When George Cattey (Mechanical Engineering, '65) arrived at Cal Poly in 1961, he wasn’t thinking about airplanes. Raised on a farm in Rio Vista, he had his sights set on the oil and gas industry. But a summer job at Sandia Corp., where he worked closely with engineers, sparked a shift: “It was the engineers who suggested I think about an engineering degree,” he recalled.

Now, decades later, Cattey is paying it forward — continuing to support the hands-on experiences that shaped his career.

That decision to pursue mechanical engineering set Cattey on a path that would carry him far beyond the oil and gas fields of his youth. After earning his degree in 1965, he launched a 32-year career at Boeing, contributing to payload systems on 20 aircraft models — from the 707 to the 777. The work, which focused on interior design components throughout the aircraft, required a blend of technical expertise and creativity. 

“Every project and airline customer were different,” he said. “I didn’t want to do the same thing over and over, and this allowed me to work with customers and travel the world.”

But before he was jetting off for Boeing, Cattey was hiking through Poly Canyon, helping build what would become a historic part of the Cal Poly landscape. For his senior project, he and his roommate, Glenn Dang, installed the first water system in the canyon, running 1,000 feet of pipe from a spring-fed catch basin to the geodesic dome — now the oldest structure in the Experimental Structures Lab.

It’s been decades since Cattey last worked with pipe or fittings, but his connection to Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing ethos remains strong. Although he didn’t spend time in the Hangar during his own college years, he understands its importance for today’s students — especially those in the mechanical engineering program, where he has been a dedicated donor for years. 

“I owe my whole future to Cal Poly as I see it,” Cattey said. “If someone is successful, that means someone helped them along the way. I had people who did that for me.” 

That sense of gratitude continues to shape his legacy. In the lead-up to this year’s Poly Gives fundraising campaign, George and his wife, Linda, are inspiring others to step up with a $15,000 challenge gift to support the renovation of the Hangar machine shop. 

Their contribution will help modernize the machine shop, ensuring students have access to the tools and spaces they need to bring their designs to life.

Cattey knows how transformative that kind of education can be. He’s also established the George E. Cattey Engineering Scholarship Endowment to support students from Solano County pursuing engineering degrees at Cal Poly. 

“I’ll keep giving,” he said simply. 

Because lasting impact often begins with a single opportunity — and the generosity to help others succeed.

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