International House Berkeley

I-House Giving Matters Brewer Bench Naming Honors Beloved Golden Age Crooner Widening Opportunity: Huhns Support IH Scholarship Alumnus Librarian Honored in I-House Library For several years during the post WWII era of I-House the resident stairwell echoed with the sweet harmonies of the "Jahdrools," four male residents who sang songs of romance and optimism in what has since been called the "Golden Age" of International House. Two years ago UC Berkeley alumni and supporters Jim and Betty Huhn read a 2010 newspaper article about exceptional students who, despite admission to UC Berkeley, might not be able to benefit from Cal due to limited financial resources, especially given recent tuition increases. Happily, the couple, which has a proud history of scholarship support on campus, stepped in to help some of the students identified, and have now expanded this foundation of support in 2013-14 to include a full room and board scholarship award at International House. The first table-naming in the International House library has been established in memory of IH alumnus Frank Tilson Brechka (IH 6364), himself a librarian Frank Brechka as an IH resident in 1963 on the UC Berkeley campus for more than two decades. The dedication was made following news of a generous estate gift relayed through Wayne Walker (IH 1963-66) and his wife Mary who visited IH in early 2013 from St. Louis, Missouri, spending an afternoon with Alumni Relations Director, Shanti Corrigan. "My visit to I-House brought back many happy memories including times here with Frank, who was an avid world traveler and very interested in other cultures. His apartment was filled with artifacts he collected on his travels. He even survived a 2007 boat attack by Somali pirates!" remarked Wayne. Frank is also remembered as a perennial learner and scholar, having received his Ph.D. in History in 1968 from UC Berkeley. An avid collector, he owned many artifacts and over 2,000 books on a wide range of subjects. "Frank was a dedicated professional who loved Cal" says Wayne. "He served as UC Berkeley's History Librarian from 1971-91." At his memorial service it was noted, "Frank is remembered most, however, for his gentle manner, and for being the nicest guy you can imagine." Bob Brewer, 2nd from right, singing at an I-House performance, circa 1948 Bob Brewer, who sang a deep bass harmony with fellow members Elliot Castello, Bob Hacker, Joe Connell and Doug Powell, passed away last fall. This spring, gifts in Bob's honor will inscribe a bench at I-House that honors Bob, his beloved wife, Nancy (who he met in the IH Café in 1948), and will commemorate this special community and part of I-House history. In a collection of oral histories about the IH Golden Age Bob wrote: "some of the best memories of I-House were of the singing on the Bob Brewer (IH 1946-52) stairs coming down from the Dining Hall. Nanny and I loved the inclusive and casual atmosphere." A civil engineer, Bob and "Nanny" lived in the Oakland Hills in a house designed by two fellow I-Housers, Reeve Gould and David Leaf. Listen to the voices of the Jahdrools and enjoy lyrics from their songs, including some written by their former fellow resident, the renowned "Renaissance man" Raphael Rodriguez, at ihouse.berkeley.edu/jahdrools. 8 International House Times Cal alumni & supporters Betty ('50) & Jim Huhn ('52) have launched a new scholarship at I-House "I-House is really a jewel on campus that we hadn't explored until recently. We just know that the experience of living with such a diverse community of students from around the world and with so many academic perspectives will be a truly enriching experience for our sponsored scholarship recipient - and really for all the Cal students that have the chance to live here!" said Jim. "We have no grandchildren, so these students are like our adopted grandchildren. And we get great pleasure watching them progress through Cal." "It's like seeing a rose bloom in the garden," adds Betty. Learn more about naming opportunities at ihouse.berkeley.edu/donate/naming or contact Shanti Corrigan, Director of Development & Alumni Relations at (510) 642-0124 or shanti@berkeley.edu. The I-House Library, shown here in 2012, will enjoy its first dedication of a study table in honor of former resident and Berkeley librarian Brechka.

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