Dwayne Larson '65
I had a great time at Long Beach State. I first enrolled in the Spring 1961. I went to another school in Idaho for a year and a half, then returned to Long Beach State. I was supposed to graduate in the spring of 1964, but got diabetes and it ruined that semester. I finally graduated in the summer of 1995.
I have several fond memories at Long Beach. I joined a fraternity and had a ball. I was a member of Phi Kappa Tau. I was the song leader and once fell off the porch of the Delta Gamma house next door when I was leading a song. I was also a hasher at a sorority house.
I loved 49er days and we always built an entry for the competition. Our fraternity won Black Bart twice when I was there. One winner we called Blond Bart.
We played bridge in the cafeteria every day at lunch and that was fun.
I got my BA in history and my MA in school psychology. My favorite undergraduate professor was Jim Lean (SP?) who taught a class in constitutional law. I did really well in that class and on one test I just put my name on a blank sheet so others could catch up.
I think all I learned at Long Beach was a real asset in my life as a teacher. Especially my life as a school psychologist for the last 27 years of my employment.
I taught high school for eight years and spent 27 years as a school psychologist. The first three years I taught history and then spent five years teaching special education also in high school. I spent the last 27 years as a school psychologist in Irvine Unified.
I am retired since 2002 and spend my time serving on two Long Beach YMCA Boards (Los Altos and Camp Oakes). I sing in my church choir and attend most sporting events at Long Beach State. I used to hang the K’s at Dirtbag games. My wife and I are also involved in Musical Theatre West and attend productions at Community Playhouse and the Carpenter Center. We also have one of the men’s basketball offices named for us in the Pyramid.
We have two sons: Brent 42 and Matt 38. Brent went to UCSB and Matt attended Long Beach City College.
I wouldn’t have been able to teach or be a school psychologist had I not graduated and received my BA and MA and credentials at the Beach.
Since I always sang in the choir, my favorite song in “Moonlight in Vermont” and I know it wasn’t a popular song. Pizza and Beer were always my favorites. Bonanza was my favorite TV show and my uncle Dick was the Manager in Charge of Production for NBC.
