Allan Casson, 72; USC Professor Helped Boost High School Education
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Allan Casson, 72, a popular USC professor of English who worked to improve the quality of high school education, died Friday in Los Angeles of lung cancer.
Born in Cambridge, Mass., Casson earned bachelor’s degrees in English literature from Williams College and Oxford University and a doctorate from Harvard, becoming a ranked tennis player along the way.
He joined the USC faculty in 1960 and taught until his retirement in 1987. He also served at various times as chairman of the English department, head of graduate studies in English and chairman of undergraduate studies. Much loved by students, he earned repeated awards as USC’s most outstanding teacher.
Casson contributed to several books to help high school students prepare for college admission, and worked to improve college board examinations. He also conducted Saturday seminars and summer sessions for high school teachers.
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