The Hamlin Family
Betty Stevenson Hamlin – ’48, Business
Lisa Vieira – ’78, Finance/Insurance
Mari Fink – ’82, Finance
Bill Jr. – ’85, Finance and Political Science
Kathy Vieira Polakovic – ’10, Accounting
James Fink – ’13, Finance
Richard Hamlin – ’21, Finance
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Very few families can claim a San Diego State University legacy like the Hamlin family. Over 30 members of their extended family have either attended or earned degrees from SDSU.
The family trend started with Betty Stevenson Hamlin, a San Diego native, who earned her business degree at what was then San Diego State College in 1948. Her husband, Bill Hamlin, also briefly attended SDSC.
At the start of Betty’s senior year in 1947, the university had just set a record enrollment of 4,411 students and the SDSC’s business school existed as the commerce department within the university’s social science division.
By the time the Hamlin’s oldest child, Lisa, was ready for college in 1974, SDSC had just been re-named San Diego State University and boasted a total enrollment of 30,811. Additionally, the business school had become the College of Business Administration.
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Influenced by her parents’ dedication to their alma mater, Lisa had no doubt about where she would attend college. “Both my parents were proud of their affiliation with San Diego State, so it just seemed natural for me to go to SDSU as well,” she said. “I didn’t apply anywhere else.”
In fact, three of the four Hamlin children earned business degrees from the College of Business Administration (now the Fowler College of Business). Siblings Lisa (’78, finance/insurance), Mari (‘82) and Bill Jr. (’85, finance and political science), earned SDSU degrees, while the youngest of the Hamlins, Steve, served as an instructor and advisory board member at SDSU’s College of Extended Studies (now Global Campus). As Lisa, Mari and Bill, had children of their own, it became apparent that they, too, would attend SDSU. Eight of Betty Hamlin’s grandchildren enrolled at SDSU with three of them — Kathy Vieira Polakovic (’10, accounting), James Fink (’13, finance) and Richard Hamlin (’21, finance) — earning business degrees.
“I always wanted to attend SDSU,” said Polakovic. “Certainly, the family legacy aspect was a part of this, but I was also intrigued that SDSU had a top business school.” Like her mother, Kathy said that SDSU was the only university she applied to.
While all three generations have shared experiences at San Diego State, Bill Jr. pointed out that some of the family’s experiences remained the same. “SDSU was far larger when I attended compared to my mother’s time here,” he said. “But many of the experiences including the sports teams, Greek life, and studying (or not!) were generally quite similar.”
One other similarity family members agree on is that the training they got at SDSU helped to better prepare them for their careers and lives in the community. “I have chaired many large events and been president of many organizations,” said Mari, a long-time community volunteer. “The education I received at SDSU has played a significant role in my success as a community volunteer.”
