News Scrapbook 1980

u:,~ a,, 9, Jii,~ Portia Merriam Dies; La Jolla Social Leader · LA JOLLA - Portia Merriam, prominent in cultural and university circles, has died at her home here. She was a native of Carbonado, Wash., and active in so- cial and cultural affairs in Detroit and Phoneix before mov- ing to La Jolla in 1956. Mrs. Merriam, who died Monday, was chairwoman of the fi t Chancellor's Ball at the University of San Diego, oun ng mem r o Diego Medical Center Awcil- iary and the School of Medicine Associates, and a member of the Social Service League of La Jolla and the Commit- tee of 100. She also was an honorary board member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and a founder of the La Jolla Chamber Music Society. In 1978, the UC San Diego Medical Center Auxiliary established the annual Merriam Medal "as a tribute to the creative and dynamic spirit of Mrs. Merriam" and to enoourage volunteerism to which she dedicated much of her life. Her most recent volunteer effort for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was an annual outing for children afflicted by the disease. She was the widow of deWitt H. Merriam, a Detroit jurist ·for 22 years and one of the founders of the University of San Diego Law School. He died in 1965. Memorial services for Mrs. Merriam will be at 2 p.m. Friday at St. James-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, La Jolla. Contributions to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are suggested. WIDOW OF JURIST Portia Merriam Rites Set (Continued from B-1) arship funds and the pres- School of Medicine Associ- ervation of San Diego's her- ates. itage. She was a founder of the In 1978 the "Merriam La Jolla Chamber Music Medal" was established by Society, and a member of the UCSD Medical Center the Social Service League Auxiliary as a tribute to the of La Jolla and the Commit- "creative and dynamic tee of 100. spirit of Mrs. Merriam." Her most recent charita- The gold medal is awarded ble efforts were the local annually to encourage vo- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, lunteerism and to perpetu- for which she annually ate the efforts of volunteers gave a gala outing for chit- throughout the county. dren. Last year the trek Mrs. Merriam was chair- was to San Juan Capistrano man of the first UCSD on a train and bus trip.

MRS. MERRIAM Rites Friday For Cultural, Civic Leader

THE SAN DIEGO UNION © High Court Jurist Honored By USD ·gu1a to (Iran's) Kho- "From (Roman Emperor) ~ahtroy the inde e,1dence meini, tyrants have so~ght to. ~ts of individuals are to of the judiciary," ~ut_ifdthe ~~nee must be protected, survive, the court s m epe C rt Justice Mathew 0. California State Supreme ou Tobriner said here yesterday the state bench for the past Tobriner, who has been on ·n an honorary doctor of 18 years, spoke a~t ~~!~:~ify of San Diego School of laws degree from ed ·ts 25th anniversary yesterday. Law which celebrate i llate court judges Recent efforts t? have :t~o~&: if those judges are elected by the public mu st . d ents which anger big to remain free to hand down JUt gmyet protect the individu- business, labor and governmen ' al, Tobriner said. right of the individual has In the past 25 ~e3.:s? the a ainst the right of the gained increasing Judici~l supp~rtaufocratic institutions" sometimes '."ove:.P°wen~ ifual has historically been against which . the m v helpless," he said. h·rted from where in the past a The emphaslS has now s i . nt to today when the company had to be bplrovenpe~~~~~s must be f~filled, he consumer's reasona e ex said. . uld have done this if "But it is doubtfU:l that Judgef.~~al attack in election they had ~;n subJectedlt~~ ~n~oying labor, industry, campaigns, beca~,se c~ judges would nm fare well m government, etc., su . .d popularity con~ests," the justice sai .

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Portia Merriam

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Mrs. Portia Merriam, .a cultural and civic leader m fi Detroit, Phoenix and San Diego, died Monday in her fil La Jolla home. if Memorial services will be j at 2 p.m. Friday in St. ,I James by the Sea EpiSCO· pal Church in La Jolla. Ser- vices were held in 1965 for morrow at Forest Lawn ''' Memorial Park in Glen- I dar native of Carbonado, l:l: Wash., Mrs. Merriam and ¥ her husband moved to l} Phoenix in 1945 following ' his retirement from the I Third Judicial District m Court for Michigan. ml. In 1956 they moved to La ·. Jolla, where they became r,. supporters of numerous '" charitable and cultural ft actMti,s, MdJudge am helped found the Uni· versity of San Diego Law ,. i.~,l_t,.~_!. { fi 1 I -~ r~sla!w~~s~-n~e~Fa: at that church. Entombment will be to• ;1-__ i.. Mrs. Merriam devoted her energies to various phi- !anthropic organizations and community projects. Her efforts helped support the performing and visual ® arts, hospital clinics, schol- fr ?·~"'"-~~~tlnu~,;:!!,~:.l!_j i~ · ~- i f ~,m-1 · ,, I t School.

_ Slaff PhOto by John Gibbins atulates California Su- Bishop LeO Ma~er conrew O Tobriner after he preme Court Justice Mat doctor of laws diploma was presented a_n honor~ the USD law school's during ceremonies mar g 25th birthday· • _L iw

Tobriner said later that while he shared the conc~rn of many university officials that the Proposition 9 state income tax initiative on th!l June 3 ballot might result in budget cuts for public campuses, he could not agree with those woo chal- lenge the initiative ~rocess as a way of changmg the law. • "l believe that Proposi- tion 9 and its predece~sor' Proposition 13, are temble, but they are not groun~s for abandoning the m1t1~tive process," said Tobnner. Tobriner was introduced to the assembly of students, faculty and lawyers by law school Dean Donald T. Weckstein. The degrf;'e :,vas conferred by San Diego Bishop Leo T. Maher.

Chancellor's Ball and was an honorary board member of the Cystic Fibrosis Soci- ety. She was a founding member of both the UCSD Medical Auxiliary and the

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Mrs. Merriam has no

known survivors.

Donations may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foun- dation.