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'50s  '60s
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'90s

Barbara Jane Best Zunich, Class of '52. I have two favorite stories: one involves a class that we took in California History in one of the apartments that was the first college site. We had two more people in that class than there were chairs in the classroom (really the living room). It was a great class taught by Dr. Ahlquist. No one wanted to miss class. Thus, the last two people each day had to sit in the bathroom and look around the corner. Their seats were a board placed across the bathtub. Years later I learned from Dr. Ahlquist that he had no idea about California history. He had been recruited to teach at State from a college in Iowa. How did he get such great stories that kept people sitting on the bathtub? Every other day he went to the library at USC and studied up for his next class. He told me he learned as much that year as we did. What a great teacher he was.
   Second story is about the very, very rainy day we sat in class and watched our cars slide down the hill that was our make-shift parking lot. (This is after we moved to the new lower campus that had small wooden buildings for classes and wooden sidewalks). Inasmuch as most of us were not wealthy and drove old, second-hand cars, no one got too excited about the pile up of cars. Everyone patiently waited in the rain while the small tractor that ran around campus pulled the cars out of the mess...one-by-one. I drove my car with the front fender bent in as long as I owned the car. It made a great story telling people how I got that fender bent.
   Want more stories? I have lots. How the colors of gold and brown were chosen, why we got wet when we went in the student union when it rained. How I 'caught' the attention of my husband, etc.

William Marshall Hannah, Staff Employee, (submitted by Georgianne Campbell, daughter). My dad was one of the first staff employees at CSULB. He had just retired from the Navy in 1949 and heard about a new college that was going to be built close to our house. He retired from the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer in charge of the boilers on the ship he had been stationed on. Being a smart man, he saw a great chance for getting in on the ground floor at this new college. He was hired as a night watchman to patrol the classrooms in Park Estates. We had a dog named "Boots" that dad took with him to patrol the "campus". When the classes were moved over to the new college site, my dad and Boots moved with them. When construction started on the permanent buildings, dad was transferred to Plant Operations and worked for Larry Stapp. He worked with Mr. Stapp and the architect to helped plan and design the heating systems for the classroom buildings. My dad was Chief Engineer when he died in March of 1971. He had worked for the State College for 21 years.

James (Jim) L. Lucas, BA '65; MA '70, Biology-Chemistry. My fondest memories of my years as an undergraduate were working for Dr. Richard Loomis and the many field trips to the deserts of California, Arizona and Mexico.

Felton Williams, B.A., 1972 (Business Administration), M.B.A., 1975 (Business Administration) The adjustment to a campus as large as CSULB where you could walk for days and continue to make interesting discoveries. What was uniquely appealing was the manner in which we registered for classes - waiting in a line that stretched to the top of "hard fact hill" (I believe that's what it was called), and the interesting conversations and acquaintances you developed while waiting in the line. Sometimes the waiting could be for hours so it was advantageous to bring a lunch.

Fe Anoina-Box RN (now Fe Anoina-Murray RN), 1973-1980 Nursing. Falling asleep under blossoming peach trees with pink petals, listening to the lunch band playing in front of the bookstore.

Nancy Youry Okamura, 1982, Radio/Television. Although I have lots of great memories about my time at the "Beach" my fondest memories are hanging out with my father, Dr. Ward Youry, who started the ceramics department. The art department was a playground to me. Watching the kilns being fired, the glass blowers, weavers and painters. I learned so much back then. I also remember the faculty diners that they used to have in the Chart Room, and 49'er days. When I was a student I remember having lunch with my father in the "Oak Room". I wish CSULB a happy 50th anniversary. I wish my dad was here to share it with us all.

Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, MD (Theresa Marie Beltran Rohr), Graduated CSULB '84, BA Chemistry. CSULB is where I grew as a person and came to a better understanding of my Hispanic heritage. Becoming involved with Chicanos for Community Medicine and eventually serving as the president of the group gave me great insight into my own background and that of my community. It was not only fun to learn that others were going through similar family experiences, but the sharing helped me to understand that it was not just me! Having CCM support my goal of becoming a physician was extemely valuable. The group became my family and encouraged me all the way. CCM gave me the guidance and the strength to see it through.
   When first planning on changing my major form Nursing to Pre-Med, I thought about changing schools. Then, I realized what a treasure I had at CSULB and stayed. At CSULB, I had professors like Drs. Marsi and Senozan, who not only were excellent teachers, they cared for you as a student and encouraged me along. Dr. Goodman, in Biochemistry, was a friend whom I couldn't bear to let down. If I did poorly on an exam he made me go back over things and took the extra measures needed so that I learned the material better. It is not just the quality of the education, which is excellent, but the fact that the professors were real people who shared their lives with you. They are not some distant entity lecturing from a podium.
   When one of my friends got interviews to medical schools in the Northeast in November and December, he realized that he did not have a warm coat and agonized over how to buy one with limited resources. Dr. Marsi, Chemistry, lent him his own and that guy got into Harvard for medical school!
   None of us goes through this process of college and higher education alone. Thanks to the staff and professors at CSULB, I went to Cornell University Medical College and am now on staff at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. Their guidance and support helped make my dreams come true!

Al Moore. In order to put my favorite memory in the proper perspective, I would have to make you aware that at the age of 37 I was married with two small boys, ages 11 and 9. I also, worked full time at Hughes Aircraft as a Radar Technician. The one instructor/professor who motivated me the most was a Sociology professor by the name of Dr. Lee. He encouraged me by sharing some of the profound challengs that he had to overcome as a person and as a professor there at Long Beach State.
   My last and final examination was in statistics, I believe it was a two hour examination. I was so stressed out with fear and euphoria concurrently that I took a five minute break to use the bathroom. Inadvertently I walked out of the class-room directly into the ladies restroom. When I entered, I immediately recognized the absence of urinals for men. I abruptly, with maximum speed and fear of the very worst of repercussions, ran out of the ladies room and went back to finish my statistic examination. Several hours later, I walked across the campus, sat on the campus lawn and gave thanks to "God" that the journey was finally over. It was a wonderful journey. And as someone once said, "the destination is not as important as the journey."
   Long Beach State and the wonderful staff of instructors prepared me and others well. I am now a retired engineer working part time for the University of Chicago, doing research for Mr. Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.

Tammy Bartholomew Bon 1984-85. I have two memories to share. The first one is the long lines. At the end of one winter semester, there were only two days of book buy-back. Knowing that the lines would be really long, I planned to get in line early on the first day. Unfortunately, it rained like cats and dogs, non stop. So I had to go the second day just like the other 20,000 students. It was not raining but it was gloomy. But what made it really bad was that the line was in the shadow of a really tall building, the main library, I believe, making it colder. I waited in line for over two hours. My toes and fingers were numb and getting worse, and just about the time the rest of my body was turning blue I got to the front of the line to sell my books. How lucky we are now that the bookstore has book buy-back over a week!
   Around the same time a friend and fellow class mate said that after the Halloween costume party he was going to go study at the campus library. He said that the library was open 24 hours and that he was not going to change out of his costume! There would not be very many people there any way. Imagine seeing such a ghoul studying in the library. Those were the good old days, though. Now we are kicked out of the library too early.

Karen E. Komesu, 1992, Nursing. My favorite memory is of meeting my best friend, Jenny, in Sociology 100. We were both sitting in the back, and I said to her, "It sure is hard to meet people in these classes." We have been friends and roommates for 11 years now!! She is like the sister I never had.

Andrew Bransby, '93, Art. The art and design faculty at CSULB are simply the best! They were always on top of the new trends in the market and were themselves accomplished artists.

Patricia M. Cuocco. I attended CSULB from September 1988 through May of 1993 working part-time on my MPA. I graduated in May of 1993. I will always recall CSULB as a lovely oasis amidst the urban sprawl. Sitting on the grass in the center of the beautiful campus, it was hard to remember that you were surrounded by a city. I also remember the great faculty at the Graduate Center for Public Policy, especially Dr. David Fischer, and I am grateful for my education.

Theresa Moretti, Class of 1994, Business Administration / Marketing. My favorite CSULB memory is the American Marketing Association's trip to the Western Regional conference in Denver, CO. We had the largest representation of any school at the conference (including the host university!) at 15 members attending. It was the typical college weekend of 4 people to a room, no sleep and lots of partying. They were a great group of people and it made my senior year very memorable.

Hani Sidhom, BS Electrical Engineering, '94. CSULB is where my wife and I met and graduated. It will always have a special place in our hearts, now that we are about to have a baby. Thanks to CSULB, I have the best partner, best education, and the best memories.

Jason E. Cecil Phys. Ed./AT track, '96. The genuine desire to want to share knowledge with students is what sets the faculty apart from other universities.

Sherry May Pangan, '99. Every semester there was construction and another hassle to take detours! But... it made our campus beautiful and unique! A place to belong, a second home!

Current Senior. My favorite memory of CSULB took place before I ever decided to go to college. I was competing in Track and Field for a Jr. College up north when my coach thought it might be a good idea to try the Winter Heptathalon/Decathlon for Long Beach. Coming from a small town I didn't know what to expect. As I drove up along side the Big Blue Pyramid, I realized that this was the school I would attend in the future, no matter what. Now here I am, a senior who will be graduating with two BA degrees, one in Sports Medicine, and the other in Fitness. I love my school and will share my experiences here with anybody who will listen.

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Updated: 12/16/98