Founders Day 2008: A Celebration of Innovation

Each year, the Alumni Association celebrates the founding of the University of Utah in 1850 by recognizing four outstanding alumni and one honorary alumnus/a, all of whom represent the best that the University brings to the state, the nation, and the world. All were recognized at the annual Founders Day celebration on February 27. “Founders Day is really the highlight of the year for the Alumni Association,” says Executive Director John Ashton BS’66 JD’69. “By honoring these outstanding individuals, we—and they—also honor the University, which has played such an important role in helping them attain excellence.”

Distinguished Alumnus/a Award Recipients

David M. Grant BS’54 PhD’57, a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah, is a pioneer in the use of powerful magnetic devices and a process known as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. A new $14 million NMR center named for him opened on the U of U campus in fall 2006. Grant’s honors include the Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Utah Department of Chemistry, the State of Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology, and the Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, the U’s most prestigious award.

J. Brett Harvey BS’77 is president and CEO of CONSOL Energy, the nation’s largest underground coal mining company. CONSOL is a member of Standard & Poor’s 500 Equity Index and reports annual revenues of $3.7 billion. In the wake of such recent mine disasters as the Sago and Crandall Canyon tragedies, Harvey, a fourth-generation coal miner who hails from Utah, has called on the coal industry to abandon its incremental approach to mine safety improvement and reduce accident rates to zero at every mine in the nation.

Ann Weaver Hart BS’70 MA’81 PhD’83 was officially installed in March 2007 as Temple University’s first female president. Previously, she served as president of the University of New Hampshire, taking over in July 2002; as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif.; and as a professor of educational leadership, dean of the Graduate School, and special assistant to the president at the University of Utah. Hart’s research interests include leadership succession and development, and academic freedom and freedom of speech in higher education. Her publications include more than 85 articles and book chapters, as well as five books and edited volumes.

Charlie Monfort BS’82 is a founding owner, chairman and CEO of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, which made it to the World Series for the first time in fall 2007. Previously, Monfort was president of ConAgra Refrigerated Foods International as well as Monfort International Sales Corp., a major exporter of beef to Japan and the European Communities (now Union), eventually expanding to other parts of the world. Monfort has been a loyal supporter of the U, hosting a number of alumni events at Coors Field. He is also a generous philanthropist: in 2004, the Monfort Family Foundation contributed $10 million to The Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colo., to help build a new medical facility there.

Honorary Alumnus Award Recipient

Mario R. Capecchi, distinguished professor of human genetics and biology at the University of Utah and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, received the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sharing it with two other researchers. Capecchi pioneered gene targeting in mice, which has revolutionized mammalian biology and benefited all fields of biomedicine. A member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences, Capecchi has previously been recognized with other prestigious honors, including the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences (1996), the Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (2001), and the National Medal of Science (2001). Capecchi received his bachelor’s degree at Antioch College in Ohio (1961), and his doctorate from Harvard University (1967). On the faculty at the University of Utah since 1973, he credits the U with providing a collaborative, creative environment that encourages the highest level of research.

The Alumni Association wishes to thank the O.C. Tanner Company and Deseret Morning News as the Founders Day 2008 corporate sponsors.

Return to Spring 2008 table of contents | Back to top

Poinsettia Bowl Tailgate

Olivia Bramble (left), from the Crimson Club, and Kris Bosman, advancement coordinator, welcome guests to the tailgate at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The Utah football team’s 35-32 win over Navy’s Midshipmen last December in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl marked the team’s seventh straight bowl victory since 1999-a remarkable achievement.

The Alumni Association, along with Athletics and Advancement, helped pump up the pre-game excitement by organizing two big events leading up to the game on December 20th-first, a pep rally at the team hotel the night before, featuring Coach Kyle Whittingham, the marching band, cheerleaders, and the Crimson Line. The highlight for many was an appearance by former Ute All-American defensive back and current San Diego Charger Eric Weddle ’07, who—not surprisingly—expressed his support for the Utes.

The next day, just before the game, more than 500 Ute fans attended a pre-game tailgate at Qualcomm Stadium. The party featured a sumptuous barbecue dinner, followed by a raffle of Poinsettia Bowl apparel and performances from the Marching Band, cheerleaders, and Crimson Line.

“Both events were an enormous success,” reports Alumni Association Advancement Coordinator Kris Bosman BS’99. “We were thrilled with the number of fans that attended, and everyone had a fantastic time.”

The Alumni Association would like to thank the Athletics Department and the University of Utah Federal Credit Union for their sponsorship and unflagging support of these events.

Return to Spring 2008 table of contents | Back to top

A Tribute to Two Remarkable Women

Last December, the Alumni Association, and the University of Utah, said farewell to two of our most loyal supporters.

Lorna and Stephen Matheson served as marshals for Homecoming 2002. John Ashton, executive director of the Alumni Association, is at left.

Lorna H. Matheson ex’56 passed away on December 8. She not only served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, but also as its president, for a total of seven years of service. In addition, she sat on the U’s Board of Trustees for three years and was a member of the National Advisory Council (NAC).

Lorna was the kind of person who could light up the room with her bright smile and gift for making everyone feel special. She guided the Association with efficiency and charm, and made many friends for the University in the process. In addition to providing excellent leadership for alumni throughout the country, Lorna supported many other campus organizations, including the College of Humanities, where, most recently, she headed up the Renaissance Guild, which the college touts as the “mother of all book clubs.”

Lorna was the epitome of a loyal Ute, as are her husband, Stephen D. Matheson ex’56, and their three grown sons (middle son Mark Matheson MA’85 is an associate professor and student advisor in the English Department), and she will be truly missed.

Lynette Kinard, the wife of current Alumni Association President Spence Kinard BS’66.

Lynette Kinard, the wife of current Alumni Association President Spence Kinard BS’66, succumbed in early December after a 10-year battle with cancer. Even though she didn’t attend the U as an undergraduate, Lynette always displayed the enthusiasm of a loyal Ute, becoming a staunch supporter of the University of Utah and regularly attending University and Alumni Association events, in spite of failing health. In essence, she became an honorary alumna, and we salute her and Spence for their dedication to the University and the Alumni Association.

Return to Spring 2008 table of contents | Back to top

Rivalry Week Results

Last November, the University of Utah and BYU alumni associations once again called on fans to help needy Utah families during the 2007 holiday season by donating food and funds to the annual Rivalry Week food drive. The friendly competition between Utah and BYU takes place each fall as a lead-up to the football game, traditionally held around Thanksgiving.

Dozens of volunteers pulled together to support the U’s efforts, among them U of U Basketball Coach Jim Boylen, who stood on the steps of Rice-Eccles Stadium to “shake down” fans attending the Utah vs. New Mexico football game. John Fackler BS’89 BS’94 MprA’95, U of U Alumni Association business director, recalls: “Boylen was stopping people and literally making them reach into their pockets. And he joked around a lot with the crowd. If a tall person came by, he’d say, ’Hey, you still got eligibility left?’ And when a guy came by in a Green Bay Packers jersey, the coach called out, ’The Detroit Lions are going to kick your butt!’ And he collected a lot of money!”

Fackler oversees the activities of the UUAA’s Student Alumni Board, which helps organize the Rivalry Week food drive each year. “The whole board worked really hard,” says Fackler, “but I really want to note three students who did an astounding job: Parker Hill, Brent Schmidt, and Elizabeth Black. They made an incredible effort-they were everywhere.”

As a result of everyone’s efforts, this year the U collected $29,753, a new record, along with 83,000 pounds of food-“also an all-time record, almost four times as much as last year,” notes Fackler. In the friendly if spirited competition, Utah typically takes in the most money, while BYU usually wins in the pounds-of-food collected, and that trend didn’t change this year: BYU collected 104,000 pounds of food, but just over $20,000. So, as usual, the competition ended in a “tie”-and an undisputed win for Utah’s hungry.

Head Basketball Coach Jim Boylen “shakes down” a couple of Utah fans to contribute to the 2007 Rivalry Week Food Drive

The “U” in Houston

It can’t be said that there is no “U” in Houston. Last November, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Fred Esplin MS’74 kicked off the first University of Utah alumni event held there—a reception for alumni and friends, held at the Petroleum Club in the ExxonMobil building.

Matthew R. Simmons BS’65, chairman of Simmons & Company International, a specialized energy investment banking firm, was guest speaker for the evening. Author of the best-selling book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, Simmons spoke to 60-plus alumni and friends on a topic on which he is well versed—the current energy crisis, with a look to the future of our nation and its unquenchable thirst for oil. (Simmons received the Association’s prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award at the 2006 Founders Day celebration.)

Among the many Utah alumni from the Houston area who attended the event were L.E. Simmons BS’70, president of SCF Partners, an investment capital firm in Houston; National Advisory Council member Stirling Pack BS’74 MS’76, vice president of Investor Relations at CVR Energy, Inc., in Houston; and former Utah basketball star and the “original” Houston Rocket, Mike Newlin BS’71. (Newlin was the first player to sign with the Rockets just after the team moved from San Diego.)

Anyone interested in becoming part of the U of U network in Houston should e-mail Matt Kitterer at matt.kitterer@admin.utah.edu.

Chairman of Simmons & Company International Matt Simmons addresses an enthusiastic crowd at Houston’s inaugural Alumni Association event last November.