Colonel Edward Wyman Spalding, a descendant of the historic
sporting goods family and a life member of the UCLA Alumni
Association, died at age 86 on Dec. 3, 2004 after a serious
illness.
Spalding’s friends and family will remember not only his
deep, loving, resonating voice that was featured in the many
Shakespearean plays that he appeared in, but also his warm heart,
said his daughter, Wilda Spalding.
“When one comes from an old family, one could choose to
live a life of luxury and privilege, but if you know what that
privilege really means, it means responsibility,” Wilda said
about her father’s commitment to the community and
others.
Spalding was the grandson of J. Walter Spalding, co-founder of
A.G. Spalding & Bros.
Spalding received his Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 1948 and was
a member of the Board of UCLA Theater Arts in 1947 and 1948. He
continued at UCLA to receive his credentials in education in
1949.
Over a span of 60 years, Spalding contributed much to theater,
dance, and radio. He was an acclaimed Shakespearean actor,
performing at one point in an effort to aid in the Finnish and
British War Relief, as well as a director and producer.
In a press release, Wilda detailed her father’s
contributions to others.
He was a man of “immense generosity of heart and multiple
talents,” she wrote.
Spalding served in World War II after attending Yale University,
where he was a flight commander and trained other pilots.
In 1945, he was awarded the special Commendation for Bravery
from the newly-established United Nations after having fulfilled a
mission to protect the San Francisco meeting that created the
United Nations.
Spalding also was a pioneer in the community public radio
movement, producing and performing in programs with KPFA Radio in
Berkeley in the early 1950s.
He was also a co-founder of the Theater-for-Children in the late
1940s, which helped introduce children to theater.
Furthermore, Spalding taught school in California for 21 years
until his retirement from the San Francisco Unified School District
in 1984.
He was “committed to quality education for all and deeply
dedicated to developing educated, responsible world
citizens,” Wilda wrote.
In a letter to Spalding’s family, Sen. Edward Kennedy,
D-Mass, addressed Spalding’s great generosity.
“As a teacher and actor he brought others learning through
entertainment and also creativity in the classroom. He was an
innovator and organizer. He reached out to students and helped them
reach the threshold of their own minds and their potential,”
wrote Kennedy.
In his later years, Spalding continued to contribute to his
community by driving and delivering for the “Meals on
Wheels” program, being a presenter for Ventura County’s
“The SEASONS Group” (Senior Experts and Speakers on
Numerous Subjects), as well as participating as a choir member and
lector.
As a historian and military collector, he also made appearances
at 4th of July celebrations in Villa Grande in full Minuteman
attire and even fired a cannon from his own private collection.