Jean Fuller Collection

Jean Fuller has a long and storied career, with deep ties to Bakersfield College. The BC Archives were thrilled to receive a donation from former California Senator Jean Fuller of eight boxes with many plaques, trophies, and photos from throughout her life that celebrate her many accomplishments and contributions to the community. . We are thrilled to have this collection and look forward to detailing and photographing these artifacts to share with the community.

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By Cecil Dexter

Jeannie "Jean" Lynn Fuller (née Guenther) was born on April 16, 1950 in Shafter, California. At the time, Shafter was a small but growing rural agriculture-centric community 20 miles northwest of Bakersfield College. Her passion for education began young; she was a studious child who loved school, and she could often be found in the local library poring over books in her spare time. This passion would be the guiding light that informed her every move; "I really wanted to help others to also enjoy reading and the educational process.” However, her drive for education was met with some initial barriers as she grew older. In those days it wasn't common for women to pursue higher education. No one in her family had ever gone to college so she didn't have anyone to help her navigate the higher ed systems. Shafter was much smaller than now- in 1960 the population was only 4,576, compared to nearly 20,000 in 2020 - which added additional transportation and resource concerns. Luckily for her, Bakersfield College was ready to bridge these gaps, "If Bakersfield College and the Kern Community College District had not sent a bus out to Shafter… I would not have been able to do any of the things I did… or even know about the dreams [I had]," She told BC Foundations in 2023.

Growing up in such a small and rural town, Bakersfield College opened up doors that she hadn't even known existed. "My first impressions of BC were being in awe of the BC library, the students from all parts of Kern County, and the professors who were so well versed in their subject areas," she said in a recent interview. One of her professors was Bill Thomas, an educator-turned-politician who taught political science, would prove to be a major influence to her. "I remember staying up late at night reading the text, devouring each word, with the primary goal to outmaneuver him in a class political discussion the next day." Bill Thomas would later be among those who would encourage Jean to run for Congress, a similar career trajectory as Thomas himself undertook. She worked throughout her whole educational career to pay for her classes. Right out of high school she got a job at Bank of America, and maintained it throughout her Bachelor's as well. She achieved her AA with honors at Bakersfield College, and earned a departmental Speech award. She graduated with her BA at CSU Fresno in Communications in 1972, summa cum laude, and completed a fifth year to earn her lifetime education credential in K-12. She began her Master's from CSU LA in 1980.

In 1983 she became a principal at Keppel Union School District in Palmdale. It was in this position that she learned about the education doctoral program at UC Santa Barbara. She enrolled in 1986, and every Thursday and Saturday she would get off work and her husband would drive the 125 miles to Santa Barbara, and he would sleep in the van while she attended class. After classes finished, she then drove home while he continued to sleep in the back. Her hard work and strenuous schedule paid off; in 1989 she earned her PhD in Organizational Leadership. Shortly thereafter, she became a full-fledged Superintendent at Keppel. This role she held until 1999, when she became the Superintendent for the Bakersfield City School District, the largest K-8 district in all of California. Her role as Superintendent was what cemented her interest and passion for politics into a career. She was elected as a member of the California State Legislature 32nd Assembly District in 2006. The 32nd Assembly District covers
portions of Bakersfield and rural surrounding communities, such as Tehachapi, Bear Valley, and Kernville. In 2010 she was elected for the 16th District, the largest in Kern County, representing the remainder of the portion of Bakersfield city left out of the 32nd district, as well as much of Tulare, Inyo, and Kings county.

Her legislation lauded her many awards, such as the Legislative Leaders Award from California Water Agency, the "association’s highest honor for lawmakers and legislators," for her work on the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Act of 2014. She received "The Utility Reform Network" (TURN) Consumer Champion Award for her efforts protecting residents of the Central Valley from utility rate hikes during the summer. She also received "A" ratings from both the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the National Rifle Association. In 2014 she was elected as the first-ever female Senate Republican Minority Leader, with 72.8% of the votes, succeeding Bob Huff. Then-congressman Kevin McCarthy said, "Jean is a natural choice for this position — she has an exceptional grasp of the public policy issues that face our communities here in the Central Valley… ensuring our communities get needed water, producing more local energy, supporting our local military veterans, and improving our schools. More importantly, she understands the challenges our state faces and will provide a voice to all Californians that yearn for commonsense solutions Sacramento so desperately needs to hear.”

As she found community college to be such a pivotal aspect of her career and development, she started her career in the Senate by working to ensure all Californians could access this same vital resource that she had. "The first thing I started working on for legislation for community colleges was the transfer policy. To be sure that junior college courses were universally accepted by the CSUs and the UCs," Fuller stated in an interview with the Renegade Rip. She also authored many bills raising awareness, education, diagnostics, and reporting of Valley Fever, a fungal infection that, while not endemic to the Central Valley, Kern County represents 31% of all cases. She secured $3 million for Valley Fever research for use at the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center. She was also a major proponent of boosting small businesses in the Central
Valley, and in 2016 the National Federation of Independent Businesses, a nonpartisan organization, gave Fuller a perfect 100% legislative voting record for support of small businesses.

In 2015, she said, "Hardworking families deserve a representative who is actively pursuing what matter most to them: an effective education system, low taxes, and above all, a robust and thriving economy." Fuller remained true to this statement throughout her career. She is and always was respected across party lines for her clear dedication to her community, and the major advancements she made throughout her long career, not only in politics but also in education. She did not retire after 2018. She remains active in her community, especially here at BC. Beginning in 2019 she moderates a yearly panel at the Levan Center about women in leadership, where a local supergroup of women speaks about their experiences, inspirations, and dispense advice for the future woman leaders of Kern. In 2023 she was honored at the 15th annual Sterling Silver, a gala thrown by BC Foundations, for her efforts in the Early College Program, which has allowed tens of thousands of students to earn college credits in high school, and over 500 students to complete their Associates before even graduating high school. She still resides in Bakersfield, and she still has the dedication to the betterment of the Central Valley.

To commemorate its 100th year, Bakersfield College held a reception in the lobby of the Old Gym ahead of a gala, welcoming Jean Fuller as a special guest.

Learn More About Jean Fuller

• Video Highlight: Jean Fuller being recognized for the Leadership in Education Award by the Bakersfield College Alumni Association in 2023
• Renegade Rip: Article highlighting Jean Fuller