Name Walter Gong Died May 16, 2000 | Education Stanford University | |
Walter Gong (1922–2000) 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.
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 begin 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.
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, Gerritt, is a member of the LDS Church's First Quorum of the Seventy.
On May 16, 2000, Gong died at age 77 from complications of diabetes.