Walter Gong

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Walter Gong (July 1, 1922 – May 16, 2000) was a professor of natural sciences at San Jose State University (SJSU) and Brigham Young University (BYU) and an educational theorist.

Gong was born and raised in Merced, California. His ancestors came to the United States from China, near the end of the 19th century. His family was involved in the laundry and grocery business. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. While serving in the Navy he chose to use the first name of Walter.^[1]

Gong attended Stanford University, where he earned bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degrees. There he met Jean Char, who introduced him to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and whom he later married.

Gong began his teaching career at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California. He was a professor at SJSU from 1959 to 1993. Gong co-authored a book on Mechanics with William Shockley.^[2]

In the late 1970s, Gong was a professor at BYU. He also taught at Ricks College and did teaching work with IBM and NASA. In the LDS Church, he served as a patriarch.

Gong and his wife, Jean, had three children. Their son, Gerrit, is an LDS Church general authority and current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

On May 16, 2000, Gong died at age 77 from complications of diabetes.^[3]

References[]

External links[]

• page on Gong's educational theories
• another article mentioning Gong's educational philosophy
• Stephen R. Covey. The 8th Habit Personal Workbook. Chapter 3