correction

A June 24 obituary of Faith Gabelnick gave incorrect dates for her teaching career. She taught at American University from 1969 to 1977 and at the University of Maryland at College Park from 1978 to 1987. (Published 6/29/04)

Al Lapin Jr.

Pancake Entrepreneur

Al Lapin Jr., 76, an entrepreneur who co-founded the International House of Pancakes chain with a single restaurant in 1958, died of cancer June 16 at a hospital in Los Angeles.

Mr. Lapin ran a series of coffee carts in Los Angeles when he took notice of such fast-food chains as McDonald's flourishing in Southern California and decided to open his own restaurant. Convinced he could market pancakes and waffles to the masses, he and his younger brother Jerry started IHOP in Los Angeles' Toluca Lake section with $25,000. The restaurant stood out for its chalet theme, boysenberry-flavored syrups, blue roof and unusual dishes, including Tahitian orange-pineapple pancakes.

As president and chairman, Mr. Lapin expanded the chain in the 1960s through franchising and eventually built a conglomerate, International Industries Inc., that included Orange Julius and other food chains. In 1970, his holdings were valued at $40 million. By 1973, however, a combination of tightening credit, overexpansion and recession had crippled the company, leading Mr. Lapin to sell his stake for just $50,000.

Advertisement

He later bought a breakfast restaurant in Santa Monica and a franchiser of printing centers. He also tried a pizza and video delivery business and a production company that featured videos of rock stars teaching children to play instruments, but those never met the same success as IHOP. In 1989, he declared bankruptcy.

Faith Gabelnick

University President

Faith Gabelnick, 60, the former president of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., died of pancreatic cancer June 13 at a hospital in Portland, Ore. She was president of the university from 1995 to 2003.

Dr. Gabelnick was born in New York, graduated from Douglass College of Rutgers University, received a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts and was a graduate student at American University from 1974 to 1976, receiving a doctorate in literary studies.

She taught at the University of Maryland at College Park from 1966 to 1967, serving as associate director of the honors program, and taught at American from 1969 to 1971. She wrote several books and papers on the role of women and leadership and held faculty and administrative positions at Western Michigan University and Mills College in Oakland, Calif., before being named president of Pacific.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZK6zr8eirZ5nnKSworiOa2dpbF9lg3B%2Bk2iYpWWclr2quoyjqWaokaOworfEZpynrKKavbN7k2psm2tjboBugpeaa2ZsZZeGbq6Tb5hmamdphKd%2BlmlsbJliZA%3D%3D