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.