Early Childhood Education: The Ultimate Investment
Jim and Becky Morgan are dedicated supporters of the Connie L. Lurie College of Education’s early childhood education initiatives. Photo courtesy of the Morgan family.
The same year that Spartan Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a civil rights salute on the podium in Mexico City, Rebecca “Becky” Morgan and her husband Jim moved to Palo Alto with their two young children. Silicon Valley in 1968 was still the Valley of Heart’s Delight — orchards and open land interrupted by universities and the nascent stages of high tech. Raised in Vermont and educated at Cornell University in upstate New York, Becky’s life was full to the brim between parenting a young son and daughter and supporting Jim, who would later dedicate nearly 30 years as CEO of Applied Materials.
Though she went on to lead a celebrated career in public service, elected office and philanthropy, Becky never forgot the unique challenges and opportunities posed by early childhood development for parents and educators, as well as children.
“I have two fabulous adult children and five fabulous grandchildren, but I didn’t feel very prepared to be a parent,” she says. “I never had education in emotional and mental development. And so I want for others what I never had.”
Her central belief in the power of early childhood education grounded her work in elected office. She served first on the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education in the 1970s, then as county supervisor on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and later as California State Senator from 1984-1993, where she served as chair on the inaugural Senate Select Committee on Child Care and Development.
Becky Morgan is a lifelong supporter of early childhood education. Photo: LucieXYZ Photography.
Her expertise in business and community development came in handy when writing the legislation to establish the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to save the CalTrain commuter rail system when Southern Pacific threatened to shut it down.Becky was also proud to advocate for the development of San José’s Highway 85, which eased traffic flow and reduced environmental impact. Not only that, she is credited with being the first woman state senator in California to wear pants on the Senate floor, a decision she describes as equal parts accidental, pragmatic and innately feminist. In 1993, she left state politics to serve as the first CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a nonprofit specializing in collaborations aiming to improve economic development, infrastructure, transportation and education.
In 2002, Becky and Jim pledged their support to San José State’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library as part of its partnership with the San José Public Library. When she learned about the Connie L. Lurie College of Education’s commitment to preparing teachers of children from infancy through adulthood, Becky saw an opportunity to invest in the next generation of educators.
Through the Morgan Family Foundation, Becky and Jim have supported many programs and initiatives at San José State over the years, including the Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child. In addition, they have created scholarships for undergraduates pursuing careers in early childhood education. She was thrilled to see that earlier this spring, SJSU became one of the first universities to authorize a new PK-3 teaching credential, training early childhood educators to qualify to teach three-year-olds through third graders.
“San José State is such a resource,” she says. “I like the fact that [the new PK-3 credential] will help students become teachers in everything from the earliest years through third grade. I’m impressed that the real focus is on the diversity of students, which reflects the diversity of parents in Silicon Valley. It’s a researched fact that students can do better if they can identify with their teachers. San José State is a place where that diversity of teacher preparation candidates will really serve the community well.”
Becky’s focus on community service and childhood development traces back to her New England roots.
“Service is in my genes,” she says. “My father was on the school board back in a tiny little town in Vermont, and then he became county selectman. I saw the joy he got from talking with people and I started getting satisfaction as well from working with classmates [in student government]. It has always been important to me to focus on working with others on the decision-making process. Being of service is important to me, especially since I’ve been blessed to be able to help through our family foundation.”
Though her achievements are many, Becky is still laser focused on her mission, which remains unchanged after decades of service: To create transformative opportunities for children who will grow to create change in their own neighborhoods and communities by supporting early childhood educators. And that, to her, is priceless.
