Transcript of

Legends & Legacies

Chris Kim, Reporter:
To commemorate the philanthropic contributions to Cal State Fullerton, the Legends and Legacies gala was held here at the Titan Student Union to honor and recognize those who continue to shape the future of Cal State Fullerton. A VIP room was set up to honor the most notable contributors impacting the university. Here’s what they had to say.

Dan Black:I gave back when I sold my company in ’98 and the reason why I did it was because I would not be here today without my professors here at this university, especially in the Physics Department. When I went to school here, there was one building and we parked in the orange groves around this area. Look at it today. We had a student body of maybe three or four thousand at best. There are thirty-six thousand this year, and there are 180,000 graduates. We’re part of that, and we’re being honored tonight. It’s a small group tonight, but I hope that every year the group gets larger and larger and larger. That’s what’s important.

Jerry Goodwin:
When I first was here, we didn’t have a football field or any facilities like that. The growth has been wonderful. My hat goes off to the president, who’s been so good about helping this school. You have to realize that the community enjoys it as well, it’s not just a few people, and the community is all over the world now.

Merilyn Goodwin:
It’s just amazing. Everywhere you go, there’s construction of new buildings. Everything is state-of-the-art. I don’t think anybody could find a better place to go to school.

James D. Woods:
I attended most of my classes in the evening. I worked full-time, and the fees that were available to me at that time were extremely reasonable. I just thought that if I don’t take advantage of this opportunity, I’d be a fool. I really, quite frankly, feel like I’m almost paying back a loan they gave me several years ago when they let me go to school for little to nothing. I feel very honored and proud that I’m in a position to be able to help the school.

Rod Gilfry:
There’s nothing greater that people can do than to invest in the education of young people. I’m really in awe of the other people in this room because they’ve taken it to heart and they’ve shown, through their actions, that that kind of a legacy is so important.

Steven G. Mihaylo:
Well, my contribution to the university is an investment in people, Chris. It’s going to give the school of business the opportunity to consolidate the staff and the learning center, and have all of the most modern tools to do that with. I just think it’s a marvelous, marvelous opportunity for everyone.

Chris Kim, Reporter:
The evening was a huge success that not only celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the university, but also celebrated those who continue to have a lasting impact on future generations of Cal State Fullerton students.