program’s morning show from its Washington D.C. base providing the details. “I remember seeing the Capitol building and thinking how quiet the streets were,” he recalls when the protests died down, late in the night.

Once Larry returned to Los Angeles to take a radio job, the University of La Verne invited him to teach a few classes in Radio and TV News Writing. With his access and personal connections, Larry was able to take his students to news sets, such as KTLA, and give his students a first hand experience in the production of a televised news show. “His practiced experience in TV, radio and talk news gave his students a great opportunity,” Laponis says.

One day, Larry walked into one of his classes, one he did not feel had enough hands-on experience, and announced that the lesson plan for the evening was to interview Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Unconvinced mumblings erupted in the class, until Larry took his class to the radio studio to set up the taped interview with the future governor of California, who was promoting a ballot initiative.

“It’s extremely important for the University to show students that there is life after they go to school here,” Laponis says. “And Larry is a great example of that. He was able to come back and express his knowledge of all media markets.”

“I remember being a kid and listening to the radio and feeling connected to the world. I would lie in bed at night, turn on the radio and listen to a talk show. I have always gravitated toward the radio and the way it connects people.”

Larry is now the director of news and public affairs for Salem Los Angeles and provides the news, weather and traffic updates at the top and bottom of every hour for both KRLA and KTIE 590. He also hosts his own weekend public affairs show on the same network.

“In this industry, you never know what’s going to happen next. You never know where you are going that day. It’s a lot of fun doing what I do. And I always know what is going on,” says Marino.

His listeners know the feeling.

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Far from his role as Biff in Back to the Future, Tom Wilson provides his vocal expertise for the role of Saint Damien in local filmmaker Jennifer Hoge’s new documentary. Hoge is a graduate of the University of La Verne Communications Department. / photo by Courtney Droke

by Kevin Garrity
photography by Courtney Droke

It began as a documentary project for a local Catholic Church. Now “Damien Making a Difference, God Making a Saint,” is a multi-award winning documentary created by local filmmaker and ULV alumna Jennifer Hoge.

Presenting the generous life of Father Damien and his journey into sainthood, the documentary is an Accolade Award of Merit and a gold Kahuana Award winner. It will be one of 41 marquee films shown at the 2010 Honolulu Film Festival.

The documentary was initially created for the local Catholic Church after Father Michael Berry of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary gave Hoge the creative green light. “Father Berry wanted a video on the life of Saint Damien. He wanted to incorporate the sense of bond in Saint Damien’s life. I took all of his words and inserted them into a script, and that’s when I knew it had a special touch of God in it,” shares Hoge. The documentary helped Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas gain sainthood recognition for then Father Damien.

“For doing it in only six weeks, I couldn’t believe how easily it all came together,” reflects Hoge. Tom Wilson, an actor who played the character Biff in the “Back to the Future” series, provides the voice of Father Damien. Mike Laponis, ULV professor of communications, serves as narrator, and Shane Rodrigues, ULV radio-TV operations manager, is director of photography.

Hoge graduated from La Verne in 1999 magna cum laude with a B.A. in television production. A Disney parade dancer during her college years, she quickly gained administrative status as production coordinator for Disneyland Entertainment Productions. With a new family, she decided to work from home and opened in 2003 her own business Premier Image Production. Her work now focuses on corporate Internet and fundraising videos, a religious talk series and live events.

“Damien Making a Difference” can be obtained through a $30 donation sent to The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary USA West Provincial Office, P.O. Box 668, San Dimas, Calif. 91773. To view the trailer of the documentary, visit www.youtube.com/premierimage.

Also see the companion story, “How Miracles Make Saints.”

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