News Release

July 18, 2007

Boise State Announces Schedule of Events for 75th Anniversary Celebration

Boise State University will celebrate its 75th anniversary under the banner of “Treasuring the Past…Shaping the Future” with a series of events to kick off the fall 2007 academic semester. Activities include the unveiling of an anniversary mural, campus tours on historical Boise Tour Train, time capsules, a photographic exhibit, the official opening of the Interactive Learning Center and Homecoming week.

Sept. 6 is Founder’s Day marking the 75-year transformation from a small, church-sponsored two-year college in a downtown schoolhouse to the largest institution of higher education in Idaho. In 1932, the school began with four buildings, 15 faculty members and 78 students. Today, Boise State has 165 buildings, more than 500 faculty and a student enrollment that will exceed 19,000 for the first time this fall.

“Our relatively short 75-year history projects a dramatic transformation of the university’s mission and contributions,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “It’s time to celebrate this history and especially the university’s contributions to the people and state of Idaho. We also look ahead to a future that portends even greater service to the state as we become a metropolitan research university for the 21st century.”

The anniversary date will be marked by the faculty and student “Grill and Chill” luncheon on the Quad, including cake and ice cream. The program features the opening of a time capsule from 1964 and the creation of a new one from 2007. Historical tours of campus will also be provided by the Boise Tour Train and led by history professor Todd Shallat and archivist Alan Virta. Finally, the carillon in the Administration Building will be rededicated with the return of the chimes ringing on an hourly basis.

A unique web site for the 75th anniversary has been created at http://www.boisestate.edu/diamondyear/index.shtml or can be accessed through the university homepage at www.boisestate.edu by clicking on the “75” button. The website features a historical timeline, slide show, thumbnails on notable alumni, stories from the past and book excerpts, a chart comparing 1932, 1974 and 2007, schedule of events, a look to the future and trivia.

Some of the anniversary events being planned include:

• More than 40 black-and-white and color photographs will be on display from Aug. 22-Sept. 19 in the gallery on the second floor of the Student Union Building. University photographers have organized the exhibit in a “Then & Now” format.
• Prior to the State of the University Address on Aug. 22, a 75th anniversary commissioned mural will be unveiled in the alcove of the Jordan Ballroom in the Student Union Building. The 8-by-12 foot mural has been painted by Boise State professor Alma Gomez-Frith.
• Boise State will officially open its newest classroom building – the four-story, $14 million Interactive Learning Center – on Aug. 23. The opening will be held at 1:15 p.m. followed a lecture by the Carnegie Foundation’s Charles Glassick and reception/tours for the new Center for Teaching and Learning.
• As part of the Homecoming activities, head football coach Chris Petersen will make a special appearance at the “Bronco Nation Invastion” street festival in downtown Boise’s BoDo district on Sept. 14. The Alumni Association will also host its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards banquet on Sept. 12 as part of the 75th anniversary celebration.
• Later this fall, historical markers with photos and text will be installed throughout the campus commemorating the past and present.

Schedule of Events
Aug. 21, 75th Anniversary Gala (invitation only), 6 p.m.
Aug. 22-Sept. 19, “Then & Now” Historical Photo Exhibit, SUB Gallery
Aug. 22, Unveiling of Historical Mural by Alma Gomez-Frith, SUB, 9:45 a.m.
Aug. 22, President Kustra’s State of the University Address, Jordan Ballroom, 10 a.m.
Aug. 23, Official Opening of Interactive Learning Center
Opening Ceremony, 1:15 p.m.
Charles Glassick Lecture “Teaching, Learning and Scholarship … All One Continuum,” 2 p.m.
Center for Teaching and Learning Reception and Tours, 3 p.m.
Aug. 30, Football Home Opener vs. Weber State, Bronco Stadium, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6, Historical Boise Tour Train of Campus, 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m.,
2 p.m.
Sept. 6, Founder’s Day Celebration/Grill & Chill, Quad, 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 7, Seattle Alumni and Friends Reception, Space Needle, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9-15, Homecoming Week
Sept. 12, Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet, Alumni Center, 6 p.m.
Sept. 14, Bronco Nation Invasion, BoDo, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15, Stampede Into the Streets Parade, 2 p.m.

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Contact: Frank Zang, University Communications, (208) 426-5391, frankzang@boisestate.edu

Boise State University celebrates its 75th anniversary this fall. From its founding on Sept. 6, 1932, the institution has evolved from a small church-sponsored college in a downtown schoolhouse to a metropolitan research university of distinction with about 19,000 students. Visit boisestate.edu and click on the “75” button for more information.
 

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Last reviewed on Tuesday, August 07, 2007