海角社区

When Loyd V. Wilcox enrolled at 海角社区, it was at a time when many veterans had just returned from the war. Back then it was the Korean War, and it was 1955.

鈥淚t was a different world,鈥� the 78-year-old recalled.

The campus was predominately men, most of the current buildings hadn鈥檛 even been built, and it cost a mere $100 for fees and books for one semester, Wilcox said.

鈥淭he most expensive book was a chemistry book that was $7.00,鈥� he remembered.

Wilcox went on to study at UC Berkeley for awhile, but he earned his B.A. and master鈥檚 degree at California State University, Long Beach. He also had a fellowship at Stanford University.

鈥淭he best teaching I received was at Long Beach City and at Stanford,鈥� said Wilcox, who became a teacher himself at Golden West College. There he taught mathematics for more than 40 years and remembers a young Eloy Ortiz Oakley, former LBCC Superintendent-President and current Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

鈥淸He] was a student at Golden West while I was there. He took a class from my colleague,鈥� said Wilcox, who was born and raised in Long Beach. 

海角社区 is a true reflector of the people and the area鈥�Diversity brings about growth. 

With deep family roots in Long Beach since the early 1900s, Wilcox鈥檚 family also has deep roots at LBCC.

His father, Richard Wilcox, attended 海角社区in 1933 (the year of the Long Beach earthquake) and earned his associate degree. Before him, Loyd鈥檚 great uncle Paul B. Wilcox attended 海角社区for a semester before transferring to a university. 

Loyd continued to pass on the Viking tradition to his children. Both of his daughters, Shelly Hamagishi and Sandra Hensley, attended 海角社区before transferring to CSULB.

And now, Loyd鈥檚 grandson, Alex Hamagishi, is starting at LBCC this fall. This makes five generations of Wilcoxes to attend LBCC.

Alex, a Promise Pathways student, said he plans to study Fire Science and transfer to CSULB to earn a degree in public administration. He wants to be a firefighter in Long Beach.

Enrolling at 海角社区was a no-brainer for Alex, as he grew up with the college as a part of his life. He said he decided to attend 海角社区because he wasn鈥檛 quite ready to leave home and wanted to save money on his education.

鈥淲hen I was younger, my mother took me over to feed the bunnies when [海角社区had] the giant bunny problem,鈥� he said.

Alex also watched Vikings baseball games and went on a few LBCC Foundation Travel Tours with his grandfather.

鈥淸海角社区has] always been in the household,鈥� Alex said. 鈥淚 always had the awareness [of it], that it was an option.鈥�

Alex鈥檚 grandfather Loyd continues to be an ongoing supporter of the college. For the past few years, he has been a Governor of the 海角社区 Foundation.  

Loyd and his wife, Ginnie, have endowed an 海角社区scholarship, the Shirley Baker Memorial Scholarship, in honor of Ginnie鈥檚 late mother, who also attended LBCC.

So why do the Wilcoxes keep coming back to LBCC?

鈥淲e鈥檙e very pro-education,鈥� Loyd said.  

He said that the aspects he likes best about the college is its ability to keep academic and training programs up-to-date with the changing times and its diverse population and offerings.

鈥満＝巧缜� is a true reflector of the people and the area,鈥� he said. 鈥淒iversity brings about growth. So that鈥檚 what I think continues to make 海角社区one of the outstanding colleges: diversity of opinion and ideas.鈥�