Profiles in Service:

Bill Goodman

by James Cross

Before the Berlin Wall divided the modern world, Bill Goodman, a recent college graduate and Air Force veteran, began his career in education at Salesian High School in Los Angeles.

Besides his loyalty and fierce work ethic, Bill brought with him his desire to work with young people. His first assignment at Salesian High School would foreshadow his almost 40-year commitment to Salesian education. The former college lineman and history major from Long Beach State brought an enthusiasm and love that has been both a model and an inspiration. Bill’s Mustang team was the first to score a touchdown in Mater Dei’s Santa Ana Bowl.

From Salesian High School, Bill moved to St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower in 1964. Once again his focus was on sports and the teaching of social studies. In 1965, he was ap-pointed athletic director and then in 1967 he became the vice-principal of the then small boarding and day school for junior- and high-school-age boys.

During the 1970s Bill was part of the major changes at the Bellflower campus. In 1978 he helped the school make the transition from a partial boarding school to a full-time day school. He also provided counsel in the closing of the junior high section and helped to attract more and more students with his visits to as many as 90 parochial grammar school in the Long Beach-Los Angeles area. That same year Bill opened the present Guidance Center and developed the model for the evolving role of counselors and deans.

Bill returned to the vice principal’s office in 1980 and continued there as curriculum director, master scheduler, and dean of discipline until 1987. During that time Bill ushered the school into the computer age; it was under his careful guidance that all of the school’s bookkeeping and records were put on line. It was his leadership, vision, and untiring support that served in the cooperative adventure to open the first 36-station Apple //e lab in 1981.

In 1985, Bill was appointed director of education for the province. On February 18 of that year he was recognized by then Provincial, Thomas Prendiville, for his 25 years of service in the San Francisco Province. It was this same year that Bill received his Master of Arts in education from the University of San Francisco.

For more than a decade Bill has continued to lead the province in education with on-campus visits, administrators’ work-shops, and the conception and ongoing development of the sum-mer Salesian Education Seminar for all Salesian teachers in the Western Province.

"...a team approach reflects his background..."

In 1987 Bill was called upon to become the first lay principal at St. John Bosco High School. Once again his task was to develop the model in this area. His concept of a team approach reflects his background; his willingness to allow others to grow and develop their gifts and skills has been a hallmark of his administration. Under Bill’s guiding eye St. John Bosco High School has continued to expand its adventure into cyberspace with the "Living Technology Vision" developed for the school in the 1990s. A Library Resource Center was opened in 1995 that is the hub of technology and independent student learning on cam-pus. Academically, Bosco has continued to grow as 98 percent of all graduating seniors from 1986 to the present have expressed plans to further their educations. Under Bill the school has al-ways received a clear six-year accreditation from the Western Association of High Schools and Colleges, the last being in 1997. In the area of sports, facilities and fields have been renovated, and a weight and wrestling complex was added to the gymnasium in the early 1990s.

Besides Bill’s duties at the Bellflower campus, he continues to serve as the Director of Salesian Education. He also has served as president of both the Del Rey and Angeles leagues. Currently he a member of the Catholic Athletic Association. Along with all this, Bill has served as visiting chair for numerous WASC teams.

Finally Bill’s greatest rewards come from his family. He and Vicki, a counselor at St. John Bosco High School, have been married for 39 years. They have two daughters (Kathy and Karen), and five grandchildren (Danielle, Nathan, Ashley, Kelsey, and Matthew). They currently are members of St. Hedwig’s parish in Los Alamitos, Calif.