Strutting down the fashion show runway at the Ronald McDonald House charity fundraiser, CSULB professor Mike Walter, a.k.a. “Dr. Mike,” mimed dribbling a basketball, stopped, and shot it.
Professor Walter was recently honored as one of Long Beach’s 11 most philanthropic men at the Long Beach Convention Center. Suited with a red bow-tie and red pocket square, his beaming smile illuminated the crowd.
The iconic blue pyramid was being built when Walter first came to Long Beach with his wife, Arline, in 1993. He accepted a position as Dean of Business at Cal State Long Beach, which was struggling to raise the money for the pyramid and toiled in debts. Former University President, Robert Maxson asked the Walters if they would make a lead gift donation to encourage other donations.
The Walters obliged, donating more than $2 million to the university. Their donation spurred others to give to the college and eventually the university raised over $5 million, according to Walter. President Maxson subsequently named the blue pyramid the Mike and Arline Walter Pyramid.
Mike and Arline regularly attend LBSU basketball games at the Pyramid. To show support, Arline would bring cupcakes to the basketball team.
“The cupcakes go pretty quickly,” said McKay LSalle, CSULB men’s basketball guard.
LaSalle characterizes the Walters as an incredible “power couple.” As a finance major, he said he is lucky to have Dr. Mike as one of his professors this semester.
“He is the sweetest man,” LaSalle said. “He cares about every single student and makes a point to engage each one of us.”
From coordinating an after school tutoring program in the Long Beach Unified School District, to volunteering at their church, to serving on countless boards, including St. Mary Medical Center and YMCA of Greater Long Beach, the Walters have been fixtures in the Long Beach community for decades.
“My inspiration to give back goes all the way back to my grandfather,” Walter said.
Walter’s parents had divorced by the time he was born. It became a struggle for his single mother to raise him and his older brother.
“She was going to put me in an orphanage; that’s what you did in those days,” Walter said. “And my grandfather wouldn’t have that, so my grandparents brought me and my brother to their home in the little town of Albany, Illinois and raised us.”
Walter’s grandfather was a blacksmith; he still remembers helping his grandfather shoe horses and repair parts.
“It was not a throw away world back then,” Walter said. “You had to get things repaired when they were broken.”
Walter’s grandparents never had much money, but his grandfather wanted to help his little town of Albany as much as he could. He arranged to donate a small parcel of land to build a community center where people could vote. It was a one-room building.
“My grandfather felt very strongly to assist others who had less than we had; and we didn’t have much, but there were a lot of people who had less,” Walter said.
Walter made it through his youth by starting his own garbage pickup and worked for a time as a carpenter. He went into the United States Army right out of high school; he was 17 years old, it was the 17th day of August and he had 17 dollars in his pocket.
He studied at West Point University as an Army engineer. He met Arline when pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. She was earning her master’s degree in mathematics.
A classmate sat between Mike and Arline. Walter recalls his classmate trying to point out the beautiful gal sitting two seats down. But Walter was concentrated on his studies.
Always at the very top of his class, Walter was surprised when he learned he was number two in the grade book in his graduate math class—Arline was number one.
“So then he was more interested in me,” Arline said. The two will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next April, and they’re looking forward to the next 50 after that.
After graduating, Dr. Mike went on to work for companies such as the American chemical company DuPont, where he managed the company’s computer systems around the world. He also worked for Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco, helping Levi Strauss become a spearhead in international business. He even held an executive position at Rockwell International. Later, Walter came to work as Dean of Economics and Business Administration at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif.
The Dean of Business position at CSULB brought Walter and his family to Long Beach in 1993. It seemed a fitting time for the family to move, as Mike and Arline’s son had just graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and their daughter was entering Northwestern University as a freshman.
Dr. Mike jumped at the opportunity to eventually become a professor of economics and business administration at CSULB, where he still teaches today. He is also executive assistant to the president for community relations.
Arline volunteers at Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Long Beach. Christian faith was instilled in both Mike and Arline from an early age.
“I felt very strongly I needed to do something for God or help God do something here,” Mike Walter said.
The CSULB class of 2010 honored Dr. Mike as “Most Inspirational Professor.” Disabled Student Services students voted him as “Most Helpful Professor” that same year. Of all Walter’s recognitions throughout his career, he is most proud of these two awards. He makes it his mission to help every single student.
A towering structure, the blue pyramid stands as a testament to just how high the Walters’ aspirations and accomplishments have soared. But the memories of seeing his grandfather give a one-room voting hall to his community still exist for Dr. Mike.
When Mike was young, he would ask his grandfather for a nickel to buy a candy bar.
“If I had it, I’d give it to you,” his grandfather would say.
Today, Mike and Arline have abundance and are able to fund their five grandchildren’s college education. After all, they understand the importance of getting a good education.
“We both came from very small, so now we can help our grandkids with all the money they’re going to need,” Arline said with a tear in her eye.