Fond Farewell: Retired History and Social Science Professor Ken Rose

Retired professor Ken Rose, who taught history and social science for 25 years, passed away May 18. He was 75.

Born May 28, 1946, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, he moved often with his military family during his childhood. As a high school student in Lincoln, Nebraska, he began playing bass, and while studying at the University of Nebraska, he was a member of the first psychedelic rock band in the region. In 1968, Rose moved to Seattle and for the next 14 years would make a living primarily from music, with his talents ranging from rock, jazz, and roots-music groups to playing in a backup band for an Elvis impersonator and touring Alaska with blues star Charlie Musselwhite.

After earning his MA in history from the University of Washington and a PhD in history from UCLA, Rose was hired as an instructor at Chico State in 1994. History professor Steve Lewis describes him as a prolific historian and scholar of US social and cultural history. Although Rose never took a sabbatical, he managed to publish six books with prestigious publishing houses and had a seventh one in the works. His intellectual interests were as wide-ranging as his musical tastes—from the American obsession with fall-out shelters in the 1950s and the mythology surrounding the celebrated World War II generation to American women and the repeal of Prohibition.

“Ken was truly a gentleman and a scholar,” Lewis said. “Just as soon as he published one book, you’d learn that he was hard at work on the next project. And you’d never hear it from him! He was as humble and decent as he was accomplished.”

Rose’s interest in American isolationism led to the development of a popular, senior-level course in the History Department, “America Between the Wars.” After retiring in 2010, he returned to teach the course each spring for nearly 10 years.

Alumnus August Connolly (Applied Computer Graphics, ’12), now a staff member in the College of Business, said he still reflects on a history course he took with Rose in his undergraduate studies.

“He was a great teacher, incredibly knowledgeable about his subject material, and very caring about his students, with a hilarious dry sense of humor as well,” he said. “It was easily one of the better classes I took at Chico State, and that’s pretty impressive for a GE requirement course.”

Rose’s publications included American Isolationism Between the World Wars: The Search for a Nation’s Identity; The Great War and Americans in Europe, 1914–1917; Unspeakable Awfulness: America Through the Eyes of European Travelers, 1865-1900; Myth and the Greatest Generation: A Social History of Americans in World War II; One Nation Underground: The Fallout Shelter in American Culture; and American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition.

During his life, he also worked as an historian for the Historic American Engineering Record, a program of the National Park Service. An avid tennis player, he was a familiar figure at Community Park in Chico, and he was also the bass player for the local Irish music band the Pub Scouts.

“If there is a more soulful human, I haven’t met him yet, exhibiting all the qualities in depth that we admire,” said alumnus Michael Cannon (’70), one of his bandmates. “His musicianship and approach to music, whether in calm or in chaos, was impeccable. People would sometimes ask me, ‘How can the Pub Scouts play every Friday for 30 years and keep a session going that long?’ I would always say the same thing—it’s because we have Ken playing the bass. He was our unobtrusive glue.”

Retired English professor Steve Metzger said he was honored to be Rose’s friend, as well as his tennis opponent and doubles partner.

“I had nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for Ken, and though he’d probably laugh it off, I thought of him as a mentor: in music, writing, teaching, tennis, and simply being genuine and kind to those around you,” Metzger said. “Above all, though, I think the most important thing that he taught me was to not take yourself too seriously. He always seemed to have a subtle, mischievous grin that suggested that not much is worth getting very worked up over.”

He is survived by his wife, retired Chico State history and humanities professor Jeanne Lawrence; sister Karen Puerta; and brother Les Rose.

No formal services are planned. However, memorial contributions may be made in Rose’s name to Panthera. The University flag will be lowered Monday, June 13, in his memory.