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SOHO President's Message
By David Goldberg
March/April 2019
 Photo by Sandé Lollis |
With March's promise of springtime, the new year is reinvigorating! We're ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. This is especially true when the new year—SOHO's 50th anniversary—starts off on a positive note.
In early February, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced that the Balboa Park Plaza de Panama project had been put on hold, and that fundraising efforts had ceased. Read SOHO's statement HERE.
SOHO's battle to save the bridge, historic core, and its National Historic Landmark status has been fought for nearly a decade. I want to echo our official message in how grateful SOHO is for all that went into this herculean effort—a dedicated membership, countless hours of staff and volunteer time, expertise and institutional knowledge built up over half a century, five lawsuits, support of donors, outside groups, and residents, and the staying power that comes with a well-run and financially viable organization.
I must also convey some bad news. I'm saddened to report that San Diego and historic preservation have lost four leaders since January. With sorrow, I learned of the passings of George Marston Beardsley, a grandson of George W. Marston; Walter Munk, the world-renowned oceanographer and geophysicist; Jacquelyn Littlefield, longtime owner, savior and champion of the Spreckels Theatre; and Robert Winter, architectural historian, Occidental College professor, Arts and Crafts author/lecturer, and hero to many in the preservation movement. Please read SOHO members' tributes to Littlefield by Welton Jones, and "Bungalow Bob" Winter by David Swarens following this column.
George M. Beardsley passed away on February 4 at age 82. He was the only child of lifelong social justice activist Helen Marston Beardsley and her husband, Judge John Beardsley, a civil rights attorney. George and his wife Connie have been generous donors and supporters of SOHO and the Marston House Museum and gardens. We were honored and happy to see them at the Marston House in October for the opening of the permanent exhibit, The Marston Legacy: Progress and Preservation, where his mother, Helen, is prominently featured.
I first met George in the late 1980s when he was president of the Torrey Pines Association, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the rare Torrey pine tree and well-being of the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Later, I would see him at Marston House events. His ability to clearly explain things and articulate a point of view in an affable way always impressed me, and my respect only grew over time. George honored the values and environmentalist legacy of his grandfather and mother through his volunteer service to the community. He made a difference. I feel fortunate to have known him.
Although Walter Munk was 101 when he passed, I must admit it caught me off guard. I thought he would go on forever. I was sure I'd retire before he did! Because Walter's scientific accomplishments are so monumental, spanning an eight-decade career, it's easy to overlook other aspects of his life so well lived. Let's not forget that he was sympathetic to preservation and helped save historic buildings on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) campus.
Together with his wife, Judith, a trained architect, he left an important architectural legacy that includes his unique mid-century modern home in Scripps Estates—the only house I know of with an amphitheater in the back yard—and the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) building at SIO designed by Lloyd Ruocco, one of San Diego's most influential mid-century modern architects. Walter was truly one of a kind. His passing marks the end of an era.
On a happier note, my heartfelt thanks go to everyone who contributed to SOHO's 2018 End of Year campaign. The 2018 annual appeal was significantly more successful than that of the prior year providing critical resources to pursue our mission. Whether you make a donation when a high-profile issue requiring strong advocacy captures your attention, or as SOHO continuously operates historic sites and museums, and provides education, outreach, and knowledge to the entire community, we appreciate contributions year-round!
And finally, for those of you not currently SOHO members, we hope you'll join us as we celebrate SOHO's 50th anniversary year, and become an important part of San Diego's most effective preservation organization. Please join or renew HERE
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