Alum Johnny Mathis Receives Honorary Degree

Monday, June 05, 2017

KRON-CHANNEL 4 (SAN FRANCISCO) -- Johnny Mathis is a musical great. He is a crooner in the ranks with Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole.

He spent almost all of his young years in San Francisco, going to San Francisco State. His musical career called him away from college before he could graduate, so he came back last month to get his honorary degree.

Mathis was an amazing athlete at SF State, setting a high-jump record of 6 feet, 5.5 inches. In fact, in 1956 he was asked to compete in the Olympic Trials.

“I hadn’t quite decided yet what I was going to do,” he said, “and then along come this opportunity to make my first recording.”

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