William Rudolph Schultz

William Rudolph Schultz was born on Dec. 25, 1923 in Kalispell, the first son of William R. and Beatrice V. Schultz.

He attended school in Whitefish and following graduation in 1941 he entered the University of Washington. World War II soon intervened and he subsequently flew to England as the navigator on a B-24. There he and the crew joined 93rd Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force until their aircraft was shot down on a raid over Germany, where he waited out the war as a prisoner in Stalag Luft I.

After returning to the University of Washington, he began the study of Chinese language and culture. With the aide of the G.I. Bill and summers spent logging on the South Fork of the Flathead River, he completed the degree and began a course of graduate studies.

In 1949 he met and married the love of his life, Darline Hanson LaTorre, who which to his wonder and surprise had also been born in Kalispell, but whose family had moved to Seattle soon thereafter.

With the aide of the graduate fellowships he was also able to continue his studies for an advanced degree and in 1953 their daughter Erika was born and he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Japan. Two years later all three returned to Seattle where he completed the dissertation defense and was awarded the PHD in Chinese language and literature.

He then accepted the position in Taiwan where he and his family resided for the next three years. After one year back in the states, he was posted to Singapore where their son William Rolfe was born. In 1961, he accepted the offer of a teaching position at the University of Arizona in Tucson where over the years taught a variety of courses relating to Chinese language, literature, history and philosophy. He also served for a time as department head.

In addition, he maintained an active research and publishing schedule, which included the editorship of 36 individual volumes on classical and modern Chinese literary figures, the co-editorship of another volume on the poetry of the last imperial dynasty which included many of his own translations and short essays, as well as a variety of articles, translations, and book reviews relating to Chinese literature and history.

During those years he was called upon to serve a term as president of the Western Conference, of the Association for Asian Studies and similarly of the Western Branch of the American Oriental Society, and in 1974 he was named a life member of the National Committee on US-China relations.

Ultimately, he and his wife retired to whitefish where over the years he was called upon to serve as a board member of the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, the Stumptown Historical Society and the North Valley Music School.

He was several times named commander of the Local American Legion Post, and served as adjutant of the Montana Chapter of the Ex-POW organization. He was also a member of the local Kiwanis Club.

Over a period of several years, he was also involved in raising funds for the construction of the city library and the O’Shaughnessy Center. Later he was greatly surprised to be named King Ullr XXXIV of the Whitefish Winter Carnival, and even more so upon the publication in 2002 of a book of scholarly essays by former colleagues and students entitled Excursions in Chinese Culture, Festschrift in Honor of William R. Schultz.

He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Erika Astle; his son, William Rolfe; and two grandsons, Ryan Burr and William Astle, of Federal Way, Wash; as well as his sister, Beatrice Nugent and his brother, Alfred and their children.

A memorial service will be held July 11 at 4 p.m. at the Whitefish Community Center.