SD PortalXtra


March 2012


BERANS... The Berans were very active in the church, teaching and leading youth fellowship groups, Galilean fel- lowship, and church women activities. Jan was involved in


the


Christian Education program and the Womens’ Associa- tion. The Berans started and led a weekly Visayan language Bible study group for pedicab drivers, tartanilla drivers and household helpers for many years with as many as 25 in attendance. George Stuart, the youngest child, was born in 1963 at


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versity (Ames, IA) from 1973-1999. Jan, having obtained an M.Sc. in 1969 during their tenure at Silliman, went on to earn a Ph. D. in Inter- national Comparative and Philosophy of Education in 1976. She be- came a professor of Physical education at ISU from 1976-1992. When Dr. Beran retired in 1973, VHL had lost the grant from the U.S. Army and the National Science foundation in the Phil- ippines and without this support, the potential to become an important viral studies center in the Philippines. Dr. Angel Alcala lamented that: ―….The University, through the Van Houweling laboratory, could have contributed to a better un- derstanding of viruses causing so much misery in Asia these days, including the SARS virus, the human influenza virus, the bird-flu virus, etc.‖ However, the role of the Van Houweling Laboratory, and more importantly, Dr. Beran’s previous suc- cess in eliminating rabies, did not go unnoticed. Dr. George Beran will return to the Philippines this year,


The Berans today: In center, George and Jan, surrounded (clockwise from top) by George S. and Jenni, Danny Stark, Bruce and Delores Beran, Terry and Anne Stark, and in front, grandchildren (l-r) Joey Beran, Katie Stark, Abby Beran, Teran Stark and Jack Beran.


2012, with another professor from Iowa State to sign a Memo- randum of Agreement between ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of the Philippines College of Veteri- nary Medicine and Silliman University. The rabies program will be the first project undertaken in this agreement. He will be in Dumaguete from July to August with his family to re- start the anti-rabies program under the auspices of the World Health Organization and will be assisting the National Health Department in making the rabies vaccine. Jan Beran fondly recalls “We had such wonderful years in


SUMC and finished grade four by the time the Berans left Silliman University. He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Min- nesota. Bruce and Anne both graduated from SUES and SUHS and Jan’s sister, Mary Van Zomeren and brother, Mark Van Zomeren, each studied one year at Silliman in the early 1960’s. Bruce and his wife Delores live in Maryland while Anne resides in Iowa with her family. To the delight of their classmates, Anne, husband Terry Stark and their three children returned to Silliman University for her 25th reunion as did Bruce and Delores for two of his class reunions. In 1964, Dr. Beran founded the Van Houweling Laboratory


for Microbiological Research at SU Medical Center to address multiple public health problems facing the Philippines. An epidemic of Asian cholera occurred and he developed a serum which was effective in preventing it from spreading. With the help of Samuel Gregorio and his small staff, the VHL also took on the massive task of producing a quarter of a million doses for the national rabies program. Vaccination went be- yond Dumaguete to municipalities in the provinces of Negros, Siquijor, Cebu, Bohol and Zamboanga. Close monitoring of all areas where vaccination was done demonstrated that the aggressive stance had successively eradicated rabies from those municipalities. Before his retirement from Silliman, Dr. Beran received a


Doctor of Humane Letters from Silliman in 1973 in apprecia- tion of his service to Negros Oriental and the neighboring provinces. That same year, the Negros Oriental Provincial Board passed a resolution to make him an Honorary Son of Negros Oriental. On their return to the U.S., George became a Distin- guished Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State Uni-


the Philippines. We learned so much, the intangibles, particularly in- terpersonal relationships. We are happy to say we have life-long friends from our Philippine days. We grew spiritually as we witnessed the strong faith of our colleagues. On Christmas day our main course is still pork and chicken adobo.”


All rights reserved, LMS


Sources: Drs. George and Jan Beran’s Personal Notes Lauby, Paul T., Udarbe, Proceso U. and Lauby, Jennifer L., “Clouds by Day and Fire By Night: The Silliman Story”


Focus of American Missionaries project is remembering fraternal workers


An initiative by SUAF@SD, the alumni chapter in San Diego and


suburbs, to recall and remember the services of early American mis- sionaries and fraternal workers at Silliman has received support and endorsement from President Ben Malayang. The project entails research and possible publication documenting


the history and lives of these missionaries and their families. It is un- dertaken by SUAF members Ligaya Magbanua Simpkins and hus- band Joel, according to SUAF president Laarni Gularek. Ligaya and Joel are in contact with a few of these fraternal workers


and/or their surviving families, and are calling for the alumni base to share anecdotal and archival resources that can help fill in gaps in the narratives of their service years. Preliminary coverage is published in PortalXtra. The series is acces-


sible on the chapter website www.sdsuaf.com. Dr. Gordon and Helen Mahy and Dr. James and Ethel Chapman were featured previously. The Berans, the focus this issue, are expected on campus later this year. The series continues every month.


President Malayang has created a working committee on campus (See FOCUS next page)


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