Slideshow: Nini Horn To Be Celebrated Today

The warmth toward Nini Horn is universal and broad in Long Beach, but especially so in the fields where her efforts leave their own legacy--arts and education.

It says a lot that an entire university is planning today's public "Celebration of Life," and that Cal State Long Beach is opening up free parking for the 5 p.m. memorial. The service for Nini Horn will be held at the Steve and Nini Horn Center. A reception with light refreshment will follow.

Nini Horn passed away in Long Beach Feb. 21 at the age of 80. She won her fight against breast cancer for 16 long years, her family and the California State University, Long Beach memorial organizers. The CSULB media information office offered the following details about today's event, and key milestones in her life:

"Those wishing to attend the Celebration of Life are requested to RSVP to Noemi Guevara at 562/985-7536 or noemi.guevara@csulb.edu.  Parking for the event will be provided free of charge in Parking Lot 3 adjacent to the Steve and Nini Horn Center.

 "Horn was best known in the Long Beach area for her work in education and the arts.  She was an essential partner with the late Steve Horn in his career both as president of California State University, Long Beach (1970-1988) and as a member of Congress (1993-2003).

 "At CSULB, she was instrumental in attracting community support to the campus and played a significant role in cultivating many major gifts, including the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center, the President’s Home, the International House, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden and the Martha Knoebel Dance Theater.  She was also very active with the Fine Arts Affiliates and the International Community Council.

 "In the community, she chaired the Long Beach Unified School District’s 100-member committee that proposed desegregation guidelines and the magnet school plan in 1979.  She served for 10 years on the Long Beach Unified School District’s Personnel Commission.

 "She was president of Long Beach’s Public Corporation for the Arts and led the effort in 1984 that persuaded the City Council to provide funds through the Arts Council for Long Beach arts organizations.  She also served on the boards of the California Community Foundation, the Greater Long Beach Community Foundation, Family Service of Long Beach, and the Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, among other civic organizations.

 "Her role in her husband’s political career was also critical.  Her friends represented most of the volunteers that powered an all-volunteer campaign that won five elections.  After Steve was elected, she worked in the office each day as a volunteer and escorted thousands of visitors around the U. S. Capitol and to the White House.

 "In 2003, her work on behalf of CSULB and in the community was honored when the university’s North Campus Library was renamed the Steve and Nini Horn Center by the Trustees of the California State University. 

 "She grew up in Lodi, Calif., graduated with distinction in history and the humanities from Stanford University in 1953, and received a certificate from the Program in Business Administration of Radcliffe College/Harvard Business School in 1954 (prior to the formal admission of women to the Harvard Business School).

 "She is survived by her children, Marcia of Phoenix and Stephen of Long Beach; a grandson, Jonathan Horn of Phoenix; a sister, Gean Lynch of Las Vegas; and a brother, Roger Moore of Palm Desert.

"In lieu of flowers, the family suggests any contributions in her honor may be made to three organizations she strongly supported for many years:

 CSULB College of the Arts, c/o University Foundation, CSULB, 6300 State University Drive, Suite 332, Long Beach, CA 90840. www.csulb.edu/divisions/urad

 Todd Cancer Institute, c/o Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Foundation, 2801 Atlantic Avenue, P. O. Box, 1428, Long Beach, CA 90801-1428. www.lbmmcf.org

 The Long Beach Community Foundation, 400 Oceangate, Suite 800, Long Beach, CA 90802. www.longbeachcf.org