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In The News
December 4, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CSU Dominguez Hills Mourns Loss
of
Respected Professor, Colleague
(Carson,
CA) – Rodney H. Butler, professor of music
at California State University, Dominguez Hills, died at
his home on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The cause of death is unknown
but believed to be heart failure. The Redondo Beach resident
was 60 years old.
“Rod Butler was one of our own, and one of our best,” says
Dominguez Hills president Mildred García. “He
was a wonderful mentor who cared deeply about our university
and its people. Time and again in [his] conversations and
smiles, he would convey his enthusiasm about Cal State Dominguez
Hills. He was proud of the accomplishments of his students
and colleagues and was invested in their futures.”
“With his clear vision and pointed humor, Rod contributed
to our lives in countless ways,” said Jerry Moore,
professor of anthropology. “He was a constant champion
of academic freedom, educational excellence and human decency.”
Butler served in a number of capacities at the university
in addition to teaching. He was chair of the Academic Senate,
chair of the Division of Performing, Visual and Digital Arts
and chair of the Department of Music within the College of
Arts and Humanities. As a leader, his colleagues looked to
him to bridge what is often seen as a divide between faculty
and administrators.
“Rod’s death has robbed us of an outstanding
leader of the senate who helped to build a positive and productive
relationship between the administration and the faculty,” said
Munashe Furusa, associate professor and chair of Africana
studies. “He was a great mentor to many of us on the
Senate Executive Committee and helped us clarify a lot of
issues. We will always cherish his desire and ability to
build relationships, his dedication and commitment to the
well-being of our campus, and his vision and pointed humor.
Our thoughts go to his family and all the people whose lives
he touched in one way or another.”
Butler’s students were able to depend on him for guidance
during their time at Dominguez Hills and for many, long after
graduation. Laura Robles, dean of graduate studies and research,
said her most vivid memory of Butler was “his ear-to-ear
smile. I saw him smile like that at [our campus’] Student
Research Day this year when the jazz and guitar ensembles
performed at the luncheon. He was so proud of them as performers
and as students. I was touched at that moment by the love
he had for his department and their music.”
The Southern California native was born on Sept. 26, 1947.
He graduated high school from Carson High School and went
on to Los Angeles Harbor Junior College, where he got his
Associate of Arts degree. A Dominguez Hills alumnus (Class
of ’73), Butler pursued his graduate studies at the
Musikhogskolen in Oslo, Norway, and the University of Oslo.
He completed his Master of Arts degree and doctorate in music
theory and composition at the University of California, Santa
Barbara. He began his career at Dominguez Hills in 1991 following
his tenure as music faculty and division chair of fine arts
at Brookhaven Community College in Dallas, Tex. from 1980
to 1991. Prior to that, he served as head of the music department
at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. from 1977 to
1979.
Butler was a voting member of the National Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences and held membership in many scholarly and
professional organizations including Phi Mu Alpha, the Society
of Music Theorists, and the National Association of American
Composers and Conductors. Among his honors are grants and
awards from the American Scandinavian Foundation, the American
Philosophical Society, the University of California Foreign
Study Grant, and First Prize in the All Army Composers Arrangers
Contest in 1968.
An accomplished trombonist, composer, and music theorist,
Butler also turned his talents to cooking, golfing, and golf
club manufacturing.
“It occurs to me that the highest tribute that we
can pay to our colleague is continuing to pursue his hope
of restoring the feelings of community that makes CSUDH truly
different from other institutions,” says Gary Levine,
emeritus faculty, interdisciplinary studies.
Butler is survived by daughter Amanda Fagan,
a local Southern California resident; son Benjamin Butler
of Dallas; son Andrew
Butler and his wife, Adi, of the Maryland/Washington D.C.
area; and brother and sister-in-law, Dennis and Judi Butler,
of
Costa
Mesa.
A small memorial service is being
planned this Friday on campus. Donations are being accepted
in Rod Butler’s
name to the CSUDH Department of Music. The department plans
to establish a Rod Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund for students
majoring in jazz or composition. To inquire about making
a donation, call (310) 243-3543.
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About
CSU Dominguez Hills -- California
State University, Dominguez Hills is a highly diverse,
urban university located in the South Bay, primarily
serving the
Los Angeles metropolitan area. The university prides itself
on its outstanding faculty and friendly, student-centered
environment.
Known for excellence in teacher education, nursing, psychology,
business administration, and digital media arts, new degree
programs include computer science, criminal justice,
recreation and leisure
studies, social work, and communication disorders. On campus
is the Home Depot Center, a multi-purpose sports complex
that hosts
world-class soccer, tennis, track and field, lacrosse, and
cycling.
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