Joe Fuhrig

JOE FUHRIG February 9, 1947 - March 3, 2003 Was born and raised in Oakland. He graduated from Oakland High School in 1964. After brief periods at Oakland City College and San Francisco State, he enrolled at the newly formed California State University in Hayward. At CSUH he majored in economics and played on the college golf team. In 1973, he became the first student to earn a master's degree by written thesis in the newly formed economics department. At age 24, he began his college teaching career at Armstrong College in Berkeley, a position he would hold until 1982. He also secured part-time teaching positions at other schools, a practice he would follow all his teaching career. In reference to this, he coined the nickname, "The Travelling Capitalism Show", a term he would use to describe his career the rest of his life. Schools other than Armstrong where Professor Fuhrig taught during this time were the College of Notre Dame and the College of San Mateo. He obtained a full time teaching position at Golden Gate University in 1981, one he would hold until his death. He secured a second master's degree, this time in business --an M.B.A. -- while teaching at GGU. He also was chairman of the economics department, where he recruited and hired a staff of teachers who shared his free market economics philosophy. Continuing his practice of also teaching at other colleges, he taught part-time at the University of San Francisco and San Jose State University. While pursuing his teaching career, Professor Fuhrig also developed himself into a first class golfer, winning or placing in scores of tournaments over a thrity year period. His home course was Springtown in Livermore, where he also earned several trophies. Professor Fughrig's other activities included lecturing and teaching for the Cato Institute; Associates for Self-Government; Smith Center for Private Enterprise Studies -CSU-Hayward; The Independent School in Wichita; and the Independent Institute in Oakland. He also was a member of the Libertarian Party since its inception in the early 1970's, and was its candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1982 where he garnered 105,000 votes statewide, and also for governor in 1986. In addition, he had done economic work and consulting for the Fair-Issac Corporation and the Michael H. Clement Corporation. Professor Fuhrig died of apparent heart complications in the faculty offices of Golden Gate University. He is survived by his brother, Michael Fuhrig, who is a teacher at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. Friends are invited to attend the Memorial Service at Sorensen Bros. Mortuary, 1140 B St., Hayward, CA on Saturday, March 29, 2003 at 1:00 p.m. SORENSEN BROS. MORTUARY (510) 581-1234 or (510) 351-1451