GSA room renamed after late Jim Rowe

  NAM PHO Jane Miyamura, Jim Rowe’s widow,
speaks to current GSA president, Charles Harless
(left) and Rowe’s friend, Peter Hein.

By Jennifer Vargas
Daily Bruin Contributor

The Graduate Student Association conference room was renamed
Monday in memory of the late GSA president Jim Rowe.

Rowe began as the GSA commissioner of programs for GSA from
1992-93. In 1993, he became president and led a campaign to have
the UC Regents elected instead of appointed, but it did not
succeed. His last year was spent as external vice president in
1994-95.

Rowe died of brain cancer in Oct. 1995 at the age of 56 but
he’s still remembered by many student government members and
affiliates.

“Rowe was someone who continually pressed the university
to hear graduate concerns,” said GSA president Charles
Harless.

The idea to rededicate the conference room was initiated by
Peter Hein, a program coordinator for the Environmental Coalition
and a campaign coordinator for the “Regents’ Reform
Initiative” during Rowe’s time in office.

“He wanted to reduce the political and corporate influence
on the UC educational, program and facilities policies,”said
Hein in an e-mail. “He was a watchdog when it came to the
UCLA administration, but handled himself in this political function
with stern fairness and diplomacy.”

Hein presented the dedication idea last year to Martin Griffin,
GSA president at the time, who agreed to work on the project.

Charles Harless, the current GSA president, continued by making
sure a portrait of Rowe was completed and hung in the conference
room.

“Jim Rowe was quite a student and an intellectual,”
Hein said.

Rowe had a bachelor’s degree in economics and
cinematography. He had a master’s degree in law from the UCLA
Law school and was working on a doctorate degree in art history
before he died.

“When he got involved in something, he gave 200
percent,” said Pat McLaren, division manager for Associated
Students of UCLA student support services.