An appreciation reception for retiring President Milton A. Gordon attracted students, faculty and staff to thank and send off the former leader of Cal State Fullerton. Gordon served as president of CSUF for 21 years.

Anders Howmann / Daily Titan

The tribute event, held Monday in the crowded Titan Student Union, focused on the highlights of Gordon’s career: providing accessibility to higher education and a strong focus on students and campus youth.

Gordon and his wife, Margaret Faulwell Gordon, were honored for their commitment to higher education in Orange County for the past two decades.

Willie Hagan, current interim president at CSUF, served as the master of ceremonies for the event. Hagan emphasized Gordon’s vision of providing accessibility to a college education for all students.

“That has been his biggest legacy; that he has made the opportunity of higher education available to probably more students than any president that has ever been at this university,” said Hagan.

Diversity and academic excellence have been hallmarks of Gordon’s career, according to Dr. Kandy Mink Salas, associate vice-president of student affairs.

“He very recently served as the president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the first African-American president to do that,” said Salas. “And I think that really shows the university’s commitment to diversity and his personal commitment to diversity – making higher education accessible to all students.”

Accounting and Chicano studies junior Eloisa Amador, and Chicano studies, sociology and Spanish senior Anna Díaz Villela, have both experienced Gordon’s national commitment to Hispanic Education. When serving as the president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Dr. Gordon did a lot to bring more awareness about the Chicano-Latino committee here, and most importantly he opens his home every year to Chicano and Latino students, faculty and staff for a reception, according to Díaz Villela.

Just as Gordon announced his retirement last fall, he also announced that he was able to allocate an additional $1 million towards a fund for research on campus. This shows his high academic and intellectual standards, said Mink Salas.

Gordon has also managed to balance good business with a friendly and approachable attitude, according to Dean of CSUF’s College of Business and Economics Anil Puri. Puri claimed that Gordon was instrumental in the building of Steven G. Mihaylo Hall.

“When conditions got tough, costs went up and the Chancellor’s office would not give us any more money, he continued to support the project and he found the money to get it built,” said Puri.

Puri also said that he was always surprised at how well Gordon could remember people’s names and always seemed to have time to talk to people.

“Given his position, I think that is remarkable,” Puri said.

Gordon believes that his highlights over the past 21 years have included CSUF’s growing diversity and the university’s leadership in incorporating technology into education.

“We have 41 percent Hispanic students in our freshman class, 23 percent Asian students and now there are three to five percent African-American students,” said Gordon.

CSUF is one of the most diverse universities, Gordon said.

Gordon’s wife has been with Gordon since the beginning of his tenure at the 12 of 23 CSU campuses.

“He has done a remarkable job. It’s been a fascinating almost 21 years. When we came to Orange County it was so different than what it is now,” said Gordon’s wife.

When asked about his thoughts about the students, faculty and staff that turned out to honor him and his career, Gordon replied, “It’s great. It has been really wonderful.”

Mildred Garcia, current president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, was appointed to replace Gordon as the fifth president of CSUF in June. In the meantime, Hagan, colleague and protégé of Gordon, will serve as interim president.

Hagan presented a MacBook Air as a parting gift to the retiring president, and earned a laugh when he said that just like any other employee, Gordon will have to turn over his university computer.