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USU Alumni Spotlight - F. Ross Peterson - Professor of History, Utah State University

Utah State University will be losing a teaching legend when Dr. F. Ross Peterson (Bachelor of Arts ’65) leaves to become the next president of Deep Springs College in Deep Springs, California.  Dr. Peterson has been one of the most popular professors at Utah State since he began here in 1971.  He has taught African-American Studies at USU for nearly three decades, as well as being a renowned historian and author. Among his books is A History of Cache County, which was published as part of Utah’s Centennial celebration. Over his many years at USU, Dr. Peterson has been frequently recognized for his service. In 1998, he received the Governor’s Award as the outstanding Humanist in Utah.  Dr. Peterson was chosen to represent the Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission and spoke to the Utah Legislature on Human Rights in 2002.  He also received a Fulbright fellowship to teach African-American history in New Zealand . In addition to his teaching, Dr. Peterson currently sits as a member of the Utah State Board of History.  In the past, he was a member of the Utah Humanities Council, spending two years as Chairman.  For eight years, he served as USU Department Chair.  Dr. Peterson was also the founding Director of the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies for ten years.  In 2002, he was named the Milton R. Merrill Chair in Political Science.  His tenure as president of Deep Springs College will begin in July. For all his accolades and honors, Dr. Peterson will be most remembered as a remarkable teacher and mentor by the hundreds of students fortunate enough to have known him.  It was USU President Kermit Hall who summed up best what Dr. Peterson means to Utah State University,  “He’s not replaceable!". For more on Dr. Peterson, check out the article in The Herald Journal.

Director of Athletics Search
USU is in the process of finding a new Director of Athletics.  For this purpose, USU President Kermit Hall has formed a seven-member committee to find and evaluate all applicants.  The search committee is asking for input of any kind from all Aggies.  Feel free to express your thoughts and suggestions to the committee chair.

All feedback can be submitted by going to the Athletic Director Search Committee page at www.usu.edu/ad/input.cfm .

For more information about the Director of Athletics search, visit www.usu.edu/ad/ .

Commencement 2004
The One Hundred and Eleventh Annual Commencement for Utah State University took place on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1.  Graduation for master’s and doctoral candidates took place Friday, with the undergraduate ceremony the following day.  Commencement was followed by the undergraduate college celebrations and the alumni graduate picnic and reception.

More than 3,600 graduates representing 38 countries received their diplomas over the two days.  The ages ranged from 19 to 77 years-old.  Floyd Armstrong, a 75 year-old graduate, received his master’s degree in psychology.  While 65 year-old Barney Wetmore, the oldest undergraduate in the ceremony, earned his bachelor’s in psychology.

The commencement speaker was award-winning broadcast journalist, Jane Clayson Johnson.  Johnson was also awarded an honorary degree as Doctor of Humane Letters.  Others receiving honorary degrees were Ruth L. Novak (Doctor of Science and Engineering), Merlin Olsen (Doctor of Business), and  C. Booth Wallentine (Doctor of Agriculture).

To view USU’s Commencement Scrapbook, visit www.usu.edu/featurestories/scrapbook/ .

Assistant Basketball Coach Hired
USU Head Basketball Coach Stew Morrill recently announced the hiring of new assistant coach Dave Rice.  Rice spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant at UNLV, helping the Rebels to seven postseason appearances and an average of 20 wins in the past eight seasons.

“Dave is an exciting addition to our coaching staff,” Morrill said in a press release.

Rice was a player on UNLV’s 1990 National Championship team and was a two-time UNLV Scholar-Athlete of the Year.   At UNLV, Rice was a political science major and Rhodes Scholar candidate.  He fills the position left open by the departure of former USU assistant coach Randy Rahe.

“I’m really excited to join Coach Morrill and his staff,” Rice said.  “I have followed the Utah State program very closely and have been really impressed with the quality of the program they have built both on the court and in the classroom.  As a player and a coach, I have had the opportunity to come to Logan and I have been aware of the great support of the fans and their community to the Aggies.”

Affinity Partner Recognition
To better serve our alumni, the Utah State Alumni Association forms partnerships with various service providers.  This is done to provide group savings opportunities to USU alumni.  Liberty Mutual Group is one such partner. 

As part of a celebration of partnering with their 300th alumni association, Liberty Mutual has introduced a list of new insurance options.  A new opportunity for Liberty Mutual policyholders is to protect themselves from Identity Theft!  For just $25 a year policyholders can add this coverage to their homeowners/renters policy.  They can have the peace of mind that they are covered for these expenses in the unfortunate event that they become a victim of identity theft.

For more information about the Identity Theft coverage call (800) 225-8281 or go online at www.libertymutual.com/lm/usualumni.

Back to the Buzzer

EVENT LISTINGS

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

Chapter News

Salt Lake County Aggie Chapter
The Salt Lake County Aggie Chapter is pleased to announce their Night at the Hale Centre Theatre.  All are invited to attend a performance of “South Pacific” at the theatre in West Valley, UT on May 19, 2004.   Before the show, a reception will be held in honor of two friends of Utah State University, Sumner Swaner and Emily Drake, as they receive the USU Merit Citation award.  The reception will be held at the theatre beginning at 6:30 pm with the show following at 7:30 pm.

For more information and to order tickets, contact the USU Alumni Association at (435) 797-2055 or toll free at (800) 291-2586.

Treasure Valley Aggie Chapter
On Saturday, June 5, 2004, the Treasure Valley Aggie Alumni Chapter will host their Scholarship Golf Tournament and Barbecue.  For the 8th straight year, the Treasure Valley Scholarship Golf Tournament and Barbecue has been the prime fund-raiser for an annual scholarship that goes to a Treasure Valley student to attend USU.  The Tournament will take place at the Eagle Hills Golf Course, with registration at 1 pm and tee-off at 2 pm.  Lots of prizes, such as golf clubs, golf bags, and vacation getaways, will be awarded.

Come out and support this Utah State event and have a great time visiting with Aggie friends from throughout Southwest Idaho.  Please respond by May 24 to guarantee your spot.  For more information, contact the USU Alumni Association at (435) 797-2055 or toll free (800) 291-2586.

Salt Lake County & Utah County Aggie Chapters
The Salt Lake and Utah County Aggie Chapters are pleased to present their Thanksgiving Point Shoot-Out Golf Tournament on June 21, 2004.  The event will benefit the Salt Lake and Utah County Aggie Scholarship Funds.   Set to take place at the beautiful Golf Club at Thanksgiving Point, the 4-man scramble will begin at 1:30 pm on Monday with a Shot Gun start.

Prices are $85.00 per golfer for all registering before June 1, and $100 per golfer after June 1.  The price includes green fees, cart rental, and lunch. The deadline for registration is June 16, 2004.

For more information, or to register, contact the USU Alumni Association at (435) 797-2055 or (800) 291-2586.

San Diego Aggie Chapter
The San Diego Aggie Chapter invites all to enjoy good food, old friends, and Aggie fun at their Beach BBQ at the Bay on Saturday, May 15, 2004.  The event will be taking place at Mission Bay in San Diego.

If you would like to know more about this and other San Diego Aggie Chapter events, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/sandiego or contact Amber at ambergregory78@hotmail.com .

Athletics

Aggie Football Player Headed to NFL
Chris Cooley is the most productive tight end in USU Football history, a point not lost on the NFL.  Cooley follows his former teammate Kevin Curtis (drafted last year) into the NFL when the Washington Redskins drafted him in the 3rd of seven rounds, 18th pick.  He went as the 81st pick overall.

Despite being picked up by Utah State on a scholarship, Cooley didn’t see much playing time at first.  It wasn’t until the second half of the 2002 season that he was able to make his mark.  That year he caught 62 passes, even while missing two games and part of another with a broken foot.

As a result of the little playing time in his first three years, Cooley never expected to go to the NFL.  “It’s somewhere I never really expected to be, so it’s fun right now,” he said.  Since impressing scouts at the Senior Bowl and working out at the NFL Combine, Cooley was looked over by several pro teams, including a workout with Dallas Head Coach Bill Parcells.  In the end, the Redskins liked what they saw.

This isn’t the end of the Cooley legacy at Utah State, however.  Chris’ younger brother, Tanner, has just signed with Utah State after finishing up his high school career at Sky View.  This latest Cooley will follow in his big brother’s footsteps as a tight end.

Check out utahstateaggies.com for the latest news and information about Aggie Athletics.

Travel Opportunities Western Mediterranean Cruise July 10-18, 2004 Enjoy nine days aboard the Splendor of the Seas and explore the exiting ports at Barcelona, Spain; Monte Carlo/Cannes, France; Florence/Pisa, Italy; Rome, Italy; Naples, Italy; and Valletta, Malta. Inside cabin prices begin at $2299.00 per person, departing from Salt Lake City. England and Scotland October 21-29, 2004 Thrill to the sights and sounds of London and the surrounding area with this exciting package. Planned tours include Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Stratford Upon Avon, a night at the theatre and much more.  You may also extend your vacation with an optional tour in Scotland at the end  of our London adventure! Prices begin at $1369.00 (land only).