International House Berkeley

International House Times 17 Noor A. Lakhdhir (IH 1950-52) As Noor was a poor Muslim boy in Mumbai, his mother thought it would not be possible for him to study in America. But Noor surprised her and received a scholarship to study at UC Berkeley, from which he graduated in 1952. He then moved to New York and continued his journey with International House, living in I-House New York. One of his jobs was at the International House New York Newsstand, where he met Ann who also lived at I-House New York. She would stop by the Newsstand every morning. Noor and Ann got married and had two children. Henry Lurie (IH 1957-60) Henry Lurie was a first-generation college student who obtained both his bachelor's and Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. Henry was awarded the University Medal as the highest-ranked graduating senior in the class of 1957. He relocated to Los Angeles and started a long successful career at TRW, working on a number of important projects such as research and advanced space technologies. Henry was also a pioneer in helping design and develop the first artificial heart. In 1993, Henry was recognized as a Distinguished Engineering Alumni by the college. Roy "Ruy" S. Portugal (IH 1955-56) On a 6th-floor room-plaque dedication, Roy "Ruy" Santos Portugal wrote, "The International House nourished the knowledge, confidence, and experiences to start my career. May this house continue to provide world- wide connections and relationships for a peaceful world." Ruy was born in New York city to Portuguese parents, and then moved to Brazil. After service in the U.S. Navy, he came to Berkeley and lived at I-House. Ruy graduated in 1956 from the Haas School of Business. He enjoyed returning to I-House for visits, Haas for events, and Memorial Stadium for games after his retirement to Napa. David Shirley (IH 1953-62) David Shirley served as director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and professor at UC Berkeley. He was a pioneer of electron spectroscopy, a teacher, a mentor, and an extraordinary scientific leader with broad vision. David was mentored himself by Nobel Laureate, UC Chancellor, and I-House Board member Glenn Seaborg (IH 1934-35). After completing his doctorate here, David became a lecturer in chemistry at UC Berkeley in 1959 and then became chairman in 1968. He was a National Science Foundation fellow at Oxford University in 1966-67, was awarded the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award in 1972, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1978, and received an honorary degree from the Free University of Berlin in 1987. Ruth Ellen Smith (IH 1952-57) Ruth Ellen Smith earned both a B.A. and M.A. from UC Berkeley and earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern California. Dr. Smith worked for most of her career as a clinical psychologist for the Porterville Developmental Center where she served as Staff Psychologist, Director of Research, and chair of several committees. She served as a short- term volunteer helping with English in Indonesia, Poland, Hungary, and Portugal. She also volunteered on archeology digs in Germany and Peru. Millicent Tomkins (IH 1951) Millicent Tomkins studied art and literature at UC Berkeley. Millicent made her professional concert debut as a soprano at the age of 30. She continued her singing career for 20 more years and kept a number of small studios in which she developed her distinctive style of visual expression. Millicent Tomkins is remembered for her intense creative energy, her innate curiosity, and fine humor. In Memory Nancy Francis (IH 1955-57) Nancy Francis attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts for a year. After that, she moved to UC Berkeley and started living at I-House. At I-House, she met the love of her life, a graduate student in physics from Kansas, Arthur Berrill Francis. Nancy graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Spanish language and was hired as a business language translator. She then obtained her teaching credential and became an elementary school teacher. In the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Dining Commons, Nancy dedicated a plaque in the Service Station honoring her I-House experience.

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