McDonald Commentary: A Tribute to Alice White Forth of Centralia College

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Five years ago, I scheduled an interview with Alice Forth while compiling the history of Centralia College, but she called back a few days before our meeting to cancel because of ill health. She passed away only a few weeks later.

Although I never met her, I learned about the professional educator last week when 100 people gathered at the TransAlta Commons to dedicate the Student Center in honor of the dignified, gracious and stylish woman who shepherded students, colleagues and even presidents during her 33-year career.

“It’s very important that we honor the people who spent every day of their career here, serving students and working with their colleagues to fulfill the mission of the college,” said Centralia College President Bob Mohrbacher. “And certainly from all that I’ve seen and heard about Alice, she did that in an exemplary fashion.”

I was fortunate that Forth’s brother, David White, also devoted his career to Centralia College and shared stories of his sister with me for “Centralia College: Its People and Their Stories,” published last year. He spoke Tuesday about his sister who was 10 when he was born. Their older sisters were 18 and 13 at the time.

“She was always Billie to us, or Aunt Billie,” said White, who was raised in a family that valued education and hard work. She taught him to swim and helped him with his graduation speech. His father called her Billie, and the name stuck.

“We didn’t talk about work at home and vice versa. Many people had no idea that we were brother and sister.”

White read words from the plaque honoring his sister outside the Alice Forth Student Center on the second floor of the college’s newest building. After graduating from Boistfort schools, Alice White became the first Margaret Corbet Scholar in 1951. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and her master’s from Pacific Lutheran. She started teaching business education in 1958 and chaired the Business Education Division, eventually becoming dean of students in 1988.

“She was known for her high standards and performance in the workplace, while supporting colleagues and maintaining a positive attitude,” he read. “Her professionalism and perseverance on behalf of students was evidenced in their future success as productive employees, supervisors, and citizens.”

Former President Henry Kirk recalled the welcome he received from Forth in 1986, when he was hired from California to serve as interim president. He worked with her 16 years and described her as “a very special lady.”

Kirk said he wore a tie to honor Forth, who took him to task when he first arrived for his casual attire.

“Dr. Kirk.”

“Yes, Alice.”

“You’re not respecting our weather. You must dress properly. You’re not in California now. You’re here in Washington.”

“Oh, OK, Alice.”

He described her as “a person of principles,” and noted that “principles will hold you together when the boat starts rocking.”

Mary Metzger, a friend since 1960, described Forth’s involvement in civic groups including Delta Kappa Gamma (a society of women educators), the American Association of University Women, PEO sisterhood, and St. Helens Club.  

Forth, described by the late Saturday’s Child columnist Gordon Aadland as “the pretty lady of Centralia College,” belonged to the Seven Continents Club.

“She had traveled to all seven continents, and she inspired at least one nephew to also aspire to the same level of achievement, but she was always No. 1,” Metzger said. “You know why? They pushed her off the boat first so that that she touched the land first before they did.”



She described Forth as a “very precise woman” who presented herself professionally with hair and clothing stylishly prepared. Some people take shortcuts across the grass at the college, but she always stayed on the sidewalk.

Bob Peters, the college’s athletic director, recalled his job interview with Forth in 1986 over lunch at the Keg & I, where she asked him if he was ready for the job and then offered it to him.

“What a wonderful lady,” he said. “Lunch at Keg & I. It was a great place to eat and it was a great place to get a job.”

“I lay claim to having known Billie longer than any of you,” said

Doyle McKim recalled Forth as a beautiful fashionably dressed woman, as their class valedictorian and even as a first-grader when he kissed her cheek as she stood on the Boistfort school steps.

Her great-nephew, Kyle White, described his Auntie Bill as “a constant source of enlightenment and happy memories.” She always had treats for visitors, mystifying artifacts from around the world, and a new Lego set for him whenever he visited. She taught him to play baseball.

“I could always count on Auntie Bill for her generosity and kindness,” he said. “She was never selfish. She never spoke with anger. And she was always a beacon of joy.”

Several of her former students returned to Centralia College as employees, such as Georganne Copeland, who took typing from Forth and later graduated from Western Washington University. In 1984, Forth called her.

“We need somebody to teach our late-night typing lab; can you do that?” Forth asked her.

Copeland didn’t think she could, but Forth did, and she’s been there since. When Forth became dean of students, Copeland said, “I was known for a couple of years as the new Alice. Not a bad thing to be known as.”

“As a student, we always wondered, ‘Could she be rattled?’ But no one ever had the guts to try.”

Barbara Mason, who started Centralia College in 1959, took business classes from Forth.

“I was so impressed when I walked into her classroom and here’s this beautiful, caring teacher, and she made me feel so positive about everything,” Mason said. “I had many opportunities to thank her over the years.”

Vicki Pogorelc, a Centralia College Foundation board member, recalled how Forth wanted student services brought together in one place and served on the capital campaign to raise money for the TransAlta Commons. When construction was delayed, she wondered whether she’d live long enough to see it built.

“Well, she didn’t,” Pogorelc said. “But just know that her heart and soul went into this building.”

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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.