Cal State Fullerton Professor William D. Puzo Dies at 55

William D. Puzo, a Cal State Fullerton professor who made international headlines in 1984 by exposing American college students’ ignorance of geography, has died. He was 55.

Puzo, who joined the Cal State Fullerton faculty in 1970, died Feb. 13 of an apparent heart attack, his family said.

“Wild Bill Puzo,” as his friends called him, was known for his work on behalf of the university and his love of geography.

He brought attention to the issue of geography in American education when he published test results of Cal State freshmen, showing only 49% could locate Japan on a map.

His test results and subsequent studies done on the subject led to a congressional hearing in Washington three years later.

Puzo was particularly fond of deserts and Africa. He taught at the University of Botswana in 1976.

His students said his passion for the subject drew them into geography in a way a textbook lesson could not.

“He used to take us for hikes in the mountains,” said Sherry Goddicksen, a graduate student in geography who had known Puzo for 25 years. “He convinced me to do that and I didn’t think I could do that, I mean I was this young lady in tights and a skirt and here I was hiking.”

In the classroom, Puzo found unique and positive ways of describing nature, Goddicksen said.

“He liked the desert because, as he described it, there was no vegetation to get in the way of the scenery,” she said. “People think the desert is barren but without the vegetation, you can see the rocks, the horizon and the colors of the sky.”

“He was a young, vibrant guy who made geography fun,” said Mark Boster, who studied introductory geography with Puzo as a freshman in 1972. “It was a required class, but it was memorable. I still have the atlas he gave us to this day.”

In addition to geography, Puzo was involved in the university’s athletic programs. He chaired the Athletics Council from 1986-1990.

He then became active in student politics and campus issues, serving as a member of the Associated Students Board of Directors from 1993-1995.

“He had a deep belief in the campus community,” said Keith Boyum, chair of the Academic Senate. “He had a real passion for the interests of students. Most faculty are in this business because they care about students learning, but Bill would articulate it more often, loudly and transparently.”

Puzo’s dedication extended to the community outside of the Cal State campus. In 1991, he was appointed by then-Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez to a task force to evaluate the water needs of county residents.

A native of Kingston, Pa., Puzo received his bachelor’s degree from Monmouth College in New Jersey, his master’s degree from Florida State University and his doctorate from UCLA.

He is survived by his wife, Rita A. of Fullerton; mother, Mary A. of Pasadena; brother Daniel P. of South Pasadena, and sister Dorothy L. of Trenton, N.J.

A memorial will be at 1:30 p.m. March 22 at Cal State Fullerton University Hall.