Tuesday’s Fun Filled Facts ‘bout San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University the large university campus anchoring the southwestern section of San Francisco, and my alma mater, was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School.  Then is was renamed the San Francisco State Teachers College in 1921, San Francisco State College in 1935, and finally San Francisco State University in 1960.

San Francisco State University

It was the first university in the United States to have an Ethnic Studies Department.

Former Black Panther leader and activist, Angela Davis taught there for decades.

Bernard Cherin, former White House director of communications in the Kennedy Administration, was one of my favorite professors.

When I was pursing my film degree in the early 90s, I learned that of all the Academy award-winning documentarians, a majority of those either attended or graduated SFSU.

You may not know of San Francisco State University's contribution to society, so here are a few of their notable alumni who have done so:

Actor Annete Benning 

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett 

Actor Danny Glover

Interview with a Vampire author Anne Rice

Singer Johnny Mathis

SNL actor Dana Carvey

Comedian Margaret Cho

Bebe Clothing store founder Manny Mashouf

Major League Baseball veteran Bud Harrelson

Former mayor and speaker of the California State Assembly Willie Brown

Journalist, and thorn in Donald Trump's side, David Cay Johnston

Choreographer Alvin Ailey

Rolling Stone Magazine veteran Journalist, and voice of the Chinese New Years Parade, Ben Fong-Torres

Filmmaker and computer genius Charalambos Kesta

Aids activist and Quilt project-founder Cleve Jones

Former congressman and Oakland mayor Ron Dellums

JFK's press secretary Pierre Salinger

Washington Post Pulitzer -winning Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas

Pioneering activist Mario Savio

Writer and activist Rebecca Solnit

And ME!