GS Class of 1950

Herbert E. Francis Jr. ’50 AM, of Huntsville, Ala.; Feb. 2, at 100 years of age. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Brown and taught at Penn State, the University of Tennessee, and Northern Illinois State. From 1958 to 1966, he taught English literature at Emory University. He then helped to establish the humanities program at the University of Alabama. He retired after 20 years to focus on his writing but during his tenure he was the recipient of three Fulbright fellowships; one to Oxford University and two to teach at the Universidad National de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina. While teaching in Mendoza, he made a point of buying a newspaper each day from one particular street kid named Carlos Roberto Francis and a powerful bond developed, leading to the adoption of Carlos as his son. He purchased an apartment in Madrid, Spain, and spent many summers there writing. He volunteered translating works of Argentinean authors living in exile in Spain and won several awards for his own writings. He was a member of the Huntsville Literary Association and is survived by his son, Carlos, Carlos’s children and grandchildren in Argentina, a brother, and nieces and nephews. 

Werner R. Britsch ’50 ScM (see ’49).

Werner R. Britsch ’49, ’50 ScM, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Dec. 24. He was a NASA aeronautical engineer from 1962 to 1988. He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of Holden Arboretum. He was the recipient of a 1978 NASA award for stage fan casing treatment and a 1983 NASA energy efficient engine project team (Colombia Space Shuttle) contribution to mission success. He enjoyed skiing, hiking, dancing, music, photography, and playing golf. He is survived by a daughter, a son, and nieces and nephews. 

Maurice J. McDowell ’50 PhD, of Media, Pa.; Nov. 18. He worked at DuPont from 1950 to 1983. After retiring from DuPont, he worked as a consultant in New Hampshire and Trinidad. He later joined the International Executive Service Corps as a volunteer. He and his wife enjoyed assignments through IESC to Thailand, Morocco, and Egypt. He was an avid gardener, a volunteer at Riddle Memorial Hospital, and a member of the Upper Providence Planning Council. He swam daily up to age 92 and won more than seven gold medals in the Delco Senior Games. He is survived by four children and their spouses, and three granddaughters.