Tributes

In Memoriam

The George Washington University acknowledges and remembers the accomplishments of members of the GW community during their lifetime with the following memoriams.

DAVID EARL SEIDELSON

Lyle T. Alverson Professor Emeritus of Law, The George Washington University Law School

David Earl Seidelson was a member of GW’s law faculty for 38 years until his retirement in 1998. Professor Seidelson joined GW’s law faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1960. He was promoted to associate professor in 1963, professor in 1966, and was named Lyle T. Alverson Professor of Law in 1987.

During his tenure at the Law School, Professor Seidelson taught several different courses, including Torts, Evidence and Conflict of Laws. He was admired and beloved by generations of law students as a rigorous and stimulating classroom teacher. He was also a prolific scholar, with more than seventy articles published in leading law journals. His articles were cited in numerous decisions of federal and state courts as well as legal treatises and casebooks. He served the Law School and University on a wide variety of important committees, and he also served for many years as faculty advisor to the George Washington Law Review and the Moot Court Board.

Professor Seidelson served for three years as a Faculty Senator, including one year as a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. Professor Seidelson also chaired, in successive years, the Senate Committee on Athletics and the Senate Committee on Administrative Matters as They Affect the Faculty.

During his 38 years as a faculty member, Professor Seidelson earned the universal respect and affection of the faculty, staff, and students of the Law School. He also earned the highest esteem of many other colleagues throughout the University, who recognized the great value of the contributions he made to the University through his teaching, scholarship and service.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Professor Seidelson received his A.B. degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1951. He served in the United States Army during 1951-53.

After completing his military service, Professor Seidelson entered the University of Pittsburgh Law School and graduated with great distinction in 1956. He then practiced law for four years with the Pittsburgh firm of Rothman, Gordon & Foreman. He was counsel of record in approximately 200 civil and criminal trials and lost only five cases.

ANTHONY J. MASTRO

Professor Emeritus, Department of Accountancy, GW School of Business

Anthony J. Mastro spent more than three decades as a professor of accounting and business administration and participated in various services at GW. He came to the University in 1967 as an associate professor of accountancy, and in 1971 he was promoted to professor and became Chairman of the Department of Accountancy.

Mr. Mastro is an NYU and University of Notre Dame Alumnus, and served a number of professional, consulting, public service, and educational tenures including: the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Accounts, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Board of Education, The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Washington Area, The Brookings Institution, and The World Bank.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Genevieve, his sons Robert and Brian, his grandchildren Melissa Mastro and Geoffrey Mastro, and great grandchildren Jackson Moran and Mac Mastro.

MARCELLA BRENNER

A Tribute in Memory of Marcella Louis Brenner, Professor Emeritus of Education

Today I come bearing the sad news of the loss of a dear friend and astute mentor, whose role in the world can be described as nothing less than magnificent. Marcella Louis Brenner’s death on December 25 marks the passing of a pragmatic visionary, at the age of 95 still actively contributing to an extraordinary range of efforts to enhance lives in America and abroad.

Born in Baltimore in 1912, Dr. Brenner was graduated from the Maryland State Teachers College in 1929, going on to receive a B.S. in education from The Johns Hopkins University in 1934, an M.A. in sociology from American University in 1949, and an Ed.D. in educational administration from The George Washington University in 1962, as well as an Honorary Ph.D. from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2001.

Before coming to GW in 1961 as a lecturer in education, she taught in the Baltimore Public Schools (1930-43), served as a caseworker for the American Red Cross in D.C. (1944-45), and worked as a writer and editor for the U.S. Public Health Service in D.C. (1945-52). Dr. Brenner returned to the classroom in 1952, rising to principal (1954-64), at Lone Oak Elementary School in Rockville.

Once at GW, she advanced to professor of education in 1970. With funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, she developed and then co-founded the Master of Arts in Teaching in Museum Education in 1974—the first degree program of its kind. When she retired in 1983, after serving as the director of the Museum Education Program during its crucial formative years, she was awarded emeritus status by the University.

Dr. Brenner served on the Faculty Senate, as chair of the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students (1973-74) and as chair of the University Objectives Committee (1974-75). Upon her retirement, she was named an Alumni Trustee and remained thereafter as a fully involved Trustee Emeritus. In addition, she continued to share her wisdom with the degree candidates in the Museum Education Program with yearly presentations.

Honored as D.C.’s Outstanding Philanthropist of 2005, Dr. Brenner’s generosity funded improved learning and teaching, as well as broader engagement with art, music, and theater. At GW, she underwrote the annual Morris Louis Fellowship in Painting and was a major donor to the Marcella Brenner Endowment for Museum Education, established in her honor in 1983 by Gloria H. Horrworth, now Professor Emeritus of Education.

The true extent of Dr. Brenner’s accomplishments almost defies enumeration. Her interests were ecumenical, and she never faltered in her capacity to offer brilliantly savvy counsel. Worldwide, museum visitors benefit from her commitment to the legacy of her husband, Morris Louis, and museum educators cherish her powerful maxim, “The learner controls the learning.” Marcella set a high standard for living; she inspired excellence.

Carol B. Stapp
Associate Professor and Director, Museum Education Program
Graduate School of Education and Human Development
February 8, 2008

Read into the record at the Faculty Senate meeting held on February 8, 2008

AVERY D. ANDREWS

Associate Dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

Avery D. Andrews was born in 1927 in New York City. He received his BA in history in 1950 from Harvard University. He later earned his LLB in 1953, his MA in 1958, and PhD in 1962 from University of Pennsylvania. He taught at Haveford and Bryn Mawr Colleges, where he held a joint appointment during 1961-1962. He also taught at the University of Delaware from 1962-1963 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1963 before joining GW’s Department of History as assistant professor of history during the period of 1965-1977. He taught medieval European history for more than thirty years. He later became associate professor in 1977. He was appointed assistant dean in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences during 1975-1992 and in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences during 1992-1995. His duties involved both undergraduate and graduate programs; and program development in museum studies and a history component of public policy programs.

Avery Andrews will best be remembered as associate dean in the Columbian College and also as the department’s longstanding and very popular undergraduate advisor.

 

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