Founders Day 2013

by Paul Christiansen

Utah State University honored select individuals and alumni at its intimate Founders Day celebration held in the USU Performance Hall Friday evening. University President Stan Albrecht said the event marked a historic occasion in university, Utah and national history.

“On July 2, 1862 — just one day after our nation suffered the combined losses of 36,058 men in the Civil War — President Abraham Lincoln quietly signed peaceful legislation that would forever change the way that Americans thought about higher education,” Albrecht said. “Our nation’s journey toward increased hope, personal aspiration and opportunity for economic success for the children of the laboring classes was set into motion by that historic stroke of President Lincoln’s pen.”

Twenty-six years later on March 8, 1888 — exactly 125 years before USU’s 2013 Founders Day celebration — the Utah Territorial Assembly created Utah State Agricultural College.

The university was “a new institution of higher learning destined to take its place among Utah’s great armada of colleges and universities,” Albrecht said. “As we see around us, that small acorn planted on that day by our territorial legislature 125 years ago is now grown into a mighty oak.”

This year’s celebration honored five individuals in different capacities.

“Each year the alumni association presents the Distinguished Alumnus Award to alumni of Utah State University who have best applied knowledge, initiative and individuality in service to the university, to the public and in their professions,” said Alumni Relations and Development Assistant Vice President Kevin Rice. “The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest award presented to individuals by the alumni association.”

The Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Michael Sutton, a well-known advocate for wildlife conservation around the world, and Rick Haskins, executive vice president of marketing and digital programs for the CW television network in California.

Haskins said he was “flabbergasted and thrilled” to receive such an honor.

“Some of my best memories in my life are at Utah State University and Logan,” Haskins said. “I look at Utah State University — and every single university — as a launch pad for life. It gives you the tools, it gives you the education and it sets you off. Then it’s up to you to decide the trajectory that you’re going to put into life.”

Each year at Founders Day USU bestows upon an exclusive number of individuals and couples the Distinguished Service Award, one of the most honorable awards presented by the university, Rice said. The award is given based on exemplary service to the university or its civic and professional areas.

“Tonight’s recipients are individuals who have made significant contributions to the community, the university and the world at large,” Rice said.

The award was presented this year to Jack and Sally Keller, as well as Brian Tarbet.

Sally Keller has devoted much of her life to volunteer work for the benefit of the Cache Valley community, the state of Utah and the beyond. She worked in local fundraising efforts for Logan Regional Hospital, the Stokes Nature Center and the Eccles Ice Arena.