George Linton
George E. Linton was a civil engineer and co-author with Virginia Hanson of Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. He and his wife Dulcie were very active in the Theosophical Society in America branch in Portland, Oregon.
Early years
George Linton was born June 25, 1903 near Kerby, Josephine County, Oregon, the son of farmer George Linton and his wife Della. By 1920 the family, including older brother Frank, had moved to Corvallis, where the father worked as a carpenter and civil engineer. George Jr. was an excellent student. He attended Oregon Agricultural College, now known as Oregon State University, in Corvallis. He studied civil engineering, and was Major-Adjutant in a student engineers battalion in 1924.[1] His brother Frank studied mining engineering at the same university.
In 1931, he married Dulcie May (September 14, 1906 - February 13, 1997).
Engineering career
Mr. Linton's entire career was with the US Army Corp of Engineers.[2] One of his early professional tasks, around 1930, involved working on a jetty project in Winchester Bay, where he boarded with a local family.[3] Other projects included the Bonneville Dam in Oregon and the North Fork Dam in California during the 1930s.[4] In 1959 he was working as Shipyard Superintendent at the Vancouver Reserve Shipyard in Vancouver, Washington, just north of Portland, Oregon.[5]
He retired early from engineering career to devote his time to the Theosophical Society.
Theosophical work
On January 25, 1927, George Linton joined the Portland Lodge of the Theosophical Society in America, and he was active in that Oregon branch for most of his life, nearly seventy years. Beginning in June, 1952, he worked for a year at the international headquarters at Adyar, Chennai, India, along with his wife Dulcie. She had become a member on October 2, 1940. The two of them also spent a year beginning March 1960 on the staff at TSA headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois. Much of the Lintons' personal life centered around the Society and Theosophy. George's only brother Frank C. Linton joined the Portland Lodge on April 8, 1930, and served on the national board in 1946. Each of the brothers served as President of the Portland T.S. Frank's wife Ethel joined in 1941.[6]
George put his engineering expertise to work in serving the Theosophical Society. Many times when he visited the Olcott campus in Wheaton, Illinois, he examined the houses and other buildings, wrote recommendations for repairs, and supervised maintenance projects. According to Nancy Secrest,
Radha Burnier remembers that "George was very much involved with the planning, construction, and supervision of the present Adyar Library building." He was equally involved with the Olcott Library addition and maintenance bulidings at the American national center in Wheaton, Illinois. At Krotona in Ojai, California, George supervised the building of the student and faculty residential units which so many of us have enjoyed throughout the years. At Camp Indralaya, George and Dulcie built Spruce cabin, and George worked on the water system.[7]
During Ann Green's tenure as TSA President, 1974-1975, George Linton served as her assistant. He was elected to the national Board of Directors, and served from August 1969 to July 1975. "George's practical approach was also valued on the Boards of the Krotona Institute and Camp Indralaya.".[8]
Writings
A notable accomplishment was co-writing Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett with Virginia Hanson. They worked together when he visited Wheaton during the years 1962-1975 when she served on the TSA headquarters staff.
He also wrote articles for The American Theosophist. The Union Index to Theosophical Periodicals lists 14 of them under the name George E Linton.
Later years
The Lintons retired to the Taormina community in Ojai, California.[9] George Linton died on January 24, 1997, and Dulcie passed away February 13 of the same year.[10]
Audio recordings
- An Introduction to the Study of the Mahatma Letters. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Society in America, 1984, 2007. These eight CDs of commentary by Virginia Hanson and George Linton are available through Quest Books website and Henry S. Olcott Memorial Library.
Other references
- Anonymous obituary. Fohat 1.3 (Fall, 1997), 69.
Notes
- ↑ Oregon State University yearbook, 1924, page 324.
- ↑ Nancy Secrest, obituary "George Linton 1903-1997)", Quest 85.4 (April, 1997), 19.
- ↑ United States Census for 1930.
- ↑ Nancy Secrest, obituary "George Linton 1903-1997)", Quest 85.4 (April, 1997), 19.
- ↑ Official Register of the United States (1959), 504. Available to Mocavo.com.
- ↑ Membership records. Microfilm roll #3, blue series. Theosophical Society in America Archives.
- ↑ Nancy Secrest, obituary "George Linton 1903-1997)", Quest 85.4 (April, 1997), 19.
- ↑ Nancy Secrest, obituary "George Linton 1903-1997)", Quest 85.4 (April, 1997), 19.
- ↑ U. S. Public Records Index Volume 2.
- ↑ U. S. Social Security Death Index and Oregon Death Index.