George Whitmore Walper

1927 -

Now retired and living in Florida, George Walper began his career in 1950 as teacher of organ and piano at Forest Lake Academy in Florida. While teaching full-time, he took class work and completed a B.Mus. at Stetson University before leaving in 1954 to teach at Lodi Academy for one year. Although he changed his vocation to the field of business, he has been involved in music wherever he has lived.

George was born in Los Angeles, the younger of two sons of Myron and Esther Whitmore Walper. After serving in the Army during World War II, he enrolled at La Sierra College, now university, and then married Lois M. Almskog in August 1949.

After teaching at LA, he worked at Madison College in Tennessee as director of student labor. While serving in this position he also taught organ at the school and directed a choir.

Walper developed the Human Services and Development Offices of the Tennessee Christian Medical Center at Madison College, and then, from 1965 to 1971, served as President and CEO of Walker Memorial Hospital, now Florida Hospital-Heartland. He returned to Madison Hospital as vice-president, serving there until retirement.

Wherever he worked, Walper always served as minister of music, playing the organ and directing the choir. When the Walpers retired, they served for a year as volunteers at Taiwan Adventist College, where he chaired the music department, teaching all music classes except piano, and she taught in the English department. He also helped the school obtain handbells, and organized and directed its first handbell choir.

In his retirement, Walper is the Johannus Organ factory representative for the state of Florida, selling and installing organs in homes and churches.

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Sources: Interview with George Walper, 2003; 1940 Federal Census Records, State of California birth and marriage indices and World War II enlistment records, Ancestory.com; 1949 La Sierra yearbook, Meteor; other online sources.