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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MILTON QUON
______
HON. TED LIEU
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Mr. TED LIEU of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the
life and work of Mr. Milton Quon, who passed away at the age of 105 on
June 18, 2019 in Torrance, California.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
July 30, 2019, on page E1009, the following appeared: Mr. LIEU
of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and
work of Mr. Milton Quon, who passed away at the age of 105 on June
18, 2019 in Torrance, California.
The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. TED LIEU of
California. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and work
of Mr. Milton Quon, who passed away at the age of 105 on June 18,
2019 in Torrance, California.
========================= END NOTE =========================
Milton was a renowned artist capturing the transformation of Los
Angeles through the decades and one of the first Chinese American
animators hired by Walt Disney Studios.
Born on August 22, 1913 in Los Angeles to Chinese immigrants from
Canton province, Milton was the oldest of eight children and the only
boy. He had a deep love of drawing from a young age, one that was
nurtured by an uncle.
Milton attended the Chouinard Art Institute, now known as Cal Arts,
on scholarship. The pressure to contribute financially to the family
lay with Milton as the eldest child, but the expectation increased with
the death of his father and the onset of the Great Depression.
One of Milton's first jobs as a young artist was designing menus for
various restaurants in Los Angeles' Chinatown and other products,
including business cards, chopstick instructions, and signage, some of
which eventually were declared historic landmarks.
Walt Disney Studios hired Milton in 1939 as its third Chinese-
American animator; he worked on the ``Waltz of the Flowers'' and
``Arabian Dance'' segments of Fantasia and was first assistant animator
on Dumbo. Milton took a brief hiatus from Disney to assist with the
effort in World War II, illustrating parts catalogs for military planes
and designing a logo for United China Relief, which raised funds to
help communities in China during the conflict.
In 1951, Milton became the first Chinese-American art director at
international advertising agency BBDO. He worked there for 13 years
before becoming senior design artist at the packaging firm Sealright
Co.
Milton married his wife, Peggy, in 1944 after they met at a Christian
camp in Stockton, California. His children attested to his love for
teaching, always providing pointers and advice for his learning
students. Milton also taught drawing, painting, and advertising classes
at Los Angeles Trade and Technical College from 1974 to 1989.
Milton's art sought to capture his adventures in New York, London,
and China, but mostly every day life in Los Angeles. Los Angeles'
transformation was paralleled by one in his own art, gradually shifting
from outlined and filled with bold colors to more abstract shades of
pastel.
Even in his elder years, Milton's work was recognized time and time
again: in 2012, as one of five Chinese-American artists presented at
the Vincent Price Art Museum in Monterey Park; in 2013, with the Golden
Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California;
and in 2017, with the Historymakers Award for Excellence in the Arts
from the Chinese American Museum.
Milton is survived by his widow, Peggy; children, Mike, Jeff, Tim,
and Sherrill; and four grandchildren. May his memory live on in the
timelessness of his art and his contributions to the community.
____________________
