May 19, 2015
‘Lost class’ member awarded honorary degree
Alvin Blinder, a member of the “Lost Class of ’44,” gathers with alumnae at a November 2014 reception held in Los Angeles by the Southern California Alumni Club. A resident of Torrance, Calif., he was awarded an honorary bachelor’s degree by the College during the event, in recognition of his participation in the U.S. Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) at PC. Nearly 400 ASTP students began undergraduate studies at PC in the fall of 1943 and, in March 1944, were suddenly called to bolster U.S. infantry forces in Europe in World War II. They never returned to PC to complete their education. Blinder, who rose to the rank of sergeant with his battalion, was mostly stationed in France. He was charged with maintaining communications between four platoons and battalion headquarters, before developing frostbite on his feet and being relieved of his duties. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
