Don Gray

Went to Stanford September 1962 and discovered a new world. Rowed crew frosh year, starboard oar. Went overseas for first time in summer 1964 to tutor Chinese doctors in English in crown colony of Hong Kong. Studied in Florence, Italy 6 months and learned Italian, for which I am ever thankful, (got to know my relatives there well over the years).

Graduated with Anthropology major in 1966, joined the Peace Corps and lived near Calcutta, West Bengal, India for two years, working with rice farmers. Also drilled water wells at schools during Bihar drought & famine. Peace Corps was a major life-changing experience.

Returned to Stanford for M.A. and teacher-credentialing program; met my wife, Carolyn, a classmate and former RPCV in Panama, and we married and flew to Fairbanks, Alaska to teach History at Lathrop High School for 23 years, (mostly World; some US; Geography & Government occasionally). Enjoyed working with high school students as a career and believe I was a good teacher. Was able to teach for a year in the north of England northeast of Manchester on a Fulbright Exchange. Our daughter, Annie, began school in our village at 4 1/2 and our second daughter was born there at the end of our stay. Learned a lot from the differences between Britain and America: "Two nations separated by a common language" as Mark Twain once said.

Teaching is hard but important work, too often ignored except in political discussions. Dick Roddewig, Ed Sugars and Hal Brown, among others, were all inspirational teachers for me at Woodland High. Am very grateful for the good teachers that my own children had in school. Am proud of how many of my former students "turned out well" and hope my efforts contributed.

Retired in 1993 for a few months, then began a second career as a stock broker for a national firm, training at the World Trade Center, south tower, in May 1994 and ended up working in finance for nearly a dozen years.
Although we've traveled quite a bit over the years and returned frequently to Woodland, we continue to live in Fairbanks in retirement because of the many people with whom we've shared our adult lives and our daughters who also live in Alaska. Alaska is a small town spread over a large space, with many opportunities for a variety of life experiences.

Will add more later; maybe a photo or two.
Hope this helps us catch up before we meet next September and that others of you add details on your last 50 years. There is plenty of space for 8000+ characters of writing. You can even add YouTube videos.
This IS your life...

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Historic Decision today, June 28, 2012: Chief Justice Roberts led a 5-4 decision that the President's Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 IS 100% LEGAL, except the penalty provision if states do not agree to increase Medicaid for the needy. There, the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) said that states could NOT be forced to do this by threatening them with removal of Medicare, ("Don't touch my Medicare"---something all us 65 and older receive from the Federal Government even if we never were in the out-of-the-home work force).
Unlike our other major National Government senior citizen benefit, Social Security, (which only those who contribute to SS can receive--I paid into SS when I was a stock broker and get it, although it is reduced by 40% because of the unfair 1986 changes by Congress; my wife, who only taught for 26 years and contributed 7 1/2% of gross teacher salary every year, does not receive any Social Security because Alaska teachers are not part of the SSI system. Our Teacher Retirement System was created in the 1940's before Statehood, when only private workers were able to join the Social Security system. Public employees were finally able to join the system in the 1950's, but Alaska didn't become a state until January 3rd, 1959--when we were still Freshman in Mr. Hal Brown's English class or Mr. Mosher's Algebra I class, (Jerry, he made math fun! You had a great teacher as a dad.). California and all the other states, except for Hawaii,were already states by 1912, 100 years ago. Did I mention I was a history teacher for 23 years?

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On May 13, 2012 the Chairman of the Alaska Democratic Party resigned to run for the Alaska Legislature and I got thrown into the briar patch of Politics, (some would say swamp/sewer/sausage factory), since I was the First Vice-Chair. Being in the "D" party, we have 10 V-C's in Alaska, 5 male, 5 female, one pair of V-C's each in five different regions. So I am Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party through the General Election next November until about February 1st, 2013. I mention this because I realize we are deeply divided over politics in America today and sometimes it seems to carry over into our class of 1962. Every just relax. Politics is like baseball: you win some, you lose some and there's always a new season next year. We have the best democracy (little d) in the world, imperfect as it may be, in my opinion, because although we bicker over this and that, in the end we come together and come together as Americans. We who grew up in California come from a state that escaped the tragedy of the War of Northern Aggression, a.k.a. the Civil War. That fact makes California special, and despite its any problems, California will survive when you guys stop fighting among yourselves. You can move to Alaska if you want, but I don't think you'll like our winters. :-)
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June 2016 Another "short" court US Supreme Court decision.
Despite the Congress not wanting to even hear from the Republican nominee to the SCOTUS, the 8 member court decided 5-3 today that Texas could not set up extra requirements to prevent pregnant women in that state from having access to a legal abortion. Since it is the law of the land, Texas will have to drop their illegal laws (or secede from the Union, should they so choose).
Hope all are having a warm and pleasant summer 2016. Two years to our 55th WHS reunion!