Comments on: James Edward Monson

By: Larry Handa

Larry Handa — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 01:18:14 +0000

As a mathematics major I never took a class from Prof. Monson but I probably knew him better than any other professor at HMC because he and Julie were part of our group (that also included Prof. Stavros Busenberg) that played volleyball every Sunday morning. He really enjoyed playing and had a killer spike.
Jim and Julie were also kind enough to rent a room to me for a year as I earned my M.A. in mathematics at CGU. He was always kind, a true gentleman and a wonderful mentor and friend.

By: Dave Abrahamson

Dave Abrahamson — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 16:58:56 +0000

When I was a freshman in 1972-1973, I found myself compelled to discuss a humanities paper (in the “Quest for Commonwealth” course) with Dr. Monson. I had not been particularly interested in the assignment, and the prospect of discussing it with an engineer brought some confusion to me, a callow youth of spectacular immaturity. I was stunned by the earnestness and thoughtfulness that Dr. Monson brought to the discussion, and I was impressed that a person in his position would give that sort of serious consideration to a freshman’s paper. His efforts on that task left a lasting mark on me, making me start to think, “Gee, maybe I could consider taking everything that I do a little more seriously.” Thank you, sir!

By: Pat Barrett

Pat Barrett — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 04:36:49 +0000

Although I had been an amateur radio operator since junior high, Prof. Monson introduced me to a new level of electronic measurement in junior engineering lab. He was a gentle, thoughtful and thought provoking professor and a joy to work with in the lab. He was a great friend of students and a friend in later life after he (and I) retired. He represented to me the essential HMC professor.

By: Adam Shane

Adam Shane — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 02:01:44 +0000

Prof. Monson was likely the most influential professor I had at HMC. Our interaction started in my first year – he was my faculty advisor. In 1984/85 we had a first year engineering project for those potentially declaring engineering major. I was in West Dorm and my friends and I proposed to repair the Night Rider pinball machine in the lounge. Dr. Monson took on our project. We thought we had pulled a fast one on the administration, but Dr. Monson made sure we learned from it, had fun, and were successful. I appreciated his efforts so much that I took several courses from him, and was a lab assistant for his sophomore lab. We got along great – but I think that was probably true of all his students. He was a wonderful part of my HMC experience.