The Profile of President Romberg with a Pipe (Updated last month)

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San Francisco State University President Paul Romberg is shown in profile, seated and holding a pipe, a candid portrait that conveys the reflective and informal side of academic leadership. Romberg served as president of San Francisco State University from 1973 to 1983. He earned his B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska and was the founding president of California State University, Bakersfield, becoming the first administrator to lead two institutions within the California State University system. He retired from the presidency in 1983. This image captures a quieter moment in contrast to formal public appearances, offering insight into the personal presence of a university leader during a period of significant growth and transition at San Francisco State.

Tags: faculty, staff and administration

Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.

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Information

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-0765
  • Context: <p>Upon his retirement in 1983, Romberg devoted much of his time to developing the Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies facility. The Center is the only academic research facility located in one of the largest estuaries on the West Coast of the United States. Romberg was a specialist in botany and genetics, and taught biology in the Midwest before joining the California State University System as an administrator in 1961. Romberg became the thirteenth president of San Francisco State University in 1973 and masterminded the construction of a two-building Science Complex, established a long-range planning commission that produced a ten-year plan for the University. Although he was remembered as a scholar, a World War II fighter pilot, Romberg was most proud of his role in acquiring the federal site in Tiburon for San Francisco State University. On May 5, 1985, the Paul F. Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies was dedicated shortly after his death.&nbsp; President Ronald Reagan sent Rose Romberg a letter stating, &ldquo;San Francisco, the Golden State, and America as a whole were greatly enriched by Romberg and his life&rsquo;s work.&rdquo; A scholarship was established in his name, and his widow Rose Romberg carried on his vision until her death in 2000.</p> <p><strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;Some descriptions were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Temporal Coverage: 1973-1983
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: 35mm Slide
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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