Donald R. Gerth, a former president of Cal State Dominguez Hills and an influential figure in the CSU system for five decades, has died. He was 93.
Gerth died Monday evening, Dec. 6, at his home in Carmichael, according to an obituary released by Cal State Dominguez Hills. No cause of death was given.
Gerth, who served as the second-ever president of CSUDH and later became the longest-serving president in Cal State Sacramento’s history, left an indelible mark on both schools through his rapid expansion of campus facilities, programs and curriculum.
The U.S. Air Force veteran’s legacy includes championing educational equality, transforming Dominguez Hills into a university and increasing Sacramento State’s degree offerings. He was also a family man, beloved by those in his clan, his daughter, Deborah Hougham, said.
“Few individuals are as inextricably tied to the CSU – and have so wonderfully lived out the university’s highest ideals – as Donald R. Gerth,” said CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro. “Don’s was a life well-lived, and his positive impact on Cal State faculty, staff, and alumni has and will continue to span generations.”
Donald Rodgers Gerth was born Dec. 4, 1928, in Chicago to parents George C. and Madeleine Gerth.
Raised during the Great Depression, Gerth began working as a teen — as a shoe salesman, a steel mill worker and an insurance-rating clerk. He dropped out of high school and enrolled at the University of Chicago at the age of 16.
Gerth earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts in 1947 when he was 18 years old, followed by a master’s degree in political science in 1951. Gerth later completed a doctoral degree in political science in 1963.
But after receiving his master’s, Gerth enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a Southeast Asian specialist. He oversaw various intelligence operations and managed payroll finances — earning the nickname “The Bagman” among troops while stationed in the Philippines, according to an obituary posted by Sacramento State.
Gerth met Beverly Jean Hollman, his wife of 66 years, while stationed at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Illinois. They married in 1955.
Gerth’s commitment to education continued during his time in the Air Force: He served as a professor at the University of the Philippines until he was discharged from the service as a captain in 1956.
In 1958, Gerth left his hometown and headed west to join the California State Colleges system — a precursor to the CSU — as an associate dean of students for admissions. Gerth simultaneously took on a job as a records and government instructor at San Francisco State University.
In 1964, Gerth joined Chico State College; he stayed there 12 years, serving in various positions, including dean of students and vice president of academic affairs.
Gerth was appointed president of Dominguez Hills in 1976. One year into Gerth’s presidential tenure, he helped the university, near Carson, transition from its status as a California State College to a California State University.
Throughout his decade-long stint as president, Gerth oversaw the construction of the campus’ first student housing complex, the Toro Gymnasium and swimming pool, the Student Health Center, LaCorte Hall, and the University Theater.
Gerth was instrumental in bringing the 1984 Summer Olympics biking competition to the campus, signing an agreement to house the Velodrome Stadium. He also brought the CSU Archives to the university, where they are still housed.
“Dr. Gerth’s influence on CSUDH cannot be overstated,” said current campus President Thomas A. Parham. “He was instrumental in helping the institution attain university status, and his impact at CSUDH continues to be felt and appreciated by everyone who steps onto the campus.”
Sacramento State University hired Gerth in 1984. He went on to become the longest-serving president in the university’s history — holding the post until 2003.
Gerth championed educational equality. He added classes in high-demand time blocks and offered students free internet. Sacramento State’s enrollment increased from 22,000 to 28,000 during his tenure and the university’s Latino and Asian student populations doubled.
Under Gerth’s watch, Sacramento State also established a master’s degree in public policy, the first software engineering master’s program at a public university in California and a joint doctoral program with UC Santa Barbara.
Other contributions Gerth made includes establishing the School of Arts and the Office of Research, graduate and extended studies; expanding the campus by 1.2 million square feet, and investing $100 million in building and facility modernization; and creating the Center for California Studies — garnering Sacramento State significant visibility as California’s Capitol university.
“With the loving support of his wife, Bev, who actively served alongside him, President Emeritus Gerth transformed Sacramento State,” said current campus president Robert S. Nelsen. “He loved Sacramento State and the CSU. His impact on our campus and the system as a whole is unquantifiable.”
Following Gerth’s 45-year career, he became a prominent author and historian of public education and the CSU system.
Gerth penned numerous articles exploring public policy’s impacts on higher education and authored “The People’s University: A History of the California State University” in 2010 — a nearly 700-page monolith chronicling the growth of the CSU system since its inception in the years after the Gold Rush.
He also continued championing the CSU’s archives. In 2018, Gerth and his wife donated $300,000 to Sacramento State’s archives so that they could be made public. In return, the school renamed the collection after the Gerths. The archives at CSUDH are also named in their honor.
“Dr. Gerth was an active member of the CSU community for over 50 years,” said Greg Williams, director of the Gerth Archives and Special Collections at CSUDH. “Everyone at the university owes him a debt of gratitude for the legacy he created here for students, faculty and staff.”
Gerth is survived by his wife, Beverly Gerth; their daughters, Annette Schofield and Deborah Ann Hougham; Hougham’s husband, Harold Hougham; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the President Emeritus Donald R. Gerth Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Gerth family said in a statement.