schools

By Lance Armstrong vcneditor@gmail.com

Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon told this paper last week that his life in Sacramento began nearly a half century ago when he and his wife, Deborah, purchased their South Land Park home.

“We bought a house for $37,500,” he said. “And my inlaws loaned us the down payment, and we paid them back and we still live in the same house. We arrived (to reside in that house) in June of 1973. We had come out and bought it a little earlier, in April or May. So, it was ready to move in(to) in June.”

Despite the many changes in his life since he moved to California’s capital city, Gordon is somewhat amazed that he will soon celebrate 50 years as a Sacramentan.

“You know, it doesn’t seem that long, I’ll tell you,” he said. Having spent the majority of his life residing in Sacramento, Gordon still reminisces about his days growing up in New York, long before he would build a storied career in education.

“I grew up in Manhattan, in New York City, in the 1950s and 1960s,” he said. “It was a bit of a tumultuous time. We lived with my grandfather for a time and he was a politician and a judge and a community leader in the Jewish community. He actually ran for mayor in 1945, before I was born.”

Gordon mentioned that he was raised by Julius and Beatrice Gordon, who adopted him as their only child. Julius was an accountant and Beatrice was an elementary school teacher and artist.

While growing up, Gordon was quite tall for his age, he noted.

“I was always unusually big