Harry Rathbun; Co-Founded Beyond War Peace Movement
Harry Rathbun, a retired law professor at Stanford University who helped found the Beyond War peace movement, died Monday He was 93.
Rathbun, who died at his home in Palo Alto, was popular for his end-of-semester lectures, in which he discussed the roles individuals can play in the evolution of the human spirit.
In 1968, Rathbun and his wife, Emilia, who survives him, helped found the Creative Initiative Foundation, a nonprofit educational group dedicated to exploring life’s meaning.
In the late 1970s, members of Creative Initiative shifted emphasis and began educating the public about the threat of nuclear war and founded Beyond War, now a 15,000-member organization active in more than 35 states. Members work to promote peaceful methods of resolving conflicts, through workshops in churches, schools, community centers and private homes.
Rathbun taught business law at Stanford from 1929 to 1959 and in 1950 was named “great teacher” by students.
Other survivors include his son, Richard, who is president of Beyond War.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
