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The buttons they wore to Cal State Fullerton athletics events were prophetic: "My kids will be Titans."
Three decades later, in May 2010, Greg Bunch '79 (B.A. criminal justice) and Bobby McDonald '75 (B.A. physical education) were at their daughters' CSUF commencement ceremonies, wishing Alexandra Bunch '10 (B.A. communications) and Michelle McDonald '10 (B.A. women's studies), well in their future endeavors.
"At my house, it's always blue and orange," said Bobby, referring to two of the university's colors. "I helped and encouraged each of my children to go to school, but I wanted them to make their own choices. It was great to have Michelle attend Cal State Fullerton."
The Bunches and McDonalds are two of the many legacy families with multiple generations attending Cal State Fullerton, a number that is growing all the time.
"I was delighted to have a second-generation Titan in the house," Greg said, noting that his daughter considered several schools, including some on the East Coast, before selecting Cal State Fullerton.
But both Alexandra and Michelle noted that they wanted to carry on their fathers' legacies. Bobby McDonald is a former Alumni Association president and longtime athletics booster, as well as a former CSUF coach. Greg came to Cal State Fullerton on scholarship and played for the storied basketball team that made the Final 8 appearance in 1978.
"Dad was so proud and had such pride for the school" that it positively influenced her to select Cal State Fullerton, Michelle said. It helped that she'd attended many university events, including Vision & Visionaries, Front & Center and Concert Under the Stars, throughout her childhood and adolescence.
"My Dad told me to do what I wanted to when it came to college," Alexandra said. "He didn't force anything upon me. Cal State Fullerton is part of a family tradition that I wanted to follow."
The Brundgage-Cappelli family, gathered on the Quad, represents three Titan generations: from left, Scott Cappelli '05; Roy Brundage '71, '72; Julie Cappelli '09; and Kathy Brundage Capelli '76.
Roy Brundage '71, '72 (B.A. business administration, M.B.A.) unknowingly started a family tradition when he chose Cal State Fullerton for his undergraduate and graduate degrees. His daughter, Kathy Cappelli '76 (B.A. music-music education) and two of his grandchildren Scott Cappelli '05 (B.A. communications-radio/TV/film) and Julia Cappelli '09 (M.A. kinesiology) followed him to CSUF.
"My grandpa wears a Fullerton hat pretty much every day of his life," noted Scott Cappelli. The family enjoys watching CSUF baseball. "I'd rather go to a Cal State Fullerton game than an Angels game," Brundage said. "The baseball games are good, and they're close. They're a lot of fun."
"A fantastic undergraduate experience" and personalized attention from professors is what Dan Black '67 (B.A. physics) remembers of his college experience, and he's proud that his grandson, Karl Freels, is a third-year CSUF history student.
Freels, who's attended myriad university events with his grandfather, wanted to spread his wings beyond his Bay Area home and found that he liked Cal State Fullerton's campus. Today he finds himself traversing grounds featuring a building named after his grandfather – Dan Black Hall.
Black is active as both a donor and board member of the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation and the Dean's Advisory Board for the College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. He gives back to the university's scholarships and programs because "I was a poor kid growing up, and now I have the American dream."
Current CSUF student Karl Freels and his grandfather, Dan Black '67, at the entrance of Dan Black Hall, share the Titan tradition.
His undergraduate experience was a whirlwind of night classes and working multiple jobs to support his growing family, but Len Dreyer '72 (B.A. business administration) believes in Cal State Fullerton's success in producing well-qualified graduates.
"If you look at the graduates in Orange County, Cal State Fullerton ranks right up there with the East Coast schools," Dreyer said. "I'm a firm believer that the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is one of the best."
He worked his way through school, including a stint as a campus janitor. He recalls applying the first-ever coat of wax onto the floors of the new Langsdorf Hall.
His hard work paid off. Dreyer worked his way up in the restaurant industry, and today is the retired chief executive officer and president of Marie Callender's Pie Shops Inc. He gives back to CSUF as a donor and volunteer, serving as the immediate past president and a founding member of the Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors.
Dreyer is proud that three of his four children attended CSUF and one, daughter Rachel Dreyer Marchetti '00 (M.S. education, credential-multiple subject) is a graduate.
When Mikayla Rovira attends Cal State Fullerton this fall, she will be the 12th family member to become a Titan, said her father, Larry Rovira '85 (B.A. communications).
"Mikayla has been going to Cal State Fullerton since she was born," her father recalled. "For her first Halloween, we dressed her up as a CSUF cheerleader and went to a Cal State Fullerton football game. She's been to hundreds of events – she's grown up here."
Passionate about the university, the Roviras endowed a teaching scholarship to the College of Education in Mikayla's mother's name, the Theresa Kawase Rovira Scholarship. "It was the right thing to do. We very much believe in education," said Larry, a former Alumni Association president, who met his wife through the CSUF Greek system.
Mikayla will be living in the residence halls, enrolled in the honors program, and cheering as a Cal State Fullerton cheerleader this fall, Larry said.
Proud Titans Len Dreyer '72 and daughter, Rachel Dreyer Marchetti '00, celebrate Vision & Visionaries '09.
The three Hoganson brothers – Scott '74 (B.A. communications), John '70 (B.A. biological science) and Bill '72 (B.A. business administration) – attended Cal State Fullerton as the Vietnam War was under way.
"I have many crazy memories of my college experience at CSUF," Scott recalled. "I remember campus visits by Dr. Spock, Jane Fonda and the National Guard; the student sit-in strikes; closing the campus early one semester due to campus unrest, and much more.
"It sure brought home what was going on in other universities around the country," he said. "We had our share of it ourselves."
John's son, John Christian '00, '02 (B.A. English, credential-English) and Bill's son, Stephen '01 (B.A. communications) both earned degrees at CSUF. Scott's son, Kyle, is a high school varsity basketball player and honors student who is considering studying business at Cal State Fullerton.
When Devin Waltman begins studies this fall semester, he will carry on the legacy of both parents, Joan Tang Waltman '85 (B.S. engineering-electrical) and Thomas Waltman '84 (B.A. biological science), who met while studying chemistry in the McCarthy Hall physics study room.
Joan, a former President's Scholar who is an active donor and member of the Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation board, remembers the camaraderie of the scholars as a key part of her undergraduate experience. She wanted the same atmosphere for her son.
"At CSUF you're not a number," she said. "The professors actually care about the students. You don't just have TAs [teaching assistants] coming in. I've been so impressed that this is still the case."
And it seems as if her desires will be fulfilled. "I didn't immediately decide to go to Cal State Fullerton because my parents went to school there, even though it did influence my decision to become a future Titan," said Devin, who considered four other universities as well as CSUF. "The deciding factor for me was the environment that Cal State Fullerton has to offer its students."
The Waltman family includes, from left: Devin, a CSUF freshman this fall; Joan '85 and Thomas '84, who first met in a McCarthy Hall physics lab; and Daniel, 16, who hopes to attend Cal State Fullerton someday.
She walked around the university grounds as a youth, attending Concerts Under the Stars and dreaming of college.
"When I was in high school, I spent afternoons studying in the physics labs or at the Women's Center, where my mom briefly volunteered," recalled Myra Chen, who is working toward an M.B.A. degree. "And when the new library addition was built, I proudly used it to prepare for my SATs."
Her mother, Juana Chen '97 (M.A. sociology), worked as a secretary in the Physics Department while earning her degree, and later became a part-time faculty member. "I'm really proud< of my mom," Myra said. "She is really inspiring to me." Her brother, Albert '05, '06 (B.A., M.A. sociology), also is a proud Titan.
Antonia Castro '00, '02 (B.A. American studies, M.P.A.) doesn't remember having much of a choice when it came to attending college. For her, Cal State Fullerton was a family affair: Her father, the late Donald S. Castro, was a dean and special assistant to President Milton A. Gordon, and her mother, Connie, is an education lecturer.
"My dad just kind of said I was going to CSUF," Antonia recalled. "He even made me drive to school with him the first semester." But after that, her college horizons expanded. She joined a sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, and studied abroad for one semester.
"Once I started going to classes, making friends, it totally changed my opinion," she said. "I was familiar with the campus, but it wasn't until I got involved that I really appreciated it."
Her younger sister Daniela '06 (B.A. communications, American studies) remembers having a choice when it came to selecting a college. But she knew the CSUF College of Communications was highly ranked nationally and was glad to stay close to home.
Both sisters admit that it was nice having their parents on campus. "At first I thought I wanted to get away from the family, but I met my dad for lunch and through the years he turned me on to all the different services and programs that CSUF offered," Daniela said.
Two generations mark a CSUF tradition: from left, Antonia Castro '00, '02; the late Donald S. Castro; Daniela Castro '06; and Connie Castro celebrate Daniela's commencement.
She was the first of her family to attend college, and Rosalina Davis '77 (B.A. Spanish) found Cal State Fullerton exciting and inspirational.
"It was an amazing experience for me," Davis said. "As an underrepresented student, I didn't think college was possible. I didn't know I could achieve it. For me it was thrilling, like a dream come true."
Davis, who owns Tlaquepaque restaurant in Placentia with her husband, Raul, is proud that both of her children – Rebecca '05 (B.A. communications-advertising) and Raul Jr. '08 (B.A. business administration-finance) – graduated from CSUF as well.
"I'm really happy they got their education at Cal State Fullerton," Davis said. "They had options and choices; they knew they could fall back on the restaurant business. But we believe in higher education."
Mike Stone '67 (B.A. business administration) lived in the old dormitories across the street from campus and played on the tennis team as an undergraduate. He remembers trudging across campus to the cafeteria to eat his meals at the only place on campus serving food.
"It was such a new school," Stone recalled. "There was just this one dorm, and everyone else commuted. I remember attending basketball games, but there were no clubs.
Academically, I struggled. The teachers were knowledgeable and the classes were tough."
Today he is a faithful Titan Athletics donor and volunteer, and the proud father of three Titan graduates: Tamara '04 (B.A. history), Marina '08 (B.F.A. graphic design) and Timothy '10 (B.A. history).
"I selected Fullerton because I grew up going to many games there, and I knew a lot of people already," Marina Stone said. "I enjoyed my time at CSUF. I still go to the games when I can, and when I am not there, I track how they are doing online, or I hear it from my family."
Honoring their daughters Alexandra Bunch '10, second from left; and Michelle McDonald '10, second from right, at commencement 2010 are Greg Bunch '79, left; and Bobby McDonald '75, right, joined by President Milton A. Gordon.
Katie Holland, who's now attending CSUF, was raised a Titan, according to her dad, Tim Holland '78 (B.A. business administration-marketing). "She is probably one of the few current CSUF students who ever attended a Titan football game," Tim said. "By the time she was in high school, she had been to dozens of Titan basketball games. When she was a little one, she liked Tuffy as much as she liked My Little Pony."
Now a sophomore, she's changing her major (just like her father), just involved with the Associated Students Inc. (just like dad) and in the Greek system (again, just like dad) and complains about parking (yes, just like her father did.)
"She is making her own CSUF experience, with its
challenges, triumphs, hard work and fun times – just like
her dad," Tim said. 
Produced by Strategic Communications
at California State University, Fullerton.