For 55 years, Edward Erickson has been more than his title, Stanislaus State Professor of Economics.
He’s been a mentor, not only to his students but to his colleagues.
For his students, he made economics a real-life experience, whether turning the day’s lesson into something from that day’s issue of the Wall Street Journal or starting an investment fund with his own money and allowing his students to invest in stocks after studious investigation.
And for young professors joining his department, he was not just a department chair or senior faculty member.
As he retires, Erickson leaves behind countless lessons and memories for those who shared his passion for teaching and learning.
“He guided me, and I am where I am because of it,” said Eungsuk Kim, current chair of the Department of Economics, Agriculture and Social Sciences. “I will miss him dearly.”
When Kim arrived at Stan State in 1999, Erickson not only mentored him but also created a sense of belonging and family for the international faculty member.
He wasn’t the only colleague who was touched by Erickson’s kindness.
“He always gives good advice and has passed his knowledge on to new professors,” said Professor and Economics Program Director Elaine Peterson, who arrived at Stan State in 1996.
When his students advocated for Erickson to be nominated for Outstanding Professor of 2020, Peterson coordinated the letters submitted and said she was touched by their comments.
Receiving the award was an unexpected acknowledgement for Erickson, who arrived at Stan State in 1970 after completing his doctorate at the University of Southern California.
“I was surprised when I first heard,” Erickson said. “It is an accomplishment and satisfying to have received it.”
According to Stan State Professor of Economics Kelvin Jasek-Rysdahl, it shouldn't have been a surprise at all. He said Erickson’s legacy is clear in the number of students he impacted.
“It’s about teaching students, and with Ed, the students always come first,” Jasek-Rysdahl said. “A lot of the emphasis in his classes was on supporting students, and I carry that on.”
Erickson said all his colleagues have been dedicated to developing the department that was just getting started when he arrived and found a campus of two buildings surrounded by undeveloped land.
Erickson experienced both small and large campuses, earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees in his hometown at UC Riverside before moving to USC to earn his doctorate in economics.
He was offered the job at Stan State by then-Department of Economics Chair Fred Kottke, a fellow USC graduate. Erickson accepted the job, even though at the time, he knew Turlock only as a place to stop for gas while driving along Highway 99 to and from Los Angeles.
“It was a smaller University at the time, which made it enticing, and I didn’t want to leave California because the weather is better here than in other places,” Erickson said.
Turlock turned out to have more to offer than good weather.
He met his wife and the two raised two children in Turlock. They now have three grandchildren, including a new granddaughter, and his retirement plans include spending more time with them.
Their gain is truly Stan State’s loss.
In addition to his roles as professor and department chair, Erickson worked on several committees at Stan State including Academic Affairs, Agricultural Studies Committee — a tribute to his father, a UC Riverside professor of botany who oversaw that university’s botanical garden — the Student Union/Student Center, Cultural Climate Committee and various Economics Department activities.
His biggest role was as a professor, where he nurtured his students’ understanding of the role economics played in their lives.
The Fred Enterprise Fund, named in honor of Kottke and initially funded by Erickson and other donations, allows students to grasp the complexities of the stock market. Their group decisions over the years have enabled the fund’s value to grow to $170,000.
“He tries to get to know his students and treats them with respect,” Peterson said. “Ed is generous in sharing his time, wisdom, advice and always gave messages that students can succeed.”
For example, Erickson continuously encourages students to apply for scholarships.
His departure will leave a void.
“I used to tell him, you are not allowed to retire, but after 55 years, I can’t make that argument because he has worked hard,” Peterson said. “He has passed on his knowledge, and we have all learned from him.”
