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Elaine Tanner Van Bruggen ’47

Born in Utah, Elaine moved to Portland as a child. She went to Reed, which both her sister, Wilma Kennell ’51, and brother, K. Nolen Tanner ’43, attended. While earning her bachelor’s degree in history, Elaine met Robert Van Bruggen ’43, whom she married in 1950. She went on to earn a master’s degree in economics from UC Berkeley.

Following Robert’s graduation from medical school, the couple and their three small children settled in Los Gatos, California, where he started his practice in psychiatry. In 1966, at the age of 40, Elaine was admitted to Stanford Law School, where she graduated with a juris doctorate degree. She was one of only three women in her class of 1970. Elaine worked a general practice in law, from which she retired in 1990, the same year that Bob died. She was passionate about education and the importance of contributing to a progressive and democratic society. Her three children, Nick, Kathi, and Conrad, survive her.

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