Robert W. Danielson

Using military service benefits, Robert Walter Danielson enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s College of Science, Literature and the Arts, and graduated with distinction in May of 1950 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and Lambda Alpha Pi Honorary Language and Literature Society. The next year, Danielson and his family moved to San Diego, where he began teaching English at Grossmont High School and, in 1959, advanced his standing to head of his school’s English Department. His administrative experience made him a favorable candidate to become, not only a charter member of the new Grossmont Junior College English Department, but also its first Department Chair. Additionally, Danielson holds the distinction of being the first Chair of the Pacific Coast Regional Conference on English in the Two Year College and locally chairing the NCTE’s Curriculum Commission in 1967, the same year he earned his Master’s Degree in Education from San Diego State College while concurrently serving as Department Chair.

During his time at Grossmont, Danielson had a reputation for his spirited mentorship of students and other new faculty, and for a high retention rate in his classes. He taught basic skills and composition as well as literature courses such as the American Novel and a course now retired from the catalog, American Short Story.

In June 1986, Robert W. Danielson, himself, retired from teaching and was subsequently named Professor Emeritus. By spring of 2006, already ailing from Parkinson’s Disease for a number of years, Danielson took a fatal fall in May 2006 and passed away at 83 years of age. In Robert W. Danielson’s memory, family members arranged for scholarship donations to be made to the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Foundation.

• My sincere thanks to Lynn and Connie Baer, Directors of the Grossmont High School Museum, for their collegial and welcoming response to my inquiries.

• Cap and Gown Day Convocation for 1950. Program. University of Minnesota Board of Regents, 18 May 1950.
• "Danielson, Bob." Obituary. GCCCD Grapevine 16.2 (July 2008): p7.
• "Danielson, Robert." Migma 62: A Yearbook and Photographic Directory of the Grossmont College Staff. La Mesa, CA: Grossmont Junior College / Monte Vista High School, 1962. np.
• _____. Migma 63-64: A Yearbook and Photographic Directory of the Grossmont College Staff. La Mesa, CA: Grossmont Junior College / Monte Vista High School, 1964. p9.
• _____. The Gallery, 1970: A Photographic Directory of the Grossmont College Staff. El Cajon, CA: Grossmont Junior College District, 1970. p23.
• _____. The Gallery: A Photographic Directory of the Grossmont College Staff. El Cajon, CA: Grossmont Junior College, 1974. p27.
• _____. The Gallery: A 25th Anniversary Photographic Directory of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community Faculty, Administration, and Staff. El Cajon, CA: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, 1987. p30. 
• “Danielson, Robert Walter.” County Obituaries. San Diego Union-Tribune (San Diego, CA) 11 May 2008. On-line.
• El Recuerdo Yearbook Class of 1957. El Cajon, CA: Grossmont High School 1957.
• El Recuerdo Yearbook Class of 1959. El Cajon, CA: Grossmont High School 1959.
• Hesperion Yearbook Class of 1938. Minneapolis, MN: West High School, 1938.
• Hesperion Yearbook Class of 1940. Minneapolis, MN: West High School, 1940.
• March Commencement 1950. Program. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, 16 March 1950. 
• National Council of Teachers of English. 57th Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. Program. NCTE, 1967. 
• Private Photo Collection. Copyright, Homer B. Lusk, Grossmont College Professor Emeritus and former English Department Chair.

• James K. Bell 1961-1963
• Chester H. Palmer 1961-1965
• Martin Gerrish 1961-1964* (*tenured to Theater Dept. 1964-1996)
• George M. Washington 1961-1965* (*tenured to Foreign Languages Dept. 1965-1976)
• Ray Reynolds 1961-1968* (*tenured to Journalism Dept. 1968-1983)
• Charline Lamons 1961-1983 (Chair 1963-1966; 1968-1969) 
• Robert W. Danielson 1961-1986 (Chair 1961-1963; 1967-1969)