Pepperdine matriarch in good spirits as doctors express optimism about her return to health after successful surgery.
By JJ Bowman
Associate Editor
Pepperdine’s matriarch, Helen Young, is recovering from spinal injuries resulting from a recent fall in her home atop Pepperdine’s campus.
Young, 85, slipped Nov. 3, cracking two vertebrae in her neck. She underwent surgery four days later at UCLA Medical Center to fuse the injured vertebrae. Young has recovered well enough to begin physical rehabilitation at a local hospital, and doctors and family are impressed with her amazing resiliency.
Steve Lemley, Young’s son-in-law and Seaver College professor of Communication, said doctors are amazed at Young’s strength.
“Aside from the injury, they all commented on how she had the physical make up of a much younger woman,” he said.
Lemley said her spirits are equally as strong.
“She’s trying hard to work through the pain,” he said, “(But she) continues to YOUNG
encourage others.”
Without a doubt, Young is Pepperdine’s most important historical figure alive today. She began as an active member of George Pepperdine College when it opened in Los Angeles in 1937 and served as a founding member of the Graphic that year. She married Norvel Young, who became the third president of the University in 1957, and the two became instrumental in the University’s move from Los Angeles to Malibu.
Young continues to work hard to raise money for the University and the University Church of Christ, of which she is a member.
Ken Durham, University Church of Christ minister, said that Young continues to serve as a symbol for Pepperdine’s history and integrity.
“(Young) is one of the dearest people in the world to me,” Durham said. “She brings an integrity to life that is unparalleled. She puts a face on our University that has brought us dignity.”
In a recent news release, Pepperdine President Dr. Andrew K. Benton echoed Durham’s admiration for Young.
“No one means more to the Pepperdine community than Helen Young,” he wrote. “Her biography and the biography of Pepperdine University are interwoven and her presence among us has been a tremendous source of inspiration over the years. Word of her recovery is an answered prayer.”
Young’s reputation extends beyond Pepperdine. Last year, Young was named alumna of the year for Harding University, a Church of Christ university in Searcy, Ark. The honor was particularly noteworthy, considering that Young finished her degree at Pepperdine, not Harding.
Angie Lemley, Young’s granddaughter has kept members of the Pepperdine community abreast of Young’s condition and reported that doctors are confident about her recovery.
Steve Lemley said the family has been touched by the response to Young’s injury.
“The outpouring of love and support from the community and from people who know her from all over the world has been helpful and encouraging,” he said.
November 13, 2003