Following college Paul began teaching at Santa Ynez High School, followed by Camarillo High and Thousand Oaks High, becoming the first football coach at Thousand Oaks High. At the above schools Paul coached football, track, basketball and tennis.Paul then started teaching at the college level, beginning at Ventura College and then Moorpark College from 1967 through 1992, where he coached baseball, football, tennis and golf. He was hired as the first football and baseball coach for Moorpark College, and served as athletic director at Moorpark College for 20 years.During his career Paul has been named Coach of the Year in football, baseball, tennis and golf. He coached the Western States Conference Champions in football, tennis and golf. He coached the California State Champions in golf in 1961. He was the Western States Conference president for five years. Paul has been inducted into the California State Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame, and inducted into the Moorpark College Hall of Fame.Paul states, “Santa Paula High School gave me the opportunity to achieve. The students, teachers and administrators will always be a vital part of my life.”
F. Paul Dunham, Class of 1950
June 24, 2003
Santa Paula News
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By B. J. Harding, President, SPUHS Alumni Association
Biography #212 (Have you submitted yours?)Paul Dunham is the last of eight children of Sam and Julia Thompson Dunham. In 1948 the family moved from Lamont, California, where Paul attended a Bakersfield high school with an enrollment of 5,000 students, to Santa Paula. He was delighted to move to a school with an enrollment of 800 students.Paul said the first person to greet him at SPUHS was Stella Borrego, a gesture he has never forgotten. Ray Shoemate soon became his best pal and friend, and other pals included Jack Dickenson, Wayne Allee, “Punky” Atmore, Jim Aguilar, Lois Stockton and Bob Leslie, and Dick Riley and Stafford Carson who are no longer with us.Paul was immediately into football, basketball, baseball and track, a member of Hi-Y and the Letterman Club, and served as Student Body vice president. These activities put him in close contact with “Dink” Walker, Bob Dahlberg, Randall Bryden, and his other special teachers Jack Totheroh, Glen Grant and Bob Raitt. Yes, life was very busy and exciting at SPUHS for Paul.Following graduation Paul enlisted in the U.S. Army for a one-year tour of duty, followed by his college education. He received his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Redlands, Taft College, and the University of California at Santa Barbara. He then received his master’s degree at Cal State in Northridge.It was at UCSB that Paul met his bride of 47 years, Doris Koehler. This union has brought them Michael, Bambi and Jodi. Their children have given them five grandchildren.
