LtCol Gordon M. Gerson '58, USAF (Ret.)

'50's Classes 

I have been president of the Great class of 1958 for about thirty years. My predecessor took a job out of town. As Class VP I took over and have held the job ever since.

I was commissioned in the USAF upon graduation. We (’58) were the last class to do so gently since the USAFA graduated their first class in 1959. I selected Air Force Ground since my vision wouldn’t get me a line commission in the Navy.

I started my Air Force career as a Ground Electronics Officer which made me a Radar Maintenance Officer after a year of school in Biloxi, Miss. Given the option I went back to school (University of Michigan) and got a M.S. in Electrical Engineering which entitled me to a Radar Maintenance Assignment in Vietnam. Upon return (at my request) I was assigned to teach Computer Science at the Air Force Academy. After two years of that (again at my request) I was sent to the University of Texas at Austin for a PhD in Computer Science. This was followed by a four-year tour at USAFA teaching the computer stuff at a higher level. I completed my Air Force career with the Defense Communications Agency as deputy for Computer Systems. I retired and began my civilian career with CACI doing computer contract work, mostly for the government.

In my spare time I went back to teaching as an Adjunct Prof. at George Washington University.

My part-time hobbies involved distance running and competitive swimming. I had to quit the running but am still swimming.

I am Decade Rep for 40’s and 50’s. I don’t believe the 30’s have any remaining reps.