Honoring decades of dedicated service, the board of trustees has named three members
as trustees emeriti: Bruce Bare, who has served for 49 years; Peter Geddes, a member
for 36 years; and Roy Johnston, with 32 years on the board.
Bruce Bare provided leadership as both chair and vice chair of the board, working
closely with Ruth Kerr during Westmont’s first difficult decades. A Chartered Life
Underwriter, he led the New England Mutual Life Agency in Los Angeles, one of the
largest insurance firms in the nation. Westmont awarded him an honorary doctorate
in 1971. He and his wife, Adaline, are the parents of one Westmont alum and the grandparents
of two more.
The owner of Geddes Press in Monrovia, California, Peter joined the board when his daughter, Kay Schmook ’61, and his son, Craig ’63, were attending Westmont. Learning that students needed a place for exercise and games, Peter and his wife, Chris, funded the Geddes Recreation Area next to Clark Halls. So began Peter’s great interest in Warrior sports, and he and Chris inspired the creation of the new Hall of Fame. The long-time board secretary, Peter also helped develop Westmont’s fund-raising program.
During his 18 years as chair of the board, Roy Johnston provided leadership for two
capital campaigns and
stability throughout the changes in administration in the early 1970s. His knowledge
of the college’s finances proved invaluable to David Winter when he became president.
Roy is a civil engineer specializing in earthquake resistance, and he did the structural
design for many major Los Angeles-area buildings.