Paul Mata and CSUSB alumni think about how many miles one ...

update on cal stateJust passing down historyBy David Romero1968. North Korea seizesthe USS Pueblo intelligenceship and holds its crew formonths. The Soviet Unionquashes a budding Czechrevolution. Martin LutherKing Jr. and Robert F. Kennedyare assassinated. VietnamWar protests grow louder.And hippies popularize artistR. Crumb’s Mr. Natural, ahappily strolling comic bookcharacter, and his catchphrase,“Just Passin’ Through.”Robert Blackey, however,wasn’t just passing through.Hired in 1968 to teach a subjectthat he was – and still is– passionate about, he hasremained a history professorat Cal State San Bernardinofor 40 years. Though somehave come close, no past orpresent CSUSB professor hasever stayed so long. Bondswith family, students, staffand faculty have movedhim to pass up otherprofessional opportunities.Also, hereally likes SouthernCalifornia.“I had opportunitieshere,” he says, “especiallyto teach whatI wanted and to developnew courses inareas that interestedme – that I wouldn’thave had at a larger,more establisheduniversity.”The 40 years havesped by. “When I camehere I had one son, then lessthan 2 years old. He is now41 with a B.A. and M.A. fromCSUSB and lives and workslocally. My second son wasborn here, is a graduate ofUCR, and also lives and workslocally.”1968 was a tumult. “I arrivedat Cal State not yetcaught up in events, as I hadspent the previous severalyears focusing on earningRobert Blackeymy Ph.D. and starting a family.”But the history departmentasked Blackey to teacha seminar that first year. “SoI created a course on comparativerevolutions, as thatseemed an appropriate subjectfor what was happeningin the world. After thekillings of college studentsat Kent State University andJackson State University, I becamepart of a student-facultycommittee that organizedon-campus activities to protestthose events along withour involvement in thewar.”Today, Blackey remainsa “teacherwho values linkingthe past and presentwhile being careful notto become an ideologue.”Blackey’s own historywhile at CSUSBincludes awards suchas the university’s outstandingprofessoraward for 1983-84.In 2001, the AmericanHistorical Associationhonored Blackey asthe top history educatorin the nation. Healso served for a timeas vice president ofthe group. And he isalso one of four CSUSBprofessors to receivethe prized CSU systemwideWang FamilyAward, an honor heearned in 2003.Retirements2007 / 2008Carolyn AldanaCynthia Amey*Jace BakerPeter CleppePaula CramerEllen DaraszewskiBruce DeckerMargaret DeGroffElsa Ochoa-Fernandez*Lou FernandezIgnacio FloresGeorge GibbsCraig HendersonCharles HoffmanJeanette JanikHelen JohnstonCita JonesBarbara KerrDennis KroegerElizabeth LangenfeldJames MasonTed McDowellDiane MillerPatricia OwensCindy PaxtonEva Mae PisciottaJudith PowellSheryl PytlakRamona RodriguezKristen SandersWilona “Billie” SessionsDarleen StonerDaniel TuckermanRuss WheelerWilliam WhitingPaula Zaragoza* See ‘In Memoriam’In his teaching, Blackeyuses music, literature andpoetry, as well as insightsgained from tours tohistorical sites all over theworld, and he often throwsimages from these tripsinto his lectures to helpbring history home. Butask him about all the newinformation tools availableon the World Wide Web and6 | summer 2008