| Dear Friends, As we approach the New Year, our university’s 125th anniversary draws to a close. The anniversary proved a fortuitous time to join the Vandal family — the pride in our institution’s achievements and the optimism about our future are all the welcome a new president could ever ask for. Now a leading national research university, Idaho’s land-grant school emerged from humble, often muddy beginnings on the hills outside Moscow. President James A. MacLean, the third president of the University of Idaho, guided construction of new facilities, including the school’s first gymnasium; raised admission standards and helped shape the modern academic experience; and warded off efforts to relocate key university programs, such as the School of Mines and the College of Agriculture. When a fire gutted the Administration Building, MacLean found a way to rebuild it, and the iconic building stands tall more than 100 years later. MacLean’s nearly 13-year tenure is an example to all Vandals — and Vandal presidents — of what can be accomplished with vision, hard work and dedication. Not all success stories are as well-known. At a recent event, our provost and historian Katherine Aiken told the story of Alfred Carlton Gilbert, a young Oregonian who was inspired while watching University of Idaho pole vaulters at the turn of the 20th century. “I thought it was wonderful, soaring so high in the air just by using a pole,” Gilbert said. He decided to give it a try himself, and, favoring a bamboo pole, revolutionized the sport and won Olympic gold in 1908. If you grew up with an Erector set, you also have A.C. Gilbert to thank — he invented them in 1913, and in 1918 successfully argued against a wartime proposal to ban toy production. That effort earned Gilbert the nickname “The Man Who Saved Christmas.” Sometimes Vandal spirit is contagious, it seems. That spirit of innovation — sometimes from unexpected people and places — is a Vandal tradition that we’ve celebrated all year. I was able to attend the Jan. 30 “birthday party” in Moscow, one of several statewide celebrations throughout the year. The Vandal family embraced our anniversary year, attending events, participating on social media and generously displaying Vandal pride all year. We can build off that positive energy. We will grow our university’s impact: Our students will go on to become leaders, our research will continue to change our world, and our outreach will help our state’s communities improve. We will build on our proven success. Like those who have come before us, we will find a way. Lastly, a word of thanks for the many who contributed to make this a special year. My predecessor Don Burnett kept the anniversary on the right track. Volunteers on several committees and countless other students, faculty and staff members worked hard to pull together the many pieces of this year-long celebration. This labor of love paid off for all of us, a fitting showcase for Vandal excellence in the past, present and future. Who knows what Vandals and those they inspire will accomplish in the next 125 years?
![Chuck Staben portrait](https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/objects/fridayletter/images/staben2_portrait.jpg)
| Go Vandals! Chuck Staben President P.S.: We will take a time-out for the holidays and return with our next letter on Friday, Jan. 9. Mary Beth and I wish you and your families the very best for the holiday season and the New Year. | | | ![down arrow](https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/objects/fridayletter/images/down_darkbg.jpg) | Here's the Latest News from the University of Idaho | Vandal Connect Call Center Connects with Alumni and Friends | Through the Vandal Connect call center, University of Idaho students reach out to thousands of alumni and friends, annually raising nearly $900,000 to support colleges and programs across the university. Hank Ebert ’77 recently received such a call from Kelsey, an international studies major. Ebert made a gift to the Honors Program, but the connection did not end there. Kelsey had mentioned she was looking forward to working in the Foreign Service after graduation, so Ebert, the son of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, offered to meet with Kelsey and fellow students to discuss their career objectives and life in the Foreign Service. He visited the call center this fall and has made plans to return in the spring to meet again with Kelsey and other students who are interested in working and living abroad. For more information on making an annual gift, contact James Brownson, director of annual giving, at 208-885-5369 or jbrownson@uidaho.edu. | Prichard Art Gallery Receives NEA Challenge America Grant | The University of Idaho’s Prichard Art Gallery is one of only 163 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Challenge America Grant. The Prichard Art Gallery will receive a $10,000 grant to support the exhibit “Attention to Detail,” curated by UI MFA student Devon Mozdierz, with guidance from Prichard Art Gallery Director Roger Rowley. This is the fifth NEA grant the gallery has received, bringing $55,000 total in federal funding to the university and community. “Attention to Detail” brings together five contemporary, nationally recognized printmakers: James Bailey, Bev Beck-Glueckert, Timothy Chapman, John Ford and Victoria Goro-Rapoport. The exhibit showcase the strength of the printmaking tradition at the forefront of innovation. From whimsical to darkly penetrating, each artist is interested in the human psyche, its connections to the natural world, history and self. Learn More >> | Seeking Submissions for First Annual MLK Art and Essay Contest | To help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the University of Idaho College of Law, Division of Diversity and Human Rights, Ubuntu, ASUI and College of Graduate Studies are sponsoring the first MLK Art and Essay Contest, a new annual program. “The University of Idaho’s new contest is meant to stimulate conversation and reflection on the lasting impact of martin Luther King Jr.,” said Carmen Suarez, chief diversity officer at UI. “It is also a reflection of our institutional support for diversity and inclusion on campus.” The contest invites all UI undergraduates, graduates and professional students enrolled for the spring 2015 semester to write a 1,000 to 1,500-word essay or create an artistic piece in the medium of their choice. Learn More >> | | | | |