Old Main Weekend held to honor alumni and USU accomplishments
On Sept. 15 and 16, USU held its first Old Main Weekend, an event planned to celebrate the history of the university and its promising future, said Tim Vitale, assistant director of USU’s public relations and marketing.
Old Main Weekend was planned to occur in conjunction with the Old Main Society Dinner, an event held annually to honor those who have given considerable gifts to support USU.
Two days of events were planned to show alumni the advancements USU has made through the years.
“The alumni are coming back to get a taste of what campus is like 10, 20, 30 years later. We are proud of what we have become and we want to update them on our accomplishments,” Vitale said.
In an earlier interview, Scott Mietchen, vice president for University Advancement said, “Old Main Society Weekend provides us the chance to really showcase some of the university’s most significant achievements for many of our loyal supporters and friends.
“They will get an up-to-date look both at the things that define us today as a great university and at some of the accomplishments that will define that greatness in the future,” Mietchen said.
Speaking of the development and scheduling of Old Main Weekend, Joan Scheffke, associate vice president for University Advancement, said, “We wanted some interaction with donors and students because they are the reason donors support the university.”
Scheduled events included campus tours, presentations and exhibits offered by all the different colleges and Aggie Family Day. The Old Main Society Reception and Dinner was held Friday evening.
It was during the Old Main Society Dinner that the Spirit of Old Main Award was given to Jim and Carol Laub. The award honors those who make significant contributions to the university. Vitale said the Laubs have demonstrated great commitment to USU financially and also with their time.
Gordon and Dolores Keller of Logan are members of the Old Main Society and attended many of the events this past weekend.
Dolores Keller attended USU and continued her education here until she received a master’s of science in business education in 1980. She was also a program support assistant for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Predator Ecology and Behavioral Application Project until she retired in 2004.
“I just love Utah State. It is the neatest campus I have ever seen. I’m sold on Utah State, absolutely,” Keller said. “I try to sell this place to everybody every day.
Gordon Keller is not a graduate of USU, but was a professor for 35 years. He developed USU’s anthropology program.
“The events have been very informative. It is interesting to see what is going on on campus now,” Keller said.
The Kellers said all four of their children attended USU and they credited their success to the education they received at Utah State.
Lynn Sessions of Idaho Falls, Idaho, is an alumna of USU. She graduated in 1969 in elementary education. Sessions said she returns every year for Aggie
Family Day. The weather was a bit of a damper, she said, but the events were still fun. She said her family has season tickets to USU football games and she and her entire family come to Logan every year for Aggie Family Day.
“Everybody is a full-fledged Aggie,” Sessions said.
ariek@cc.usu.edu