To the Faculty, Staff, and Friends of Lincoln University.
It is with deepest sadness that we are reporting the news that Dr. Allan Samson passed away peacefully on March 15, 2024, in Oakland surrounded by his family. He was 84 years old.
For more than 40 years, Dr. Allan Samson was on the faculty of LU and served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Professor Samson was awarded a Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Berkeley as well as a J.D. from the UC San Francisco School of Law.
Dr. Allan Samson oversaw the maturation of LU and contributed enormously to the growth of LU’s reputation as an institution of learning. He was a professor, a trustee, and mentor for students, young faculty and administrators. It is difficult to list all university achievements happened during 23 years of his tenure as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (1998 – 2021). Probably the most important was Lincoln University’s student population that grew from 120 students in 2000 to 850 students in 2017. Several new programs including Doctor of Business Administration, the first doctoral program of the university, were developed and successfully implemented. Lincoln MBA program was recognized as number 3 in Northern California after UC Berkeley and Stanford U. In 2002 the university was approved to participate in the Title IV Federal Financial Aid program and in 2020 was accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission. His signature courses in the field of Business Ethics continuously received superlative student reviews. Known for his biting sense of humor and gentlemanly demeanor, Professor Samson was beloved by his colleagues and staff.
He left an indelible mark on Lincoln University and will be sorely missed.
Dr. Chi Trung (Chris) Nguyen has been teaching ultrasound principals and physics at Lincoln University for over two decades. Dr. Nguyen knew every aspects of ultrasound technology and his dedication to explaining it to students was exemplary. He was also always eager to learn new things despite being in his senior age.
Dr. Nguyen was an excellent professor and his professionalism served as an example for many. This is without doubt a huge loss for Lincoln University family. A wonderful person, a talented and dedicated educator, and a great philanthropist has left.
Lincoln University administration, faculty, and students express their sincere condolences to Dr. Nguyen’s family.
Dr. Sylvia Schoemaker Rippel has been an integral part of Lincoln University since beginning her career here, over fifty years ago. Sylvia dedicated herself fully to the growth of the university and well being of its students, from the early days when the campus was located in an old two story building in San Francisco to our more current history in Downtown Oakland.
Her jobs went beyond her roles as English Professor and Chair of the English Department. Sylvia created a successful ESL Lab in the 1980s which also served as the locale for the student newspaper. Since Sylvia was part of the heroic age of computing in the late 70s – making her own motherboards and tricking typewriters into acting as printers – this Lab, in a way, was also the University’s first Computer Lab.
One of her long-time colleagues described this creative space: “It was enjoyable because Sylvia was kind, liked to chat, could share at that time unique knowledge of computers and ran a ‘happy ship.’ Mind you, no one had to be there – it was just a neat place to be. It was educational no doubt, but a lot of fun too. That’s the sign of a teacher who is good at her job.”