Gene Koury ’60

My family came to Oakland from New Mexico in 1941. My dad worked in the shipyards during the war. I went to Tech from fall of ’58 to spring of ’61 but ended up graduating from Fremont due to a family move. In the 50s and 60s there was some racial tension between whites and blacks, especially when Tech played McClymonds High in sports, but it was very sporadic. I consider the education I received at Tech to be the reason I graduated #1 in my Optometry class in 1967 and was fortunate enough to lead the leading Marching Band in the country at the time, the Cal Band. My years at Tech taught me leadership, racial tolerance, and tenacity. The teachers at Tech taught me well and I am proud to say I was a Bulldog.