Wallace Cameron

ATHENS - Wallace (Wally) J. Cameron, 83 of Mission, Texas , former resident of Athens, died early Friday morning in Mission, Texas after a recent hip fracture. He had been in ill health for several years. Wally was born in Gladstone, Michigan the son of the late Percy Leon and Myrtle Potvin Cameron. He spent his formative years in the upper peninsula of Michigan and Chicago where he graduated from high school. He worked in defense production before matriculating at Albion College where he received his B.A. and was elected to Phi Beta Kappain 1950 and his M.A. from the University of Iowa in 1952. After further study in Spain and the University of Iowa, he was granted a Ph.D. in 1956. He was hired by Ohio University in 1956 and had a long and distinguished career that included a Fulbright award to teach in Bolivia, several outstanding teaching awards, the first chairman of the Faculty Senate and Chairman of the Modern Language Department. He retired in 1992. The accomplishment of which he was most proud of was the establishing of the Portales and Mayab Programs which gave students a first-hand experience in Spanish language, civilization, and culture in Mexico. He was director and professor for the program for many years. He was revered by a generation of Spanish language students that participated in the program. In his retirement he lived in the Rio Grande Valley and made numerous trips into Mexico, Spain and Portugal. Two great joys in Wally's life were the jazz singer Billie Holiday and the Chicago Cubs. He is survived by cousins, Mrs. Charles (Mary Alice) Nebel of Munising, Michigan, Mrs. William (Lorna) Addison of Marquette, Michigan and a cousin-in-law, Mrs. Earl (Nancy) Lester of Garden, Michigan. Graveside services will be conducted in the Alexander Cemetery near Athens, Ohio in the spring of 2010. Arrangements are by Hughes-Moquin Funeral Home of Athens. You may send the family a message of sympathy at www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com.