Dennis
Chaconas Former Superintendent
Even during the bell-bottom '60s, this former Oakland schools chief wore
a suit to SF State because his immigrant father had read that respectable
college boys dressed that way.
Robert
Deegan President
The
ninth superintendent and president of Palomar College in San Marcos,
he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology and his master's in
counseling from SF State.
Alice Fong Yu Bilingual education pioneer
The first Chinese American public school teacher in San Francisco, she graduated
in 1926 only to be told that Chinese Americans were not being hired. She persisted
until she found a principal willing to employ a bilingual teacher. Today San
Francisco's Alice Fong Yu Chinese immersion elementary school honors her memory.
Brother Ronald Gallagher President
The 28th president of Saint Mary's College of California credits influential
faculty at SF State such as Richard Trapp and Mike Zimmerman with igniting
his interest in higher education.
Bill Honig Former Superintendent
Long before his 1982 election as state superintendent of public instruction, he was a master's student at
SF State who spent mornings teaching children in inner-city schools.
David Mertes Chancellor
As chancellor of the California Community Colleges from 1988-96, this biology major helped institute important reforms at this educational system.
Caitlin Schwarzman Educator
As part of her graduate thesis, this teacher with a love of sailing
mapped out a challenging "school at sea" for
female high school students. Her Tall Ship Semester for Girls program
helps students shape up when they ship out.
Linda
Shore Science educator
This director of the Exploratorium's Teaching Institute got starry-eyed
about astronomy after taking a class because a friend said it would
be "easy."
Caroline
Vaughan Director of education program
The head of the United Nations Language and Communications Programme at U.N.
Headquarters in New York City, she is in charge of 50 language instructors. She
credits the TESOL program for helping to hone her teaching skills.
