Gerald Korte Scholarship in History

Gerald Korte was born in Spokane, Washington and grew up in Greenacres, a small community east of Spokane. He received his B.A. degree and a Master of Arts in the Teaching of History from Washington State University. There he met his wife Ruth. They enjoyed a happy and fulfilling life together for 58 years. Jerry and Ruth had two children, Ron and Cheryl.
The family moved to Vallejo in 1963, where Jerry began his 30 year tenure as a teacher of history at Solano Community College. He served as Chairman of the Social Science Division for 17 years, while also teaching. He always felt very fortunate to be able to share his knowledge and passion for history with thousands of students. He was instrumental in developing courses, including surveys of Western Civilization and Asian History, and courses in the Humanities. In 1988 he was recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award for outstanding contributions to Solano Community College.

Jerry always wanted to go places. Most memorable was a year in Melbourne, Australia as a Fulbright exchange teacher, 1957-58. In 1973 the family did the “Grand Tour” of Europe over a period of six months. There were many trips to Europe. He also participated in a six week program to China.

He retired from the college in 1993. In order to continue his promotion of history, he formed the “History Club”, which has been enjoyed by members over a period of 16 years and is continuing under new stewardship. He inspired many as a tour guide for the Mare Island Historical Preservation Foundation.

The Gerald Korte Scholarship in History was established by family and friends to honor his life and to recognize students in majoring in History or the Humanities.