In memoriam: Maury Schwartz, 1925 - 2013
Maurice Schwartz, a longtime professor of geology at Western Washington University, passed away on Dec. 31.
He was born Sept. 27, 1925, to Bertha and Simon Schwartz in Fort Worth, Texas.
He served as a motor mechanic in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and after he left the military he opened a variety store near New York City. But with a growing family (he married his wife, Norma Sternberg, in 1950, and they had five children over the next decade), he decided to go back to school, enrolling as a freshman at Columbia University in New York.
In his late 30s and early 40s, he graduated from Columbia with bachelor’s (1963), master’s (1964) and doctorate (1966) degrees in geology. His early teaching work included stops at Columbia University, Brooklyn College and Ione College. In 1968, he was appointed to Western Washington State College (now Western Washington University) as assistant professor of geology and education. He became a full professor in 1975 and was named professor emeritus after his retirement in 1993.
Long after his retirement, Schwartz was often hanging around the geology department, conducting his own research or helping grad students with theirs, says Bernie Housen, a WWU professor of geology and the department’s current chair. Schwartz also did what he could to support the faculty, Housen says.
“He was a role model,” Housen says. “You could always discuss stuff with him, and he’d always share advice.”
During his career, Schwartz also held appointments as adjunct faculty and visiting professor at Nova University Institute of Coastal Studies, University of Pittsburgh Semester at Sea Program and University of Puerto Rico Department of Marine Sciences. He served as a faculty member at the National Science Foundation Science Summer Institutes, held at Western Washington University during 1970 to 73.
Jim Johannessen, a local geologist and president of Coastal Geologic Services, is a former student of Schwartz’s. He recalls a man who was widely traveled and who, despite his prodigious research, never forsook his students.
“He was extremely centered on the student,” Johannessen says. “Maury (always said) ‘the student comes first; the needs of the student are the most important part of the job.’”
His administrative appointments at Western included service as acting dean of the WWU Graduate School (1987 to 1988) and dean of the WWU Graduate School and Bureau for Faculty Research (1988 to 93).
He published extensively during his career and was widely known as an expert on coastal geology.
When Johannesen first met Schwartz in 1991, he remembers him saying that he had worked or researched in 25 countries, Johannesen says. The USSR, Estonia, Latvia, Cuba, Mexico -- Schwartz did geology work all over the world, he says. It was Schwartz’s extensive research -- and the coastal geology program he’d begun -- that initially drew Johannessen to Western.
That program was regarded as one of the best, Housen says.
“Schwartz established one of the best coastal geology programs in the region, if not the country, while he was active,” Housen says. “And the program was just him; he was the only faculty member.”
Maury Schwartz was preceded in death by Norma and his companion Evelyn Kest. Survivors include Stephanie (David) Sorensen, Phebe (Richard Davis) Schwartz, Philip Schwartz, Howard (Stephanie) Schwartz, Ivan Schwartz, and seven grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
A family inurnment gathering will be held at Bayview Cemetery at a later date. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society or Whatcom Hospice.
Information from Maury Schwartz's obituary was used in this report.
