George
Minns (1857-1862 and 1865-1866)
 |
Born
in Boston in 1813, Minns graduated
from Harvard College with the
class of 1836 and received a law
degree from the Howard Dane Law
School of Harvard. He practiced
law in Massachusetts for several
years before moving to California.
After the Gold Rush caused the
collapse of his law practice and
Minns lost all of his savings,
he became a teacher at the Union
Grammar School, the first California
high school, and became principal
of the Normal School the following
year. |
Ahira Holmes, Principal (1862-65)
 |
Ahira
Holmes was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts
in 1823. He attended the State
Normal School of Bridgewater,
Massachusetts, and taught in the
Plymouth public school before
moving to California in 1852.
Holmes was principal in both a
San Francisco public school and
a grammar school in Los Angeles
before accepting an appointment
as principal of the State Normal
School in San José. He
spent his twilight years managing
a fruit farm in San José.
|
Henry P.
Carlton, Principal (1866-67
and February to May 1868)
Henry P. Carlton grew up on a farm
in Andover, Massachusetts, and excelled
in writing and speaking. He attended
Vermont University but never finished
due to illness. Before becoming principal
of the State Normal School, Carlton
worked in the insurance business,
was principal of the North Beach Grammar
School in San Francisco, was deputy
to the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, and held the position
of vice principal of the Normal School.
His main contribution to the Normal
School was research in the fields
of Physiology, Natural History and
mental philosophy as they apply to
teaching. While at the Normal School,
he collected nearly all of the then-known
species of land and fresh water shells
of the Pacific Coast.
George E.
Tait, Principal (July 1867
- February 1868)
 George
E. Tait was born in New York City
in 1831, but had strong roots in Virginia.
He attended the University of Virginia
and taught in the state before moving
to California in 1853. Tait was deeply
involved in California education before
coming to the Normal School. He taught
evening courses at the French Bank
in San Francisco, was appointed principal
of the Denman School of San Francisco
and worked as City Superintendent
of Schools, where he was a strong
advocate for reform. Tait resigned
after a brief time to devote his attention
to his private business, but was soon
conscripted by friends to organize
the schools in Oakland and would spend
the remainder of this life affiliated
with education.
William T. Lucky,
Principal (May 1868 – August
1873)
 |
Born
April 24, 1821 in Elizabethtown,
Kentucky, William T. Lucky received
his A.B. and M.A. degrees from
McKendree College in Lebanon,
Illinois, and became a minister
of the Methodist Church. Upon
arrival in California, he accepted
a position as president of the
Pacific Methodist College. After
successfully building up PMC,
he became principal of the State
Normal School. He was instrumental
in selecting the new location
for the Normal School outside
of San Francisco and served as
principal when the school moved
to San José in 1871. |
Charles H. Allen,
Principal (1873-89)
 |
Born
in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, in
1828, Allen taught and had leadership
roles in education in New York,
Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Oregon
before settling in San José.
Poor health necessitated numerous
breaks from working in education.
During those times, he worked
as a land surveyor, an expert
cutler and, after retiring from
education, was assistant postmaster
in San José until his death.
|
Charles Childs,
Principal (1889 – 1896)
 Charles
Childs was born in Geneseo, New York,
and spent his youth in Wisconsin before
briefly serving in the army. He had
been teaching in California for several
years when he began his studies at
the Normal School. His reputation
as a successful administrator in high
schools and as Solano County Superintendent
of Schools led to his appointment
as principal of the Normal School.
He was the first Normal School graduate
to become principal. During his administration,
the school saw the adoption of a new
grading system, advances in manual
training courses, and an increase
in athletics—including the formation
of a football team. After stepping
down as principal, he remained on
the faculty for several years and
was then elected president of the
California State Teachers Association
in 1898.
Ambrose
Randall, Principal (1896 -1899)
Ambrose
Randall was born and educated in Maine,
where he attended Maine Wesleyan
College.
He taught in Stockton and Santa Cruz
before he became a member of the San
José State
Normal
School faculty in 1884. In addition
to teaching physics and geometry, Randall
saw the successful development of the
new four-year teacher preparation course;
improvements to the zoology, botany,
physiology and chemistry laboratories;
and the construction of nine tennis
courts, three handball courts and an
open-air gymnasium for basketball and
other sports.
James McNaughton,
President (1899 -1900)
James McNaughton was born in Sinclairville,
New York, earned his A.B—with
highest honors in Latin and mathematics—at
Allegheny College in Meadville, PA,
and studied law at the University of
Michigan. He continued his studies and
received master’s degrees from
both Allegheny College and Illinois
Wesleyan University. He and his wife
taught in Minnesota, North Dakota and
Arizona before finally moving to California.
Although McNaughton’s presidency
was fraught with scandal due to a local
political battle, he made improvements
during his short time at the Normal
School and foresaw the advantages of
a summer session.
Morris Elmer Dailey,
President (1900-1918)
With an auditorium named for him, Morris
E. Dailey is well known for his leadership
during three crises—an earthquake,
a war and an influenza epidemic. Born
in Booneville, Indiana, Dailey earned
his A.B. degree at Simpson College in
Indiana and a B.S. degree at Drake University.
After teaching at the Normal School
for a year, he earned a master’s
degree from Indiana University. Following
McNaughton’s lead, Dailey established
the first summer session. In addition,
he advocated the high school graduation
standard for admission and reformed
faculty employment policy, allowing
more permanent faculty employment and
opportunities for advanced study.
Lewis Ben Wilson,
Acting President (1919-1920)
 |
Lewis Ben Wilson
had served as vice president during
the Dailey administration and
during the 1906 earthquake crisis.
The Pennsylvania-born president
graduated from the Normal School
but had no college degrees, although
he studied at Stanford and the
University of California. |
William
Webb Kemp, President (1920-1923)
 |
Born
in Placerville, California, and
educated at Stanford University,
Kemp was the first Californian
to serve as president. During
his administration, the Normal
School implemented the A.B. degree,
obtained accreditation for its
junior college course from the
University of California, and
established a student bookstore.
Kemp improved the training schools
and summer sessions, and introduced
a number of new courses into the
regular college curriculum. |
Alexander
Richard Heron, Acting President,
(July – September 1923)
 |
Canadian-born
Alexander Richard Heron received
a B.S. degree from Southwestern
University
in Los Angeles. During his brief
stint, summer enrollment reached
a record high of 620. Later, during
WWII, he was appointed colonel
and served as head of the civilian
branch of the army’s supply
services in Washington, D.C.
|
Edwin
Reagan Snyder, President (1923-1925)
 Born
in Pennsylvania in 1872, Edwin Reagan
Snyder grew up on his father’s
farm before attending Colorado State
Normal School at Greeley. He worked
as principal at a few schools in Colorado
before moving to California in 1900.
Snyder received a bachelor’s degree
from Stanford University
and continued there as a special lecturer
and with graduate studies. He held several
positions in Fresno and Santa Barbara
schools before accepting the presidency
at San José State
Teachers
College. Snyder was an educational visionary
who saw beyond the college’s immediate
needs and challenged the state’s
accepted educational concepts. He died
unexpectedly in January 1925.
Herman F. Minssen,
Acting President (1925-1927)
 |
Herman F. Minssen
graduated from De Kalb State Teachers
College prior to coming to California.
His excellent reputation as vice
president made him the obvious
candidate for president after
Snyder’s untimely death.
During Minssen’s term as
acting president, the state Board
of Education authorized the college
to grant bachelor’s degrees
in four new education fields—art,
home making, industrial arts and
music. |
Thomas
William Macquarrie, President
(1927-1952)
Thomas
William Macquarrie’s most significant
contributions were the expansion of
the physical plant and the curriculum.
Many buildings were constructed and
acquired, including the women’s
gymnasium, education building, men’s
gymnasium, the stadium, science building,
library building, Memorial Chapel, and
the old city library was converted into
the first student union. At the time
of his retirement, the music and engineering
buildings were under construction and
contracts for the speech and drama buildings
were finalized. He combined the junior
college and teachers college courses
to offer more types of degrees. In addition,
he initiated a student teaching program
and abolished the training school. Born
in Ontario in 1879, he and his family
moved to Wisconsin where he attended
the State Normal
School in Superior. During World War
I, he served with the rank of major
in France. After the war, he earned
his bachelor’s, master’s
and doctoral degrees from Stanford
University
and taught at the University of Southern
California before becoming president
of San José State
Teachers
College.
John T. Wahlquist,
President (1952-1964)
 Born
in Utah in 1899, John T. Wahlquist completed
high school at Brigham Young University’s
preparatory school, and earned his bachelor’s
degree, secondary teaching credential,
school administrative credential and
M.S. in educational administration at
the University of Utah. He received
a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati
in 1930. Wahlquist established general
education course requirements, promoted
graduate programs, enhanced the evening
course offerings, and established summer
institutes, community business workshops
and federally-sponsored endeavors, namely
the Peace Corps training program—a
ten-week specialized course that brought
students from around the country.
Robert D. Clark,
President (1964 -1969)
 Robert
D. Clark was the first president screened
and nominated by a representative faculty
group. Born in Nebraska in 1910, he
taught at Pasadena College after graduation
while working on his master’s
and doctoral degrees at the University
of Southern California. “Clark
envisioned his task as one of continuously
improving the quality of the institution
and making it more responsive to the
intellectual needs and aspirations of
the student body” (Gilbert and
Burdick, 171). Despite the unrest and
violence of the 1960s, Clark contributed
much to the curriculum and set an example
for mutual cooperation and community
relations.
Hobert
W. Burns, Acting President
(1969-1970)
Hobert
W. Burns was born in Los Angeles in
1925 and attended various schools in
San Francisco. While serving in the
Coast Guard, he perfected various clerical
skills and performed on the base athletic
teams, winning several boxing titles.
After leaving the service, he engaged
in radio and newspaper work until he
was recruited for basketball by Stanford
University,
where he earned all of his degrees—but
never played sports. Burns taught at
Rutgers University,
Syracuse University
and Hofstra University
before coming to San José
State.
With the Vietnam War as a backdrop,
he fought for university status for
SJSC and confronted registration problems.
John
H. Bunzel, President (1970-1978)
Born
in New York City in 1924, John H. Bunzel
entered Princeton University in 1942
and enlisted in the Army at age 19.
He returned to Princeton after serving
three years and graduated magna cum
laude in 1948. He later earned an M.A.
from Columbia University
and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. Bunzel
taught at San Francisco State College,
Michigan State University in East Lansing
and Stanford University
before coming to San José State
College. During his administration,
San José State College became
San José State
University.
Bunzel appointed more women in high
administrative posts than any other
CSU. He beautified the campus; expanded
the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories;
saw the construction of the amphitheatre
and the opening of the Steinbeck
Center
and Nuclear Science Facility; and programs
in Religious Studies, Jewish Studies
and Women’s Studies were established.
Gail
Fullerton, President (1978-1991)
 Gail
Fullerton was the first woman to serve
as president and the first faculty member
to be promoted to the presidency since
Morris E. Dailey in 1900. Born in Lincoln,
Nebraska, she attended University of
Nebraska for both her bachelor’s
and master’s degrees. After receiving
her doctorate from University of Oregon
in 1954, Fullerton taught at Drake
University
and Florida State
University
before accepting a teaching position
at San José State. She worked
to improve Spartan athletics and the
graduation rate of student athletes,
while battling criticism from the boosters
and university athletics. Despite limited
resources, Fullerton’s administration
made remarkable strides in physical
development, including a new engineering
complex, event center, expanded Spartan
Stadium, and made steps toward closing
San Carlos Street.
J. Handel
Evans, Acting President (1991-1994)
 As
Gail Fullerton’s vice president,
J. Handel Evans was already familiar
with the university when he assumed
the position of acting president in
1991. During the Evans administration,
San José State achieved accreditation
by the Western Association of Schools
and Colleges (WASC). In the midst of
a failed national search for a new president,
Evans and the CSU Chancellor’s
Office began to plan the development
of Fort Ord, a former military base,
into a new campus—California State
University, Monterey Bay.
Robert L.
Caret, President (1995 - 2003)
 |
A gregarious, well
published chemist who had held
positions in every level of administration
except president, Robert Caret
infused the university with a
sense of pride and forward momentum.
Caret came to San José
State from Towson State University
in Maryland and brought a vision
for SJSU as the metropolitan university
of Silicon Valley. Among his contributions
to the university was the initiation
of a partnership with the city
to create the jointly designed,
constructed and managed Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Library. |
Joseph
N. Crowley, Interim President
(Fall 2003)
 An
Iowa native, Joseph N. Crowley spent
four years in the U.S. Air Force, while
attending the University of Maryland
overseas program. He continued his education,
receiving his bachelor’s degree
from the University of Iowa, master’s
degree from California State
University,
Fresno, and doctorate from the University
of Washington. Crowley served as University
of Nevada, Reno president from 1978
to 2001. Crowley formally retired in
January 2003, but served for a year
as interim president of San José
State
University.
He identified the university’s
decentralization as an obstacle to progress,
and established greater transparency
in budget planning.
Paul Yu,
President (Summer 2004)
 |
Paul Yu, former
president of the State University
of New York College at Brockport,
resigned the presidency of San
José State just three weeks
after taking office. Yu, who left
for health reasons, returned with
his family to New York and took
a position with his former employer,
the State University of New York.
|
Don W. Kassing,
President (May 2005 - present), Interim
President (August 2004 - April 2005)
 Appointed
in 2004, Kassing has moved the university
forward in several key areas.
Under his leadership, the campus is
engaged in university-wide strategic
planning, with the goal of making
San José State University a
university of choice by 2010.
In February 2006, he accepted the largest single private donation to the university in its history, a $10 million gift from alumni Donald and Sally Lucas, to create a new graduate school of business. As president and in his former role as vice president for administration and finance, Kassing led the development, construction and successful opening of two major campus facilities: the award-winning Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and Campus Village.
Before his appointment to the presidency,
Kassing had served for more than a
decade as vice president for administration
and finance and as chief financial
officer. As CFO, he was responsible
for all business and financial affairs
of the university. His previous 18
years in higher education included
service as vice president for university
relations and administrative services
at Murray State University, in Kentucky,
and vice president for development
and public affairs at Western State
College of Colorado. He also
served for two years as president
of the Granite City Campus of the
Belleville Area College, Belleville,
Illinois. Before that, he worked
for 11 years in private industry,
including eight years in corporate
finance and operations management
for Brown Group, Inc., and three years
with General Motors Corporation.
Active in the community and region, Kassing serves on the boards of San José Sports Authority; United Way Silicon Valley; San José Chamber of Commerce; Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Joint Venture: Silicon Valley; and Silicon Valley Higher Education Roundtable.
Kassing holds an M.B.A. and a B.S. in Economics from St. Louis University.
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