Dr. Carl D. Duncan (1895-1966), former SJSU professor and chairman of the Natural Science Department, began his career at San Jose State College in 1922. During his tenure he mentored many students, and between the years 1964-1966, he mentored Patricia Carpio (Whiting), a student in the Humanities & Arts. Whiting worked for Dr. Duncan, who served as the secretary of the Field Studies program at that time. Whiting went on to become the first Filipino woman elected to the Oregon State Legislature, serving three terms from 1972-1978, and a community activist and beloved leader. Duncan and Whiting maintained a long-term friendship that lasted until in his death in 1966. Patricia Whiting died at age 69 on July 1, 2010 of cancer. She is survived by her husband Vincent Whiting.
Message #3. There’ll not be a 4th as I’ll see you (happy day!) before it could be delivered by mail. North Hollywood August 1st My dear I’m sitting on the edge of my bed at my brother’s house to write. I’ve been reading “Bertrand Russell’s Best” - Have read more than half of it and made quite a discovery. My own philosophy of life and teaching - self-developed - has long been mush the same as his. Most of it I’ve lived by and found it effective in human life and situations. Probably I have been slower to develop some of the ideas, but then he’s older than I and in another ten years, who knows? Also my youth was quite different from his. I was an ardent Christian-Methodist pattern uncritically accepted longer than he perhaps followed a formal established religion. Of this I don’t know. Since I became a sort of universalist - pantheist, however, I do know that I have been consulted (while at San Jose State mostly) by ministers of two protestant denominations for ideas derived from my biological science which they thought they could use to better illustrate their sermons. Also one of them classified me as a “reverent agnostic” and more fundamentally religious than many of his own congregation. In this respect I think that you and I and Russell, not to mention others, are much more alike than different. No doubt this contributes to the direct & immediate understanding that seems to exist between us - along with poetic feeling, love of beauty, music, etc. It all gives me a very warm feeling. Haven’t set an actual date for my next visit here but my brother - Ted and his wife Golda - are highly pleased. “The house is yours,” etc. etc. Incidentally, I have the germ of an idea to introduce into your mind. One thing I want to do where I come down is to see Marineland when the educated porpoises & the tame whale are. If you haven’t seen them & would like to - why can’t we break our visit in two parts? I’ll put up at a motel in Oxnard while you visit your Aunt - unless she can bed me overnight on a couch - or the floor (It’s been a long time since I’ve sprawled on the “a la pallet”) - though I’ve sprawled on the floor for many a nap. Then we can come on to North Hollywood. My brother has lots of room for us both - big house, two or three extra bedrooms, etc. His boys are both away from home now, though the older one, Roger, (married) lives [two words illegible] & is now boning up for his law exams (bar exams, that is, since he has graduated from law school & is ready to begin practice). The younger son is vacationing in Hawaii. Rogers wife, Darlene (They were married just about or less than a year ago) is a real doll - beautiful, animated, and intelligent. Also quite courageous - of which I’ll tell you more some time. She’ll be available to be our guide around Marineland. She has her first teaching job (science) & probably includes Marineland in her Field Science work (Junior Hi). Certain differences - She has been brought up as the protected daughter of a highly successful Pasadena physician - so she lacks your breadth of outlook & your wisdom. (You have a lot of it you know - or am I telling you something?) She’s learning fast - through my brother & his conversations with some of the creative personalities in the movies, music, etc. She shows her courage in polite but firm defiance of her father when she can’t agree with his staid beliefs & manners - You’ll like her and Roger and we can have a wonderful day together - Think about it. Incidentally I’ve been thinking a lot about a little girl in Chicago - a “South Paw,” facing a hostile world bordering on a slum world, with her left hand in her pocket in readiness to throw peppers in the eyes of any young outlaws who might molest her or her sister or younger brother - & then run like Hell to the safety of some building or that of home while the miscreants were disabled with pepperitis! You didn’t say whether you ever actually had to throw any pepper, but I’ve no doubt you would have done so had the occasion called for it. Then, from such a beginning- more unfavorable than mine for a variety of reasons, though again our experiences had some elements in common - how you ever managed to grow up into the lovely bundle of sweetness & light, compassion and tenderness that you have done is among the marvels of the age. Again I’m moved to ask - “How can such wonders be?” But I’m eternally grateful that you’ve done it, that you are you - and so delightful and that it has been my great good fortune to come to know you & find my feelings for you somewhat reciprocated. If I seem to dwell on this subject frequently, it’s only because I find you a constantly beautiful & lovely young lady - and I truly love you very much. Adoringly yours Carl
