Founders
Day 2006
The Founders
Day celebration was held on March 3, 2006 to commemorate
the university’s 118th birthday. As is the custom, five
distinguished alumni were honored for their achievements
and service. This year, the recipients were:
Distinguished
Service Award
Martell
Menlove
started his career as an elementary school teacher for
the Jordan School District in Sandy, Utah, and it didn’t
take long for his career to progress. By the age of 36
he had advanced to superintendent for the Rich County
School District. He currently is the superintendent of
Utah’s Box Elder School District. In September 2005 Martell
was named the Utah Superintendent of the Year. This prestigious
award is given by the Utah Education Coalition, which
consists of leaders from the Utah Elementary and Secondary
Principals Associations, The Utah Education Association,
the Utah School Superintendent Association, the Utah PTA,
and the Utah School Boards Association.
Sumner
M. Swaner
has served on the boards of Utah Open Lands and the Utah
Department of Commerce Landscape Architects. He has also
been involved with the American Institute of Certified
Planners and the Swaner Memorial Park Foundation. In 2002,
he was asked to speak at the United Nations World Summit
on Sustainable Development. Sumner also looks to assist
those who will one day follow in his footsteps. He has
given generously to Utah State University and the Landscape
Architecture and Environmental Planning Department. In
2003, Sumner and his mother, Dr. Paula M. Swaner-Smoot,
pledged over $1 million to establish the Sumner M. Swaner
Endowed Professorship and the Swaner Green Space Institute
at USU. He also serves on the USU Foundation Board of
Directors and as a HASS Advocate.
In a nine-year television
career, Josey Barnes Wayman rose from
model, to hostess of a daily program, to women’s program
director. Before the age of thirty, she won three consecutive
Lifeline of America broadcast awards, served as Western
States Vice President of American Women in Radio and Television,
and her biography appeared in both Who’s Who of American
Women and Who’s Who in the West. Despite
her busy professional career, Josey has tirelessly worked
to help underprivileged children through Boys’ and Girls’
Clubs. In 1993, she was installed as a National Trustee
of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America. The organization
honored her in 2001 with the National Service to Youth
award and medal for her years of devoted service.
Distinguished
Alumnus Award
Robert
Murray
has worked in an assortment of businesses. He started
as a division manager for Altamil Corporation, an aircraft
and missile components manufacturer. He later became the
general manager for the struggling PAX Company, a lawn
and garden products manufacturer. After turning PAX around,
Robert became an entrepreneur. He started with the Miller
Floral Company, a grower and distributor of cut flowers
and potted plants. He then became the president and owner
of the Steve Regan Company, a distributor of farm supplies,
fertilizer, and animal health products. The list of endeavors
continues and is both impressive and extensive. The latest
in his widely diversified array of companies is Alpine
Confections, Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor
of candy products.
In 1979, Melanie
Poole Raymond began her work in the voting district
as secretary and registrar, the latter position she held
for ten years. During her time with the voting district,
she served as president of the Logan City PTA, as director
of the Big Blue Club, as president of the USU Alumni Association,
and as a member of the USU Athletic Council, USU Institutional
Council, and USU Alumni House Board. In the 1990s, Melanie
continued to serve wherever she could. Along with her
husband, Spencer, she became co-president of the newly
formed USU/Community Associates. Following that, she spent
three years as president of the Logan City School Foundation
Board. In 1992, she served as the committee chair of Governor
Michael Leavitt’s transition team and two years later
became a member of the Appellate Court Nominating Commission
for the State of Utah.
USU
Welcomes Japanese Delegation
A
delegation from Kakamigahara City and Chubu Gakuin University
in Japan visited USU in February to tour the campus and
build a relationship with the State of Utah. A special
emphasis for the visit was to learn more about USU’s College
of Education and Human Services. Specifically the delegation
was interested in the Department of Communicative Disorders
and Deaf Education and the Department of Special Education
and Rehabilitation. One of the delegation, Ms. Taeko Katagiri,
president of Chubu Gakuin University, is considering beginning
similar programs at her institution. In addition to learning
more about Utah State, the Japanese delegation said they
“were also excited to eat ice cream”.
Aggie
Drops Out of Iditarod
USU
Geology Lecturer Sue Morgan put her outdoor skills to
the ultimate test in dog sledding’s ultimate race. She,
along with 83 other mushers, left Anchorage, Alaska, on
March 4, 2006 in the 1,150 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog
Race. A native of
Chicago, Morgan lived in Alaska before leaving to attend
Utah State, where she earned her master’s degree in Geology.
Unfortunately, Morgan decided
to withdraw from the competition on March 8 because of
a possible injury she sustained. She made her decision
at the Rainy Pass checkpoint located about 270 miles from
the starting line. This was her first attempt at running
the Iditarod.
USU
Administrator Leaving
Juan N. Franco,
USU’s vice president for Student Services, is leaving
to accept a position at the University of Nebraska. Franco
came to USU in May 2003 and immediately made an impact,
being named Administrator of the Year in 2004. Previous
to coming to Utah State, he worked with the New Mexico
State Board of Regents. Franco’s new position in Nebraska
is scheduled to start in July. A search for his replacement
will begin in the near future.
Merrill
Library Set To Be Demolished
A Utah State
University landmark is about to come down. The Merrill
Library, which has stood on the Quad for more than 60
years, is slated to be demolished beginning on March 13,
2006. The library was emptied following the completion
of the new Merrill-Cazier Library in late 2005. Immediate
plans are to return the land the old library sits on to
green space. The demolition is planned to last until sometime
this summer.
March's
Featured Benefit
The
Utah State University Alumni Association is proud to offer
an exciting new discount to all Aggies! Everyone has an
iPod these days, but now you can make yours stand out
from the crowd with the new ifrogz™ coverz. The 100% silicone
covers offer great protection for your iPod in a wide
variety of colors.
Headquartered in Cache
Valley, ifrogz™ was founded by two USU grads. Alumni can
receive a 15% discount on their ifrogz™ order when they
enter the promo code: USU1.
For more information, visit
www.ifrogz.com or
call 800.922.5401.
Alumni Online Store Now Available
The new USU Alumni
Association online store is up and running! Ordering your
unique Aggie apparel and gifts online is simple and safe.
Aggies everywhere are invited to log on and take advantage
of a special 20% discount on their purchase (expires April
1, 2006). Simply log on to www.usugiftshop.com
to get started.
Alumni Calendar Desktop Background
Downloads
The Alumni Calendar
has become a much sought after item because of its beautiful
and unique photos of campus and Cache Valley. Now those
beautiful shots are available for your computer’s desktop
background, free of charge. This month, three of the photos
that appear in the calendar are featured. More desktop
backgrounds will be available in future issues of Aggie
Insights.
To view and download your
own desktop background, click
here.
Back
to the Buzzer
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|
Students
relax outside the newly completed
Merrill Library in 1938. |
EVENT LISTINGS
Gamma
Kappa Chapter Of Sigma Chi Banquet
The Gamma
Kappa Chapter of Sigma Chi will be hosting its 80th anniversary
banquet on Saturday, April 29, 2006. All Sigma Chi alumni
and family are invited to attend. The day will begin with
the Gamma Kappa Golf Tournament at Logan River Golf Course.
Tee times will start from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The
golf tournament will include a four man scramble, a long
drive contest, and a closest to the hole contest with
prizes. To RSVP, have a time and a foursome ready. The
price is the standard greens fee of $32 per person with
cart.
Social Hour will begin
at the Sigma Chi house and take place between 6:00 p.m.
and 7:00 p.m. The dress is formal and it is BYOB. Dinner
will start at 7:00 p.m. and will be catered by Hamilton
's Steak and Seafood. Dinner will be buffet-style and
will cost about $15 per person.
To RSVP or if you need
any information contact Connor Cottle at cjcottle@cc.usu.edu
Utah
State University Alumni Relations sponsors many exciting
events throughout the year. To keep informed about the
most current ones, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/events.html
often.
CONNECTIONS
Classnotes
Obituaries
Chapter News
Washington D.C. Aggie Chapter
March
25, 2006
- USU President Stan Albrecht
and his wife, Joyce, are holding a special event for
all Aggies and friends in the D.C. area. “A Washington
Celebration of Utah State University” will be held Saturday,
March 25, 2006 at the River Bend Country Club in Grand
Falls, VA. Meet with friends at the reception beginning
at 6:00 p.m. and stay for the dinner and program at
7:00 p.m. The cost is $50 per person.
For more information,
visit www.usu.edu/develop/special/info.htm.
To RSVP, call 1.888.OLD.MAIN.
Tour
of Italy's Great Cities
Yangtze
River Cruise and China Tour
