Alumni Getting Involved

Memorial Arch

Alumni efforts will make the arch a University icon once again

Grand concept comes down to the efforts of individuals

The Memorial Stadium Arch itself was relatively humble, with an opening perhaps ten feet wide and less than twice that tall. But placed at the midpoint of the great Memorial Stadium horseshoe, in a protruding facade with the Regents seal and a tablet honoring those who served in World War I, the arch became a symbol for generations of University alumni.

For the class of 1942 it held special meaning, and the chance to participate in preserving it was just the sort of memorial the class wanted to leave to mark its 50th reunion. Thanks to their generosity of almost a decade ago, the University of Minnesota Gateway got a special boost—its first major gift and an additional reason for being. "I think it was Bert Lund who said at our 40th reunion that we should start raising funds so we could have a substantial amount when our 50th came around," says Calvin Smith, who was class president in 1941–42. "Of course Bob (Odegard, former head of the University of Minnesota Foundation and a fellow class member) knew about the Gateway and suggested we look into that."

Class members met with Larry Laukka (’58), who would soon become head of the nonprofit Gateway Corporation, in November 1991 to discuss how they could help. The demolition of Memorial Stadium was imminent. "He suggested we could sponsor a fountain or an outdoor plaza area or we could preserve and rebuild the arch," Smith recalls. "Well, the class really jumped on the arch idea."

Thanks to a $215,000 donation from the class in 1992, which has grown to more than $375,000 through investments and additional gifts, according to Odegard, that great symbol will rise again inside the University of Minnesota Gateway’s Memorial Hall, a grand space for public ceremonies. The class is the first to make a large donation for a permanent memorial to mark its 50-year reunion. The donation was pledged five years before ground would be broken for the building, now scheduled for completion later this year.

To understand the importance of the arch to the class, consider the coincidence of timing: The arch commemorates Minnesotans who served in World War I, while the bombing of Pearl Harbor happened during the class of 1942’s senior year. "So many of us went right from graduation into World War II," Odegard says. "We’re like a bridge back to that earlier generation."

Conditions were different on campus in 1942, as well. A smaller student body worked hard to finish together in four years. Their graduation followed two consecutive unbeaten and national championship football seasons that pulled the University together. "We all can remember watching the band march down University Avenue and through the arch," Smith says. "The football team and the stadium were part of the glue that kept us together."

The class of 1942 boasted so many business, academic, government, and religious leaders that former University President Nils Hasselmo called it the "Class of the Century." Five alumni association national presidents came from the class (Virgil Linquist, 1961–62; Al Heimbach, 1967–68; Ken Glaser, 1968–69; James Watson, 1969–70; and Tom Swain, 1976–77), two regents (Lloyd Peterson and Stan Sahlstrom), a Minnesota Supreme Court justice (Peter Popovich), and perhaps the greatest hero in sports Gopher history, Bruce Smith. Smith, who Calvin Smith says was "as humble and nice as they come," won the Heisman Trophy after leading the Gophers to the two national titles. Twenty-five years later, after being diagnosed with cancer, he continued to work with cancer-stricken children and was nominated for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church after he died in 1967.

"It was a good hatch that year," Odegard says.

The arch’s original construction is a story full of alumni effort as well. Memorial Stadium was proposed in May, 1921, at an alumni gathering. Alumni felt that a grand stadium would be an appropriate memorial to the 3,527 University students, alumni, faculty, and staff who had served in the recently concluded "Great War." It was proposed that the alumni association lead the charge in raising $2 million to build the stadium and an auditorium (Northrop Memorial Auditorium, which would be completed in 1929). The effort was the first in the University’s history to call on private donations for a building. A month-long campus campaign raised $665,000 from students and faculty. The longer alumni and friends campaign topped $1 million.

Construction began in March 1924 and moved so quickly that the stadium was ready for the start of the 1924 football season. The Greater University Corporation officially turned over the stadium to the University on November 15, 1924.

At the apex of the horseshoe-shaped stadium, in the center of 30 smaller arches, a flat facade some 30 feet wide and 50 feet tall was designed to hold the memorial. Unlike the smaller arches that led to seating areas, the grand arch led directly to the field and became the stirring entry point for the marching band.

Above the arch and the regents seal was set a tablet seven feet high and 24 feet wide. Designed by Minneapolis sculptor David K. Rubins, on its sides were carved figures in relief. On the right is a young man looking ahead. In less relief is an "allegorical figure typifying the spirit that moves the youth to go," according to a Minnesota Alumni Weekly of November, 1924. That figure is slipping a sword into his hand, unknown, as he focuses only on going forth to serve. On the left are similar figures of a young woman with a spirit handing her the staff-like insignia of the medical corps symbolizing her desire to go forth and minister comfort and aid.

The legend chiseled into the stone tablet read: "This stadium was erected by members and friends of the University to honor the men and women of Minnesota who served their country in time of war."

Although for decades the center of campus spirit, after almost 60 years the stadium’s maintenance became an expensive proposition. The Gopher football team moved to the downtown Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome after the 1991 season. The stadium was demolished in 1992. While some bricks were sold to raise money for scholarships, the arch and its elements were preserved and stored.

When Antoine Predock was chosen as design architect for the Gateway, one of the directions to him was that the arch must be incorporated in a significant way into the building or grounds. Many had envisioned it as a free-standing element in a plaza or as an entrance to the building itself. But Predock steeped himself in the legend of the arch and came up with a different idea. "Rather than trivialize it as part of a different facade, I thought we should bring it inside and give it a position of honor," he said. "Inside Memorial Hall it is treated almost as a sacred icon, as it should be."

The arch will be rebuilt within the grand space of the Gateway’s Memorial Hall, leaning out into the room like a painting in a museum. It will also serve as the entrance to what will certainly prove to be an important destination point—the Heritage Gallery. The Gallery is meant to highlight the legacy and the achievements of the University and its people. As a place for prospective students to begin their campus visits and learn the spirit and traditions of the campus, it will also be a celebration of the present and the future.

"This is much better than having it be part of the outside of a new building," says the class of 1942’s Calvin Smith. "Predock and (Heritage Gallery designer Vincent) Ciulla have just done a great job in honoring this arch."

"The whole building is going to be a showplace of the University," Odegard says. "What a great thing it is for alumni to have a physical presence on campus. I’m just thrilled with this."

The Gateway’s office portion will open in fall of 1999 as home to the three organizations raising money to build it—University of Minnesota Alumni Association, the University of Minnesota Foundation, and the Minnesota Medical Foundation—and to other University organizations including the Board of Regents. No tax money, tuition, or fees are being used for the construction. A grand opening is planned for mid-February 2000, at which time the Heritage Gallery will be open to the public for the first time.

For information on donating to the Gateway, call Mark Baumgartner at the University of Minnesota Foundation at 612-624-1397. For more on the Gateway, including live construction photos, visit the UMAA Web site at www.umaa .umn.edu.

Distinguished Teaching Awards

UMAA supports teaching awards old and new

When Mark Yudof became University of Minnesota president, one of his priorities was to recognize excellence in teaching. But even before then a faculty panel had been discussing an award for graduate and professional education that would parallel the now 35-year-old Morse-Alumni Awards, which recognize great undergraduate teaching.

The Morse-Alumni Award, which gives professors and their departments a stipend and salary augmentation, is supported by funds from both the University and the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. When it came time to find funding for the new graduate-professional award, the alumni association again agreed to help.

"There is nothing so vital to a good University experience as great teachers," says Margaret S. Carlson, UMAA executive director. "When alumni think back to college, one of the first things they remember are the professors who literally changed their lives."

This year the Distinguished Teaching Awards debuted, combining the new graduate-professional education awards and the Morse-Alumni Awards. Recipients join the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, a body whose members provide leadership to the University community, serving as mentors, advisers, and spokespersons for the University’s teaching mission.
"Awards like these…remind us of our priorities: students and their education," said Denise Guerin, professor of design, housing, and apparel and a 1997–98 Morse-Alumni recipient, to more than 220 guests at this year’s awards ceremony. "The University is filled with good teachers; we know our stuff, we add to the body of knowledge, somehow we get that message across, and some of us, the really lucky ones, get awards like these."

This year’s recipients of the Morse-Alumni Awards (Twin Cities campus unless noted) are associate professor Bart D. Finzel, economics and management, University of Minnesota, Morris; professor Jill B. Gidmark, literature and writing, General College; professor Ann S. Masten, child development, College of Education and Human Development; professor Jim Perry, forest resources, College of Natural Resources; associate professor Jeffrey Ratliff-Crain, psychology, University of Minnesota, Morris; associate professor Karl A. Smith, civil engineering, Institute of Technology; professor Joel C. Weinsheimer, English, College of Liberal Arts; and associate professor John S. Wright, English and Afro-American and African studies, College of Liberal Arts.

Recipients of the postbaccalaureate, graduate, and professional education awards (all Twin Cities campus) are professor Tom Clayton, English, College of Liberal Arts; regents professor Margaret B. Davis, ecology, evolution, and behavior, College of Biological Sciences; professor Robert M. Hardy, small animal clinical sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine; professor Thomas R. Hoye, chemistry, Institute of Technology; professor Allen Isaacman, history, College of Liberal Arts; professor Thomas B. Mackenzie, psychiatry, Medical School; professor Ephraim M. Sparrow, mechanical engineering, Institute of Technology; and professor Richard A. Weinberg, child development, College of Education and Human Development.

For more on those receiving the awards, visit the UMAA Web page at www.umaa.umn .edu or see the July-August issue of Minnesota, the UMAA’s members-only magazine. Call 612-624-2323 or 800-UM-ALUMS (862-5867) for information on obtaining a copy.

JobTrak harnesses
the power of the ’Net

The advantages of an online job network are obvious, and grow with the daily expansion of the Internet. As the first and still biggest online career network, JobTrak takes advantage of the size, speed, and interactivity of the World Wide Web to give users as broad or as specific a set of position listings or job candidates as desired. Job seekers can specify by geography, occupation, industry, and even key words contained in the listings. Employers can have their ads targeted to specific campuses, regions, or the entire network.

But the best part of all is that the network is free for individual users through the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Web site. JobTrak is easy to use, with simple directions and pull-down menu choices. It should appeal to Internet newbies as well as to people as accustomed to scanning the Web as a Sunday newspaper classified section. You don’t even need to register with JobTrak to search and read the listings.

Employers target their ads from one school up to all 800 JobTrak member colleges. A recent check through the University of Minnesota found openings with companies of all sizes—including major Minnesota employers like Andersen Windows and Valspar Corporation. JobTrak says its site gets more than 30,000 daily hits.

But JobTrak offers much more than classified ads. The site has forums, résumé posting areas, lists of professionals willing to share advice and experiences, a resource center for specific questions on industries and job searches, a career fair calendar, and more.

The UMAA JobTrak link is located on the Career Connections portion of the UMAA Web site. Career Connections also offers links to other on- and off-campus career centers, to University of Minnesota job listings, to employment sites of several major Minnesota companies, and has a section for businesses wishing to get involved with UMAA activities through the Twin Cities Business and Community Program. That program brings the University to major employers for networking, educational, and spirit-raising activities.

To visit JobTrak, go to www.umaa.umn .edu/careerconnections, go to ‘online services’ and click on JobTrak. When on the JobTrak site, enter University of Minnesota Alumni Association as your campus and ‘UMAA’ as the password.

For more information on UMAA career and business programs, visit the UMAA Web site at www.umaa.umn.edu, call Elizabeth Patty at 612-625-9180 or 800-UM-ALUMS (862-5867), or e-mail her at Elizabeth.W.Patty@tc.umn.edu.

Social Work joins
the UMAA fold

Alumni of the University of Minnesota School of Social Work (SSW) have a long history of involvement and support for the school. In recent years they have had an alumni steering committee that has helped plan the annual dinner program and present an Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. SSW alumni helped build legislative and alumni support for the school as it worked to secure renovation of Peters Hall and have acted as an advisory board for new SSW programs over the years. They have also been active in professional development of social workers and the profession as a whole.
More than 500 of those alumni have also been members of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, many of them with the College of Human Ecology Alumni Society, giving them a direct way to support, through mentor programs and other efforts, the entire University and the college that houses SSW.

Now those alumni can join the brand new School of Social Work Alumni Society, an affiliate of the Human Ecology alumni group. They’ll still support the larger groups, but the new designation will give them an easy and visible way to stay connected to SSW and build a group of supporters and advocates. "The School of Social Work is vital, not just for education, but for its research into our profession," says Peter Hiniker, ’76, who worked to make the society a reality. "It’s important for professionals to support the school and to contribute what our experience in the field is teaching us about ways of focusing and strengthening education."

The SSW Alumni Society mission is to promote fellowship among teachers, practitioners, and friends of the social work profession; to promote excellence in the teaching and practice of social work; and to facilitate programs and involvement that respond to the needs and concerns of the school and the social work profession.

"This added visibility will be very important to the school during the coming year," says Lori Mollberg, alumni director for the College of Human Ecology. "The School of Social Work moves into their new home in Peters Hall later this year and the College of Human Ecology celebrates its centennial in 2000. Having an active and organized alumni group will help mark these milestones with appropriate celebrations and initiatives."

Membership is open to all students, alumni, faculty, and friends of SSW.

For more information, call the UMAA at 612-624-2323 or 800-UM-ALUMS (862-5867) or visit the Web site at www.umaa.umn.edu.

Welcome SAL

The University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s 30 newest leaders are not even alumni—yet. The Student Alumni Leaders (SAL) is a select group of 30 students formed this spring.

SAL members are helping the UMAA promote on-campus activities, including mentor programs, Maroon and Gold Fridays, and athletic pepfests. The students will help the UMAA promote a general student membership package now being developed.

They will participate in campus events like Campus Kick-Off Days as well as UMAA events, where they will greet alumni and share their experiences at today’s University.

The first-year program aims to let students gain connections with alumni and valuable leadership experience. "This is a really outstanding group of students," says Judy Anderson, ’94, UMAA student relations coordinator. "They are a wonderful asset for the alumni association in connecting with the entire student body and in responding to student concerns."

For more on Student Alumni Leaders, see future issues of Minnesota magazine for profiles on group members and their activities.

Membership
keeps growing

Important advocacy and outreach programs, a growing list of benefits, and ongoing optimism about the University keeps University of Minnesota Alumni Association membership growing. For the first time in history, the UMAA has topped 41,000 dues-paying alumni and friends in May.

"More and more people are finding that the best way to create a lifelong connection to the University is through membership in the alumni association," says Elise Schadauer, UMAA director of marketing and membership. "Our programs and benefits help alumni and friends make that connection and show their support."

Popular programs include 17 alumni-student mentor programs, a 3,000-member volunteer Legislative Network, and hundreds of professional and social events held on campus, at businesses, and across the country.

New benefits include access to the JobTrak online database of job listings. A discount on the University Counseling and Consulting Service’s Career Assessment Package is also available. Popular continuing benefits include low-cost access to the University’s Internet/e-mail system within the Twin Cities calling area, Minnesota magazine, group rates on health and life insurance, and discounts on Gopher Gear at University of Minnesota Bookstores, on athletic and cultural event tickets, and on University Golf Course fees.

The optimism around the University is due in part to President Mark Yudof’s vision in preparing Minnesota for the next century, his quick and direct response to challenges that arise, and to unprecedented levels of legislative support to help re-establish the University of Minnesota’s place among the great public universities in the world.

The alumni association is an independent membership organization that connects alumni to the University, advocating and supporting excellence in education, and building pride and community.

For information on membership, call 612-624-2323 or 800-UM-ALUMS (862-5867) or visit the UMAA Web site at www.umaa.umn.edu.

International Alum Donates Prize to the U