Alumni Center has seen many changes, uses
Tucked behind Old Main sits an old-fashioned farmhouse.
The house has been part of Utah State University’s campus since 1890 and even though it started out to be the ideal farmhouse, today it’s what is known as the David B. Haight Alumni Center.
The house was originally built to hold classes for women to take domestic science classes. According to the center’s Web site, www.usu.edu
/alumni, the house was only used for teaching during the first year after its completion.
The president of the university at the time, Jeremiah Wilson Sanborn, moved into the house in 1891.
“It was built to be the ideal farmhouse, and then it became the president’s residence,” said Louise Young, who is the director of the Alumni Center.
Through the years the house saw many changes to the school and to itself.
The Web site states that there were several different presidents who lived in the home, and at one point it was even used as a girl’s dormitory. The president who lived in the house the longest was Elmer Peterson, who lived in the home for almost 30 years.
“We’ve gone through several transitions over the years,” Young said. “We were offices before we were the Alumni Center, we were offices for the Development Center. As campus began to grow, the Alumni Center was dedicated.”
Today the Alumni Center is home to the USU Alumni Association. The association has its offices in the house and holds many events at the center.
“It’s a really heavily used center,” said Carlos Smith, executive director of the Alumni Association.
There are many events held at the center. Some of the most prominent events are the Golden Aggie 50-year reunions, chapter benefits and department parties.
“It took the place of a VIP greeting center,” Young said. “[The presidents] would greet guests, have dinners, and we still do quite a bit of that. But we don’t do it as much since President Hall has his own residence. We do a lot of on-campus workshops, lecture series’ and alumni reunions.”
The center is not only used by the university, but also by the community. The Web site states, “The use and purpose of the David B. Haight Alumni Center is to provide a facility in which friends and alumni can gather. Alumni, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to rent the facility for banquets, weddings, reunions, meetings, recitals, clubs and parties.”
There are many people who rent out the center for wedding receptions and other events. Young said last year the center was used for 87 different events, 62 of which were for weddings. The center is not only open for alumni to rent out, but for anybody.
Young said, “At one time, the requirement was that you had to be an alum in order to use the building, but that no longer exists.”
“It has become a place for students to have wedding receptions,” Smith said. “Students also have [to pay] a special price.”
To rent out the center there is a cost. The center’s Web site has all of their price listings.
The money generated from renting out the building helps to pay for maintaining the building and the salaries of the people who work there. Young said any money left over is used to provide scholarships to future USU students.
“It’s an open door to the university,” Young said. “It was in the past and I think it will remain so in the future.”
-rbarlow@cc.usu.edu
The David B. Haight Alumni Center is dressed with snow and icicles. Located west of Widtsoe Hall, the center hosts many events, including weddings and conferences. (Photo by Michael Sharp)