Obituaries

Doris Tennant Westcott, 98, (B.A., physical education, ’30) died May 16. Westcott was USC’s first Helen of Troy. With a master’s in education from USC, she became a pioneering principal of Compton High School in 1953, one of the first women to hold such a position. She hired the district’s first African-American teacher in the 1960s. Her marriage to former USC football player Jack Westcott ended in divorce. Tennant Westcott funded several scholarships at USC, and was honored at a campus memorial service in September.

Mary Carter Frontis, 91, (B.A., history, ’35) died May 8. Orphaned at age 15, Frontis graduated from high school at 16, completed her B.A. at 20 and earned a master’s in education from USC by 21. Frontis married and taught third grade in San Diego. An active member of her community, she received a 20-year service award from Meals on Wheels, among other honors. She is survived by a son, two daughters, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. 

Milton G. Rector, 88, (B.A., sociology, ’40) died June 24. The former president and CEO of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, Rector was a recognized leader in criminal justice, serving on many federal, state and local commissions. He was appointed by presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon to a post in the United Nations’ Social Defense Section. Rector also served in the Navy in WWII and later in the Naval Reserves, retiring with the rank of commander. He is survived by his daughter, son, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Sue Anne Murphy, 80, (B.A., sociology, ’47) died June 22. Murphy worked as a social worker and a reporter before raising her family. She worked at the Rancho Santa Fe library from 1974 until 2004. She is survived by her husband, Sylvester; and four sons, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Donald R. Belmont, 86, (B.A., political science, ’54) died June 8 in Bellingham, Wash. After graduating high school in Inglewood, Calif., Belmont worked as a clerk for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and eventually became a special agent, working in Texas, Louisiana and California. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in WWII, before completing his degree at USC. After leaving the FBI, he ran a private investigation firm. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ann; and two daughters and four grandchildren.

Charles Whitesell, 70, (B.A., psychology, ’58) died Aug. 9 from complications of leukemia. Whitesell graduated from the USC School of Law in 1961. An attorney, he served as president of the Westwood and Glendale Bar Associations and the Glendale Unified School District. He is survived by his wife, Ginger; daughter, Catherine Peatross; sons Charles II and Stephen; and mother, brother and five grandsons.

Forrest W. Young, 65, (Ph.D., psychology, ’67) died April 9 in Pittsburgh, Penn. After earning his doctorate from USC, Young joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he was an emeritus professor of quantitative psychology at the time of his death. A leader in psychometrics, Young developed software for statistical analysis and data visualization such as the visual statistics program ViSta. He authored or co-authored five books, including last year’s Visual Statistics: Seeing Data with Dynamic Interactive Graphics. Young is survived by his wife, Patricia; his son, Matthew; Matthew’s mother, Bepi Pinner; and four stepchildren, five step-grandchildren and two sisters.

Horace P. Bowser, Jr., 47, (B.A., mathematics, ’83) died June 7, in Austin, Texas. A software engineer for 20 years, Bowser earned numerous awards and patents during his career. Most recently, he worked at Advanced Micro Devices. Bowser was a passionate member of his local reggae music community. He is survived by his fiancée, Darlene Jackson; son, Bryan; and mother, father and sister. 

L.M. ‘Bill’ Stephenson, 63, who taught organic chemistry at USC from 1978 to 1983, died Aug. 26 in Philadelphia. Prior to his illness, he was the vice provost for research and graduate policy at Drexel University. Under his direction, Drexel’s funding for sponsored research grew to more than $100 million. Stephenson earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech in 1968, and went on to hold positions in academia, government and industry. At USC, he was a founding member of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jo Grdina; and daughter, sister and aunt.