June 1, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Teresa Hendrix
(805) 756-7266

Astronaut, Entrepreneur to Speak, Receive Honors
at Cal Poly's Spring Commencement June 12

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Astronaut Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson and entrepreneur and
San Diego Chargers owner Alex G. Spanos, both Cal Poly alumni, will
receive honorary degrees and deliver keynote addresses at the
university’s Spring Commencement ceremonies June 12.

Spanos, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who built a small business
into a corporate giant comprising 10 companies, will be the speaker at
the 9 a.m. commencement ceremony for approximately 1,280 candidates from
the colleges of Agriculture, Liberal Arts, and Science and Mathematics.
He will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Gibson, a retired U.S. Navy captain and NASA astronaut, is a member of
the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. He will address some 1,210 eligible
graduates from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design,
Orfalea College of Business, and the College of Engineering at the 2:30
p.m. ceremony, where he will receive an honorary Doctor of Science
degree.

Both ceremonies will be held in the university’s Mustang Stadium off
California Boulevard, drawing an anticipated crowd of 15,000 family,
friends and visitors to campus throughout the day.

About Alex G. Spanos
Alex G. Spanos, the chairman and owner of the A.G. Spanos Companies, has
been recognized as one of the most dynamic business leaders in the
nation and an outstanding philanthropist.

A son of Greek immigrants who settled in Stockton, Spanos started
working at the age of eight when he and two brothers would awake before
dawn to prepare food in their father’s restaurant before school.

Spanos came to Cal Poly in 1941, enrolling in the aeronautical
engineering program. While at Cal Poly, Spanos was a marching band
member and drum major. He left Cal Poly to join the Army Air Corps
during World War II, serving from 1942 to 1945. After the war, he
attended what is now known as the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

During his career, Spanos has transformed a modest business venture into
what is today a corporate construction and real estate giant comprised
of 10 companies. Employing over 500 people and headquartered in
Stockton, it ranks at the top of the national housing industry. It has
built more than 100,000 apartment units and over three-million square
feet of commercial property in 18 states.

The A.G. Spanos Companies build, market and manage multi-unit housing
developments. They are also engaged in land development and the
construction of master planned communities.

In addition to building his business, Spanos has owned the San Diego
Chargers NFL football team since 1984.

His humanitarian awards include:
· The Horatio Alger Award from the Horatio Alger Foundation
· The Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
· The Gloria Swanson Humanitarian Award from the American Cinema Awards Foundation
· The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith National Distinguished Community Service Award
· Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of the Pacific and Eureka College
· Cal Poly Distinguished Alumnus.

In his autobiography, Spanos writes: “I believe I have a sacred duty to
share my good fortune with my church, my community, my fellow
Greek-Americans and my family, not necessarily in that order. Giving
just does my heart good.”

Alex and Faye Spanos, who have been married since 1948, have four
children and 15 grandchildren.

About Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson
A Cal Poly alumnus, space shuttle commander and U.S. Astronaut Hall of
Fame inductee, Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson is widely recognized for his
distinguished career, national service and commitment to higher
education.

Gibson is the first astronaut to serve as mission commander on four
different shuttles. During his career with NASA, he flew five missions
and logged more than 36 days in space. His missions included the first
test of the Manned Maneuvering Unit during two space walks, the first
shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center, the 50th space shuttle mission,
and the first mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir.

More recently, Gibson broke a third (unofficial) world record a few
weeks ago, flying his 100-HP Cassutt plane at 238.14 mph, beating the
20-year-old record of 229.41 mph for that class of aircraft. He flew the
100-kilometer closed-circuit course from his hometown in Murfreesboro,
Tenn., on April 28.

In 1991 he set a world altitude record in the airplane. "I'm just
tickled,” he said, “because there aren't too many airplanes in the world
that have established separate altitude and speed records. I can finally
relax for a little bit, now that I have this obsession with a record
flight out of my way."

Gibson received an Associate Degree in Engineering Science from Suffolk
County Community College in 1966, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Aeronautical Engineering from Cal Poly in 1969.
A pilot since the age of 17, Gibson entered active duty with the U. S.
Navy in 1969. From 1972 to 1975, he flew combat missions in Southeast
Asia, including air cover during the U.S. evacuation of Saigon. He
graduated from the Naval Fighter Weapons “Topgun” School and the U.S.
Naval Test Pilot School before joining NASA.

His awards and world records include:
· U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (2003)
· World record, "Time to Climb to 9000 Meters" (1994)
· Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) "Louis Bleriot Medal" (1992)
· World record, "Altitude in Horizontal Flight," Airplane Class C1A (1991)
· Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) "Freedom of Flight" Award (1989)
· Aeronautical Engineering Medallion Award from Cal Poly's Aerospace
Engineering Department
· College of Engineering Honored Alumnus

His military awards include:
· The Defense Superior Service Medal
· The Distinguished Flying Cross
· Three Air Medals
· The Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"
· A Navy Unit Commendation
· Meritorious Unit Commendation
· Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
· Humanitarian Service Medal
· The Vietnam Campaign Medal

A proud graduate of Cal Poly, Gibson maintains an active interest in the
university, delivering the address at the Cal Poly 1994 Spring
Commencement, as well as displaying University memorabilia on each of
his shuttle flights.

Gibson retired from NASA in 1995 to pursue private business interests.
Currently a commercial airline pilot, he is married to Dr. M. Rhea
Seddon of Murfreesboro, Tenn. The couple have four children.

- # # # -