Oscar Ernest Mertz Jr. ’33

Oscar died May 2, 2002, of liver cancer. He was 91.

Oscar was an artist and a professor, emeritus, of the faculty of the U. of the Arts. He was a graduate of the Friends School in Germantown and earned a degree in modern languages and literature at Princeton. He then studied painting at the U. of the Arts, from which he earned a diploma in 1937. As a professor there, Oscar helped create a visual arts program that provided freshmen with a foundation of the basics of sculpture, drawing, painting, and graphic design. Since its development 37 years ago, this program has become a model for teaching visual arts. His teaching was interrupted by the war. As a conscientious objector, he worked for two years in a psychiatric hospital. Oscar was a lifelong member of the Unitarian Church in Germantown. He spent summers in Maine, and enjoyed hiking, gardening, and camping trips. Oscar is survived by his wife of 60 years, Martha Forster Mertz, sons Oscar III and Robert, daughters Martha Shafer and Anita Holmes, and four grandchildren. We will miss Oscar at our gatherings.

The Class of 1933