... form the person I am today.

Rather than returning to MIT in old Cambridge, I was recruited to enroll in a new School Of Architectural Engineering in San Luis Obispo, California. In my third year there, I received word from Willoughby that she wished to see me. We met in San Francisco. We spent most of a day and evening together. We took the ferry to San Rafael. She was thinking of accepting a marriage proposal and wanted my response. Some decisions are impossible to make - I was determined to become an Architect and I saw no chance of marriage under the burden of School. Willoughby married.

The Dean of Cal. Poly. San Luis Obispo, George Hasslein, provided me with an opportunity to challenge the 5 year Architecture program at U.S.C., Los Angeles. His gain would be "Articulation" of his 4 year School of Architectural Engineering which could then become a 5 year School of Architecture - if I could prove that I could challenge USC 5 year Program in one academic year. He provided me with entre to 2 LA offices that would support me: Charles Eames and the other, George V. Russell. Though I enjoyed the day with Eames I found out that he was not a licensed architect; thus, I took a job with Geo. Russell. He taught 5th year Design at USC. In 1957, I graduated from USC with the AIA Student Chapter Honor Award for best Design for all 5 years. Cal. Poly. became a 5 year School of Environmental Design ; while I started my career.

Some events boomerang. In LA, I heard from Karl who was thinking of moving from Portland to escape some agonies. He told me that Willoughby was now single again. My father had returned to his Foreign Service career and was now stationed in Washington D.C. He gave me as a post-graduation present a new 1959 diplomatic plated MG convertible. I wrote and phoned Willoughby and I drove east. We vacationed in Rehobeth Beach in Maryland and in my aunt's vacant apartment in Peter Cooper Village in lower Manhattan. Unbeknownst to us my other aunt, Ruth Earnshaw was in, staying overnight in the Master Bedroom, our rukus did not besmirch us, at breakfast she charmed us as much we, her.

We courted via mail and phone and in September 7th,1959, we were married in the Chapel of the National Cathedral. Since I had some savings by that time, we embarked on a 10 month honeymoon. We left N.Y.C. by Queen Mary and returned on the maiden voyage of the Cristoforo Columbo, the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Doria. We visited most of Europe and Egypt , it seemed. Upon our return, we settled in Malibu. We both wanted children and we tried mightily with or perhaps without the help of the Tyler fertility clinic ,we were rewarded with a bouncing baby boy - my son, Galen Schwin-Kan Lowe. I was also able to design and build a large house on Escondido Beach in Malibu. It was an exciting time for us both.

One morning when I was about to drive into town to my office to go to work, Willoughby announced that she wanted a divorce. We had been married then for 5 years. I don't suppose it is unique but for me who came from a tradition where you never considered such a disaster - as DIVORCE, I was devastated.

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