F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y- P U R D U E U N I V E R S I T Y F O R T WAY N E
WHAT A
CHARACTER
An IPFW alumna reflects
on her celluloid (im)mortality
in Animal House.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
• Chancellor’s letter
to alumni
• Lecture and
theatre schedules
FA L L 2 0 0 3 • V O L U M E 7 • I S S U E 1
▼
D I R E C T O R ’ S
L E T T E R
IOU $11,809.56
Dear Fellow Alumni:
Yes, I owe you $11,809.56. Here’s the way I figured that: Approximately 714 volunteer
hours were donated (conservative estimate) on alumni events and services for the
2002-03 school year. Independent Sector, a survey firm that watches volunteering
patterns in America, says the 2002 value of a volunteer was $16.54 per hour.
So, $16.54 x 714 = $11,809.56.
Contents
1 Alumni update
7 Class notes
8 Omnibus schedule
Of course, don’t be looking for your share of the check anytime soon. What’s really
in it for you when you get involved in alumni matters? Plenty!
• Networking with fellow alumni inside and outside your career field
• Reconnecting with your favorite faculty members
• Getting to know students who make great company interns and future employees
• Providing your thoughts and opinions for the strategic plan and future growth
of your alma mater
• Building the “miscellaneous” section of your resumé
• Making new friends
9 Theatre schedule
10 Fawn, we hardly knew ye
Alumna Mary Ellen (Brown)
Marnholtz had her 15 minutes
of fame as a movie character that
never appeared on film.
16 Athletics
18 Retrospective
Inside back cover:
The stuff of leadership
Chancellor Michael Wartell reflects
on a model of leadership exemplified
by aviation pioneers Wilbur and
Orville Wright.
Our alumni office, events, and services are successful only because of alumni like you
who step forward to lend a hand. Here are some of the events and services IPFW alumni
worked on last year:
4th of July parking-lot scholarship fundraiser
Homecoming
Alumni & Friends Golf Outing
Alumni Awards Celebration
Soccer Tailgate
Statehouse Day
Mastodon Roast
Post-Commencement Party
Legislative Issues Luncheon
Mentoring IPFW students
Alumni Association membership
School alumni councils
Class gift
Annual Fund
Interested? Just drop us a note at [email protected] or call us at 260-481-6807.
We’re so thankful for you!
Sincerely,
Jennifer R. Bosk, ’87, ’01
© 2003 IPFW Alumni Association
Published by IPFW University Relations and Communications
Irene Walters
Executive Director of University Relations and Communications
Jennifer Bosk
Director of Alumni Relations
Produced by Nichols & Company
Cover image courtesy of Universal Studios licensing L.L.P.
Some images in this magazine have been supplied
through a generous donation by
▼
1
A L U M N I
U P D A T E
Upcoming events
5th Annual Mastodon Roast
Oct. 14 • 5 to 7 p.m.
Under the tent near the
Alumni Millennium Brick Walk
FREE for all IPFW alumni, their spouses
or guests, and all IPFW faculty.
FREE roasted hog, a ticket for
beer/wine/soda, food, great camaraderie!
Gather with alumni from the nine IPFW
schools and network! For food and drink
ordering purposes, R.S.V.P. to Nancy at
260-481-6807 or at [email protected].
See page 14 for faculty who plan to attend.
Annual Legislative Issues Lunch
Oct. 29 • 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Walb Ballroom
Come thank our northeastern Indiana
legislators for their diligent work in obtaining
funding for IPFW’s future. We’ve seen the
pedestrian bridge become a reality, and plans
for the new music building and medical
building will soon take shape as well.
$10 per person
For reservations, call Nancy at 260-481-6807
or e-mail us at [email protected].
Groundbreaking for student housing on the IPFW campus was held in May. Chancellor Michael
Wartell (second from right)—along with state, county, and city officials—performed the
ceremonial dirt toss. The 568-bed student facilities are due to open in August 2004. The
pedestrian bridge spanning Crescent Avenue will connect the student housing area with
the main campus. Student apartments will consist of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and
four-bedroom units, each with its own kitchen and with laundry facilities down the hall.
Homecoming Week with
Dick Vitale, alumni awards,
and great Mastodon basketball
Nov. 16 – 22
Huge alumni pregame party on Nov. 21 at
Memorial Coliseum with Dick Vitale. Open
only to IPFW/IU and IPFW/Purdue alumni
dues-payers or IPFW season-ticket holders.
See page 15 for details.
Dues-payer specials
Have you paid your alumni dues for
IPFW/IU or IPFW/Purdue? Then get ready
for extras coming your way this year!
• Free admittance to the Dick Vitale
pregame party at Homecoming
• Free 4th of July parking in the
front river lot on campus
• Discount coupon to attend
Tapestry: A Day for Women 2004
• All six issues of the alumni
magazine/newsletter
• Other surprises, gifts, and perks
throughout the year
To sign up to be a dues-payer,
just go to www.ipfw.edu/alumni.
Rob Palevich (left), B.S. ‘70, M.S.B.A. ‘75,
M.B.A. ‘89, receives the School of Business
and Management Sciences Distinguished
Alumni Award for 2003. Presenting the award
is the SBMS representative to the alumni
board of directors, Janet Iden Kamdar, B.A. ‘76,
B.S. ‘78, M.B.A. ‘84. The award was presented
at the SBMS pre-Commencement reception for
graduating seniors and alumni.
FALL 2003
▼
A L U M N I
U P D A T E
2
News
More than 1,000 people visited booth after booth at the second annual PineSAP Art Fair, organized by alumni of the School of Visual and
Performing Arts. Artisans sold their wares throughout the day, while musicians entertained among the pines at IPFW. Proceeds from the
event went to scholarships for children/spouses of alumni entering visual or performing arts programs.
E-mentor a student
Share your expertise in your career field with
an IPFW student via e-mail. You determine
how much and how often! Sign up at
www2.monstertrak.com/students/unreg/contact.html
and follow the easy steps to register. Then sit
back and wait for an IPFW student to
contact you. Thanks for helping students
get a jump on their careers!
RAD Self-Defense Classes for
graduates and their female friends
Free self-defense classes for women at
IPFW are set for the year. You may register
by calling 260-481-6619. Dates for the threeto four-class series include Sept. 4, 11, and
18, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Nov. 4, 6, 11, and 13,
Library computers for alumni
IPFW alumni can surf the Internet via
the library computers during regular Helmke
Library hours (sorry, no word processing
available). The computers for alumni are
located on the second floor of the library.
Karen Clelland (left), A.G.S. ‘94, B.G.S. ‘01,
hands new alumnus Andre Patterson,
B.G.S. ‘03, his alumni membership card
after the May 2003 Commencement.
Graduating seniors also received a free
alumni membership directory courtesy
of the IPFW Alumni Association.
IPFW ALUMNI
6 to 9 p.m.; Jan. 26, 28, and Feb. 2 and 4,
6 to 9 p.m.; March 29 and April 5, 12, and 19,
6 to 9 p.m.; or June 21, 23, 28, and 30, 6 to
9 p.m. All classes are held at IPFW.
3
Enjoying the School of Education
new-graduates dinner in May
were (clockwise from front left)
Amy Whitehouse, B.S. ’01, M.S. ’03;
Brian Conner, B.S. ’01; Jessica Hale,
B.S. ’03; Doug Koerner, B.S. ’02;
and Scott Lazoff, B.S. ’02. Senior
and faculty awards were presented
throughout the evening while families
and guests looked on.
Join the Gates Fitness Center
Yes, IPFW alumni receive a substantial
discount when using the Gates Fitness Center.
Alumni rates are $100 for the entire year
or $50 for the semester. The fee entitles you
to locker/shower use, Nautilus equipment,
free weights, racquetball courts, and more.
Interested? Contact the fitness center at
260-481-6655. Ask for a one-day free
pass and try the place out.
Soaking up the fun and sun at the 2002 IPFW Alumni & Friends Golf Outing were (left to right)
Sergio Trevino, Lani Connelly, and Al Perez, A.S. ’77, B.S.Ed. ’81, M.S.Ed. ’84, who is also the
clinical assistant professor in IPFW’s dental education department. Nearly 70 golfers enjoyed
the day while raising money for the IPFW alumni and athletic scholarship funds.
IPFW’S STOMP Band
Have any band instruments around the
house you’d like to get rid of for a good
cause? Donate them to IPFW’s STOMP
Band, our own pep band that plays for men’s
and women’s basketball and volleyball games.
Just call Anne at 260-481-6166,
and she’ll make sure your donations are
put to good use. Check out the band at
www.ipfw.edu/athletics/pepband, and see
what all the excitement is about!
Congratulations to alumni
scholarship winners
IPFW Alumni Association scholarships
were awarded for 2002-03 to the following:
Jasmin Rahman, studying computer
information systems and prepharmacy.
She is the wife of IPFW alumnus
Mahmudur R. Bhuiya, B.S. ’02.
Gregory Eichman, majoring in business.
He is the son of alumnus Brian Eichman,
B.S. ’81.
continued on next page
FALL 2003
4
The math department, within the School of Arts and Sciences, hosted its alumni for dinner and
fun in April. Alumni reminisced with faculty while renewing friendships with fellow grads.
continued from previous page
Kim DeLeon, working on a bachelor’s
in general studies. She earned an associate
degree in general studies in 2001.
Nicole Edsall, planning to graduate
in 2004 with a B.S. in finance. She earned
a B.A. in political science in 2002.
Chad Eckland, a junior working toward
a degree at IPFW (scholarship from the
IU Alumni Association). He is the son
of Kathryn Eckland, B.G.S. ’86.
Sponsors for the
2003 golf outing
Hats off to the following companies and
individuals who chose to sponsor holes at the
28th annual IPFW Alumni & Friends Golf
Outing in July. They include:
Baker & Daniels/H. John Okeson
Ron & Linda Buskirk
Deer Track Golf Course
DeKalb Federal Credit Union
Don R. Fruchey Inc.
Dulin, Ward & DeWald
Grabill Bank
HP Products
Hoosiers for Higher Education
IU Alumni Association
IU Credit Union
IUAA Club of Northeast Indiana
Midwest America Federal Credit Union
Nichols & Company
NIPSCO
Office Concepts
Purdue Alumni Association
The second annual Tapestry: A Day for Women presented
Marlo Thomas, actress and author of The Right Words
at the Right Time, as keynote speaker. The event provided
a day of renewal and growth for the nearly 500 women
in attendance. The proceeds from the day added to the
endowed Tapestry/Parkview Health scholarship for women.
IPFW ALUMNI
Schenkel Shultz
Three Rivers Preferred
Vera Bradley
Verizon
WBYR-FM
Waterfield Mortgage Company
Wells Fargo Bank
5
In 2004, IPFW will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Send us your ideas for IPFW’s 40th anniversary:
1) What traditions would you like to see resurrected?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2) What favorite professor would you like to see return to campus?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3) What is your favorite memory from your time on campus?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
4) What could we offer during this celebration that would bring you back to campus?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5) Would you be interested in being part of the 40th Anniversary
Planning Committee?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Name
Address
Phone
E-mail
Use the enclosed envelope and mail this to:
IPFW Alumni Relations, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805-1499
IPFW plans to unveil a life-sized bronze mastodon statue, similar
to the one at right, during the 40th anniversary celebration.
Singing the IU Alma Mater at
IPFW’s 2003 Commencement
are (left to right) IU Trustee
Cora Breckenridge; IPFW
Student Government President
and new alumnus Justin Busch;
Alumni President-Elect Mike
Engels, M.B.A ‘95; IU InterimPresident Gerald Bepko;
IU Trustee Sue Talbot; and
Chancellor Michael A. Wartell.
FALL 2003
CEO Pacesetters
Thank you to our 2002-03 Alumni
Business Leader and CEO Advisory Council
members who are pacesetters for the Annual
Fund. Annual Fund monies are used for
scholarships, technology, and programs. For
a $250 gift, you can be a pacesetter. Contact
the Development Office at 260-481-4151.
John Bellio, ’86
President
Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber Realtors
Ralph D. Crowe, ’68, ’70
Vice President, Investments
UBS Paine Webber, Inc.
Joe Doust, Jr., ’79
President
Lebamoff’s Cap n’ Cork
Michael R. Fritsch, ’79, ’80, ’82
Vice President, Business Development
Logikos, Inc.
Karen Haiflich, ’86
President
Creative Benefit Concepts, Inc.
Michael S. Lamborne, ’73, ’86
Operations Manager
United States Postal Service
Jeanne Longsworth, ’84
Partner
Baker & Daniels
Suzon Motz, ’91, ’95
Past President
Alumni Association Board
Darrell Post, ’70, ’73, ’74
Vice President
Bonar Group
Michael Ottenweller, ’75
President
Ottenweller Company, Inc.
Denise J. Simon, ’85
Vice President
Elekta Limited
Jeff A. Taner, ’82
Director
Dulin, Ward & DeWald, Inc.
Terry Ternet, ’70, ’73
CEO
Masterpiece Homes, Inc.
Patty Weddle, ’81
President/CEO
Northeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board
Lena Yarian, ’86
President
Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana
6
A letter from the alumni association board president
Dear Alumni and Friends:
R
emember the old movies in which
college students and alumni wore
big fur coats and waived pompoms and
pennants at football games—and then
went to big after-game parties?
It seemed as though alumni back then
were trying to hold on to their fun college
times for as long as they could. So what’s
different today? Well, they still do the fun
stuff (minus the fur coats), but there’s
a much more serious side to alumni lately.
Today, universities and their alumni need
each other more than ever before. Gone are
the days when universities could count on
the government to satisfy all their financial
needs. Also gone are the days when college
graduates could count on jobs from which
they would eventually retire. Fortunately,
each group can help the other overcome
these problems and flourish.
Statistics show that today’s graduates will
change entire careers more than their
predecessors changed jobs. Lifelong learning
and continued
connection to
a university is
essential to
continued success
and survival. An
alumni association
can help keep that
connection going
as well as make
valuable industry contacts.
In return, alumni can support the
university in many ways by providing
their time or financial support from their
company or personal resources.
Get involved with your IPFW alumni
organization by becoming a member.
It’s not just for the fun times—it’s also
for survival.
Michael R. Fritsch
Have you seen
the IPFW Alumni
Millennium Walk?
It leads from South Campus Drive out
to the IPFW marker on Coliseum
Boulevard. Alumni have created a walkway
and plaza filled with personalized brick
pavers, grouped by decade. You can still
have your brick engraved. For just $50,
you’ll receive two lines of engraving on
your paver. Interested? Contact Christina
Fischetti at 260-481-4151 or
[email protected] to order yours.
Bricks ordered earlier can be seen
at the Mastodon Roast on Oct. 14.
A message from Linda Ruffolo,
Executive Director of Development
On May 30, IPFW launched its
“Discover IPFW” campaign with a goal
of $20 million in conjunction with a
seven-year $1.3 billion campaign at Purdue.
Nearly half the goal has already been
achieved. The campaign covers five areas:
facilities, programs, faculty, scholarships,
and unrestricted.
The campaign was launched at a dinner
in the Walb Ballroom with videos, speeches,
and decorations depicting the “roots,”
“branches,” and “fruit” of IPFW. The
next large, public celebratory event in the
campaign will be IPFW’s 40th anniversary
in 2004.
The student housing facilities will open
in the fall of 2004. The executive director
of development is working with the alumni
director and her committee to place a
full-sized, bronze mastodon statue on
campus as IPFW’s focal point. The campus
will also grow with the addition of a music
building and the move of the Northeast
Indiana Innovation Center to a new facility
on IPFW property across St. Joe Road.
In the near future, alumni will be asked
to pledge a multiple of $40 as a gift to
the “Discover IPFW” campaign. Please
save, and plan now to make a four-year
pledge/gift during 2004. It can be $40
or $40,000 or any multiple in between,
depending on your means!
Receiving more than one copy
of this magazine? The IU alumni
and Purdue alumni databases cannot
yet be merged. We are working on it.
In the meantime, pass along a copy
to a friend. With 80 percent of our
graduates staying in Indiana, chances
are your friend is an IPFW alumnus, too!
IPFW ALUMNI
7
Class Notes
1984
1998
2002
Lee Ann Berning, M.S., education, co-owner of
Wildwood Racquet Club in Fort Wayne, was named
the U.S. Professional Tennis Association’s 2002
Midwest Professional of the Year.
Mary Ann Ziembo, B.G.S.,
has been named market
executive for the Northern
Indiana Private Client Group,
National City Bank of Indiana.
A resident of Fort Wayne, she’s
been in the banking industry
for more than 25 years.
Carolyn Davis Cockey, M.L.S., has just been
named associate director of publications for the
National Nursing Organization. Carolyn will direct
and supervise the development of the organization’s
periodical, book, and monograph publishing. She and
her family live in Glenwood Springs, Colo.
1990
Joyce Carroll, B.G.S., has received the Stretch
Award from Geiger Bros. Northcentral in Mansfield,
Mass. The award is given to the sales partner who
most exceeds his or her goal. Joyce is a resident
of Fort Wayne.
1993
Jean Short Frantz, B.A., communication, is a
student services representative for the IUPUI School
of Education. Jean and Eric Frantz were married last
year, and they live in Indianapolis.
1994
Donald J. Kreitzer, B.G.S.,
received the 2003 Distinguished
Alumni Award from the Indiana
University School of Continuing
Studies Alumni Association in
Bloomington.
1995
Tonya Hoffman, B.S.,
organizational leadership and
supervision, has been promoted
to vice president/human resources
manager at Waterfield Mortgage
in Fort Wayne.
Leigh Ann Fuller, B.S., music therapy, is a music
therapist for Behavior Consultation & Therapy Services
in Noblesville, where she’s expanded music therapy
from a part-time program to a full-time program with
three music therapists. Leigh Ann lives in Carmel.
1999
Andrew Wolf, B.A., political science, earned a law
degree from Ohio Northern University in 2001 and is
a litigation attorney in Munster. He and his wife,
Karen, live in Schererville.
2000
Ryan Meyer, B.S., criminal justice, has been
promoted by Superior Essex in Fort Wayne. He’s now
financial planning manager, responsible for financial
planning, forecasting, reporting, and analysis for the
Essex OEM Financial Planning and Analysis group.
2001
Kimberly Grannan, B.A., communication, is
the education/technical assistance coordinator for
the Allen County Solid Waste Management District
in Fort Wayne.
Do you know the IPFW fight song?
Then come out for the games and belt it out!
Here are the words. You can also hear the music when you access
it at www.ipfw.edu/athletics/IPFWFIGHTSONG.htm.
Come on and sing along!
IPFW, let’s cheer for our own blue and white,
IPFW, full of spirit, full of fight.
Go, Dons!
Winning hearts so brave and true,
Standing strong in all we do,
IPFW, bringing victory home to you.
Go, Dons!
FALL 2003
Jennifer Miller, B.A., fine arts, lives in Indianapolis,
where she’s the graphic designer and production
assistant for ESC Promotions.
Carrie Lane, B.S., business management, is a
sales assistant with Smith Barney in Fort Wayne.
Congratulations to the following educators—and
IPFW alumni—who in June received The Dekko
Award for Teaching Excellence from the Dekko
Foundation in Indiana:
Susan Becker, B.S. ‘80, West Noble
School Corporation
Anita McAfee, B.S. ‘91, Smith Green
Community Schools
Mark Rickerd, M.S. ‘98, Whitko Community
School Corporation
Dave Schlemmer, M.S. ‘88, DeKalb County
Central United School District
Tom Terrell, M.S. ‘94, Whitley County
Consolidated Schools
Kem Zolman, B.S. ‘88 and M.S. ‘96,
Wawasee Community School Corporation
Contact your alumni office
at [email protected]
▼
8
Omnibus Lecture Series 2003–04
(All lectures are at 7:30 p.m. in the Walb Union Ballroom.)
The Omnibus Lecture Series is dedicated to presenting diverse ideas to the university community and to residents of northeastern Indiana.
The series, entering its ninth year, has featured such notable speakers as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., John Updike, Wendy Wasserstein, and Cornel
West. Sponsored by the English, Bonter, Mitchell Foundation, the series presents six speakers each academic year.
For more information on the scheduled speakers, visit www.omnibuslectures.org.
P.J. O’Rourke
Winona LaDuke
Richard Rodriguez
“The Politics of Worry”
Sept. 8
With more than
a million words of
trenchant journalism
under his byline and
more citations in The
Penguin Dictionary of
Humorous Quotations
than any other living
writer, O’Rourke
has established himself as one of America’s
favorite political satirists.
“Politics, Motherhood, and
Environmental Justice from
a Native Perspective”
Nov. 18
An internationally
respected Native
American environmental activist and
author, LaDuke fights
for environmentaljustice issues. She
focuses on energy
policy, including
nuclear waste, dam projects, coal strip-mining,
and alternative energy.
“The Brown Round World: Beyond
Multiculturalism and Diversity”
March 31
One of America’s
most respected
essayists and a master
of the “personal essay,”
Rodriguez writes
about the intersection
of his personal life
with some of the great
vexing issues of
America, including bilingual education,
affirmative action, and understanding the role
of race in America’s past and future.
B.D. Wong
Joyce Carol Oates
“All the World’s a Stage:
Supporting the Transformation
from Exclusion to Inclusion”
Feb. 9
Known across
generations as the
compassionate and
tireless Father Ray
Mukada in the
controversial HBO
series OZ, as forensic
psychiatrist Dr. Huang
on NBC’s Law and
Order: SVU, and as the voice of Captain Li
Shang in Disney’s Mulan, Wong tells how his
career choice has forced him not only to accept,
but to embrace, his racial identity.
“Readings and Commentary
with Joyce Carol Oates”
April 12
Oates is one of
America's most
versatile, serious
writers and the author
of a number of
distinguished books
in several genres.
Her vision is often
that of a highly
complex America, populated with presumably
ordinary families who experience common
yet intense emotions and relationships and
who frequently encounter violence.
Ben Vereen
“An Evening with Ben Vereen”
Oct. 2
A consummate
entertainer who
has left his mark
on the Broadway
stage and concert
circuit, in film, and
on television, Vereen’s
enduring success
results from his
unique ability to blend rare talent, artistic
mastery, and discipline with a strong sense
of social consciousness.
IPFW ALUMNI
▼
9
IPFW Department of Theatre 2003–04 Season
JUDY & ME — A JUDY
GARLAND TRIBUTE
ARMS & THE MAN
An evening of cabaret featuring Rhonda
Woods, one of the country’s leading Judy
Garland tribute artists.
Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. in
Williams Theatre.
Directed by Jane Purse-Wiedenhoeft
ALL IN THE TIMING
By George Bernard Shaw
Shaw’s timeless comedy exploring
the absurdity of war and the ideal of
romanticized love.
Feb. 27 and 28 and March 4, 5, and 6 at
8 p.m. and March 7 at 2 p.m. in Williams
Theatre. High school matinee March 4 at
10:30 a.m.
By David Ives
Directed by Jane Purse-Wiedenhoeft
A lively and clever evening of one-act
“playlets” full of wit, hilarity, and just
plain fun!
Oct. 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11 at 8 p.m. in
Williams Theatre.
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer
Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller,
and Marshall Barer
six fully realized productions ranging from
original scripts to dance ensembles to
monologues and one-acts centered on
popular themes.
Throughout the season, Studio Showcase
enables student and faculty theatre artists to
realize minimalist productions of theatrical
works in the Studio Theatre in Kettler Hall.
Six weekends have been set aside for
performance pieces in the Studio Theatre
during the 2003–04 season, ranging in
genre from dance to drama.
IPFW students with IDs, along with
theatre-season Flex-Pass holders, will be
admitted free of charge to any of the
Studio Showcase presentations. All other
tickets are $3.
Directed by Larry L. Life
LOVE, PASSION, AND
REDEMPTION —
A DANCE SHOWCASE
Conceived and directed by Larry L. Life
Choreographed by Life, Gary Lanier,
This musical retelling of The Princess and
the Pea is filled with nonstop, sidesplitting
shenanigans.
April 23, 24, 29, and 30 and May 1 at
8 p.m. and April 25 and May 2 at 2 p.m.
in Williams Theatre.
Brittney Coughlin, and Theresa Hornbacher
Theatre majors and dance minors take the
stage with song, dance, and drama.
Oct. 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 26 at
2 p.m. in Williams Theatre.
For patrons with disabilities:
AMERICAN CLASSIC
SUMMER THEATRE XI
THE AMERICAN
CLASSICS REVUE
Conceived and directed by Larry L. Life
SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Larry L. Life
A psychoanalyst helps a young woman
remember the shockingly violent murder
she witnessed.
Dec. 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13 at 8 p.m. and
Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. in Williams Theatre.
For tickets and further information,
call the IPFW Department of Theatre
box office at 260-481-6555.
Celebrating a decade of the greatest
summer musicals in Williams Theatre.
July 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17 at 8 p.m. and
July 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. in Williams Theatre.
STUDIO SHOWCASE
2003–04
Studio Theatre in Kettler Hall has
undergone an exciting transformation that
allows IPFW theatre students and faculty
to put a fresh face on the local theatre scene.
In its first season, Studio Showcase featured
FALL 2003
Sign-language interpreter services will
be offered during all Thursday-night
performances of all productions in
Williams Theatre. Braille program
books are available for all productions,
as are TDD services (in the box office).
The SoundMate® Personal Listening
System is available to all patrons with
any type of hearing loss.
Photographs donated by Corbis - Bettmann
C O V E R
S T O R Y
10
11
FAWN,
we hardly knew ye
An IPFW alumna
is dead sure she was
the inspiration for
an unforgettable
movie non-character.
It wasn’t just the popcorn and Ju Ju Fruits
talking — Mary Ellen Brown knew she was the
coed in question. Sitting there in that dark movie
theatre in 1978, Mary Ellen learned that she
had gained silver-screen immortality. Although
posthumously. Sort of.
Mary Ellen, an IPFW senior then, had gone
to see the newly released National Lampoon’s
Animal House, the definitive cinematic paean
to college skullduggery and tomfoolery—and
peeping-tomery, if you recall Bluto’s sorority-house
ladder to heaven.
With their fraternity all but thrown off the
Faber College campus, Delta Tau Chi brothers
Otter and Boon and pledges Pinto
and Flounder embark upon a
road trip to Emily Dickinson
College. Poring over the obituaries, the guys discover that
a Dickinson student, Fawn
Liebowitz of Fort Wayne,
Indiana, has been killed
in a kiln explosion.
continued on next page
FALL 2003
12
Seeking sympathy and carnal kindness from Fawn’s friends
for himself and his brethren, Otter (Tim Matheson) poses
as Fawn’s bereaved fiancé. Well, they were “engaged to be
engaged,” anyway.
“I didn’t have a clue until I saw the movie,” Mary Ellen
says. “But then, I knew right away that I was Fawn.”
That may seem presumptuous, but Mary Ellen has a
solid claim to her film fame. During the 1973-74 school
year, she served as chair of the Student Convocations
Committee, which was tasked with booking
speakers and performers. Chris
Miller, National Lampoon writer
and all-around wise-acerbity,
was signed to do a stand-up
comedy act. As chair, Mary
Ellen’s duties included serving as
Miller’s driver and gofer during his
brief stay in town.
“I wasn’t extremely familiar with
National Lampoon, but everyone
had heard of it,” Mary Ellen says.
“Chris Miller was a bit intimidating.
I think it was the deer-in-the-headlights
syndrome—he was a lot more ‘big-city’ than I was.
Whether it was that or my large brown eyes—they
seemed a lot bigger when I was younger—he kept
calling me ‘Fawn.’”
After her first encounter with Miller, Mary Ellen made
sure she had an entourage of friends with her to act as
a buffer during subsequent interactions with the writer.
Miller did his show and left town.
Mary Ellen never gave Miller a second thought. En route
to earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature in 1978,
she served on several other student-government committees
and was a frequent contributor to The Communicator.
Little did Mary Ellen know that Miller, Harold Ramis,
and Doug Kenney had teamed up to pen Animal House.
In fact, Miller and Kenney had small parts in the movie.
So although no one in Hollywood has called her about
committing impressions of her hands and feet to concrete,
Mary Ellen has cemented her place in the library of
college-caper cinema. However, she has yet to see one
penny in residuals.
It’s Mary Ellen Marnholtz now; she married Allen
Marnholtz in 1980. She’s community relations coordinator
for the Wausau (Wis.) School District; he’s a business
consultant. They have a son, William, a senior at Wausau
East High School. Mary Ellen is a past president of the
Wisconsin School Public Relations Association, youth
director at her church, and a Big Sister.
On a recent road trip of her own, Mary Ellen checked
out her alma mater. “I drove through campus, and
it’s changed dramatically since I went there,” she says.
“I remember carrying books from Kettler Hall into
the then-new library. We all volunteered to help
between classes.”
“Animal House” was the theme for last fall’s
homecoming festivities at IPFW. The week-long
celebration included a screening of the movie,
a Fawn Liebowitz look-alike contest, and concerts
by Otis Day and the Knights and local band
Fawn Liebowitz. Togas were fashionable. The
only thing missing was D-Day at the wheel of
Delta House’s Deathmobile float.
Mary Ellen wasn’t able to make it to Homecoming,
but she was in town soon afterward for the North Side
High School Class of 1972’s 30-year reunion. Mary Ellen
graduated from Northrop High School, but she was
in the North Side system through her freshman year
and still has many friends among North Side grads.
So, Mary Ellen, what was the late Fawn Liebowitz
really like? “Fawn had long, dark, straight hair and big
brown eyes,” Mary Ellen says. “She wore sweaters and
tartan skirts. Her last name suggests that she might have
been Jewish, and although she might have been from
a conservative background, she was a bit of a beatnik
in college. And, she was involved in the arts.”
If you’ve never seen Animal House—and experienced
Mary Ellen’s finest film performance—you are hereby
on “double secret probation.” To get back into Dean
Wormer’s good graces, rent a copy.
And always remember: “Knowledge is good.”
IPFW ALUMNI
13
FALL 2003
14
FIFTH ANNUAL
MASTODON
ROAST
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 5 –7 p.m.
Only for alumni, faculty, and their guests.
Under the tent near the Alumni Millennium Brick
Walk at Coliseum Blvd. on the IPFW campus.
FREE food including roasted hog and trimmings
FREE ticket for a drink: beer, wine, or soft drink
FREE fun and camaraderie
Come see your favorite professors and network with your fellow alumni!
For food ordering purposes, please let us know if you will attend
by calling Nancy at 260-481-6807 or e-mailing us at [email protected].
Faculty and athletic coaches who plan to attend include:
Fred Andrews
Pat Ashton
Arnie Ball
Sarah Beckman
Lowell Beineke
Prasad Bingi
Elliott Blumenthal
Bill Bruening
Alan Buck
Ben Christy
Ann Colbert
William Cooper
Rachelle Darabi
Stan Davis
Carl Drummond
James Farlow
Bruce Franke
Art Friedel
Billy Gernon
James Haddock
Stephen Haroff
Mike Harper
Tim Heffron
Solomon Isiorho
James Jones
Mike Kaufmann
Carl Keller
Joseph Khamalah
Bruce Kingsbury
John Knight
David Legg
Ed Leonard
Bangalore Lingaraj
Marc Lipman
Dave Maloney
Mark Masters
Linda Meyer
Geralyn Miller
Ed Mortiz
George Mourad
Joe Nichols
Doug Noll
David Oberstar
Tom Overton
Richard Papazian
Jan Papiernik
Bruce Patterson
Al Perez
Ryan Perrotte
Kathy Pollock
Mark Pope
Jane Purse-Wiedenhoeft
Richard Ramsey
Yvonne Ramsey
Alan Sandstrom
Robert Seddlemeyer
Zoher Shipchandler
Anson Shupe
Terry Stefankiewicz
Jeff Strayer
Richard Sutter
Sarah Tsai
Wen-Hui Tsai
Sushil Usman
Bill Utesch
Lesa Vartanian
Chancellor Mike Wartell
John Wellington
Mike Wolf
David Wood
David Young
Many more people
you’d like to see will
be there as well!
In accordance with university policy, when alcohol is served, guests must be on the reservation list and over the age of 21 to attend.
Please call Nancy at 260-481-6807 to place your name on the list.
IPFW ALUMNI
15
Don the Mastodon greeted
Homecoming 2002 attendees including (left to
right) Maria Rosell Perez
from Venezuela, Daniela
Salazar from Ecuador, and
Pat Harrold, B.A. ’00.
AWESOME, BABY!
Nov. 21, 2003
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
The new IPFW
pep band,
STOMP, adds to
the Homecoming
festivities,
especially when
band members
rally the
crowd for the
“Hey-Hey” song.
IPFW’s school
fight song is
a must for all
alumni to know!
See page 7 for
the lyrics.
5 p.m.
Meet and greet Dick Vitale.
Pregame reception for IPFW alumni
dues-payers with membership cards,
IPFW students with university ID,
and/or IPFW season-ticket holders only.
ARE YOU SERIOUS, BABY?
6:30 p.m.
Dick Vitale warms up the crowd
from center court.
7:05 p.m.
Tip-off
IPFW Mastodons vs. Toledo Rockets
Postgame
Alumni parties by schools.
Watch your mail for a special invitation
to meet with alumni from your particular
division/school for more Homecoming fun!
DIPSY-DOO DUNK-A-ROO!
Lovin’ the spirit! IPFW
cheerleaders get ready
to flip to the floor during
half-time of Homecoming
2002 at the Allen
County War
Memorial
Coliseum.
FALL 2003
Here’s “The Tar Pit” in action with these spirited students!
▼
Homecoming 2003
16
▼
A T H L E T I C S
More on athletics
What’s new for IPFW Division I Men’s Basketball?
New place. Harlem Globetrotters. Dick Vitale. Season-ticket packages.
IPFW Men’s Basketball 2003-04 Schedule*
Nov.
13
17
21
Thurs.
Mon.
Fri.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
25
29
Tue.
Sat.
8 p.m.
5 p.m.
1
5
6
Mon.
Fri.
Sat.
10 p.m.
9 p.m.
TBA
10
13
20
21
Wed.
Sat.
Sat.
Sun.
8 p.m.
7 p.m.
TBA
TBA
28
30
Sun.
Tue.
Jan.
3
6
9
14
17
19
28
31
Feb.
Mar.
Dec.
Harlem Globetrotters
Marathon Oil All-Stars
University of Toledo
(IPFW Homecoming)
Kent State
@ Oregon State University
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne
Corvallis, OR
3 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
@ Washington State University
@ Iowa State University Tournament
@ Iowa State University Tournament
(Iowa State, IPFW, Liberty, Idaho)
Bowling Green State University
Morehead State University
@ Purdue University Tournament
@ Purdue University Tournament
(Purdue, IPFW, Miami University, SMU)
@ West Virginia University
@ Miami
Morgantown, WV
Miami, FL
Sat.
Tue.
Fri.
Wed.
Sat.
Mon.
Wed.
Sat.
1 p.m.
7 p.m.
9 p.m.
9 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
8:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
Southeast Missouri State
@ Middle Tennessee State University
@ U.S. Air Force Academy
@ Western Michigan University
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Tri-State University
@ UT-Pan American University
@ Youngstown State University
Fort Wayne
Murfreesboro, TN
Colorado Springs, CO
Kalamazoo, MI
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne
McCallen, TX
Youngstown, OH
4
7
11
14
17
25
28
Wed.
Sat.
Wed.
Sat.
Tue.
Wed.
Sat.
7:30 p.m.
1 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
@ Butler University
UT-Pan American University
@ IUPUI
@ Wright State University
Florida Gulf Coast University
@ Oakland University
@ Valparaiso University
Indianapolis, IN
Fort Wayne
Indianapolis, IN
Dayton, OH
Fort Wayne
Rochester, MI
Valparaiso, IN
1
Mon.
7 p.m.
IUPUI
(Senior Night)
Fort Wayne
* Times are local.
IPFW ALUMNI
Pullman, WA
Ames, IA
Ames, IA
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne
West Lafayette, IN
West Lafayette, IN
17
Your season ticket includes:
All 12 home games played at the Allen
County War Memorial Coliseum
Nov. 13
Exhibition vs. the Harlem Globetrotters
Nov. 17
Exhibition vs. Marathon Oil All-Stars
Nov. 21
Meet and greet ESPN’s Dick Vitale at
a special Homecoming pregame party
Nov. 25
Doubleheader action with IPFW’s
Women’s Basketball team
Dec. 10
Doubleheader action with IPFW’s
Women’s Basketball team
Your IPFW Athletics
season ticket includes
the Harlem Globetrotters
exhibition game.
Plus a great seat, special events, giveaways,
and promotions all season long!
2003-04 IPFW Basketball Season Ticket Order Form
Don’t miss any of Fort Wayne’s Division I basketball action. Please send this form to reserve your season tickets for the
upcoming season. Or if you prefer, call the IPFW ticket office at 260-481-6000.
Individual Season Ticket prices
Name
price
Address
City/State/Zip
Reserved Seat
Phone
Reserved Seat
Alumnus/na
Faculty/Staff
Student
Donor
Fan
Payment options
Return this form with your check payable to:
IPFW Athletics
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
If paying by credit card, you may fax this form
to 260-481-6002 or call 260-481-6000.
Visa
MasterCard
Discover
General Admission
$45
Royal Dons Member/IPFW Faculty/Staff
General Admission
$50
All others
IPFW Students (general admission)
$0
Royal Dons Membership (optional) $100
Minimum contribution
Total $
Credit card number
Signature
$70
All others
E-mail
Name on card
$60
Royal Dons Member/IPFW Faculty/Staff
Fax
Expiration date
quantity
Seat Location Preference
Bench Side
Opposite bench
Season ticket holders in subsequent years will have right-of-firstrefusal on seat locations with their annual renewal.
For further information, please contact the IPFW Athletics ticket office at 260-481-6000 or e-mail [email protected].
FALL 2003
▼
R E T R O S P E C T I V E
18
Looking back
by Larry W. Griffin, Archives and
Special Collections, Helmke Library
History majors would acknowledge that it’s
often impossible to determine the date when
some important development began. This is
certainly true with respect to IPFW history.
One might say that IPFW history began as
early as 1917, when the first IU classes were
held in Fort Wayne, or in 1941, when Purdue
joined IU in offering courses in the Summit
City. It could also be contended that IPFW
history officially began with administrative
unification in 1974. Since the faculty senates
didn’t merge until 1981, this year could also
be considered the beginning.
theatre as opposed to
the organization) and
is now a studio theatre.
In 1965, Circle K
Club was organized,
and it became the most
active service club on
campus. (No one
seems to remember
when it was dissolved;
if you do, contact us.)
Winter Carnival
sculptors at work.
It’s generally agreed, however,
that IPFW—as a joint
presence in a single location
(believed to be the first in the
nation)—had its beginnings
in August 1964, when the
two universities occupied a single
building on a single campus at the
junction of Coliseum Boulevard and
Crescent Avenue.
For this issue’s “Looking Back,” it seems
appropriate to note some of the highlights
of four decades of IPFW history. Two former
students, Scott Gillie and James Hansen,
were helpful in identifying some of what
they regarded as highlights of their
student years.
1960s The ’60s heralded a great
future for IPFW. In 1964, the first PIT
production, The Imaginary Invalid, starring
Mike Schaub and Lyn Sickmiller, was
performed in the small facility in Kettler
Hall that later became known as PIT (the
The first-prize
sculpture at Winter
Carnival 1969.
The Winter
Carnival was staged annually
from 1969 to 1972. In 1969, a swan and
sleigh designed and built by Richard Leitz
and Ken Bojrab took first prize in the snowsculpting competition. Sled races, snowshoe
races, and snowball fights were also among
the festivities, as was the crowning of a queen.
Conie Salud was the first carnival queen in
1969. In 1972, the Ugliest Person on Campus
replaced the queen and her court. The carnivals
were discontinued due to lack of interest
and the difficulty of predicting when there
would be enough snow for the sculptures
and other events.
IPFW ALUMNI
A major event of the late ’60s was
Project Abelard, the first effort by students
to lobby the State Legislature for funding,
a practice that continues today. Initially, it
was an entirely student-led operation, and
rallies were held in the Kettler cafeteria. Some
of the leaders of Project Abelard were Steven
Pettyjohn, Ronald Rice, and Joseph Tonsing.
1968 was a landmark year in that it
featured the first Commencement for the
joint campus and the only Commencement
held in the Scottish Rite Auditorium.
On Sept. 25, 1969, Steven Huddleston
and Jennifer Bosk launched the student
newspaper, The Indiana-Purdue Communicator,
which is now The Communicator. Jennifer
took over the operation soon after it began
19
Don’t remember what a TROM was?
Here’s one.
and continued as
editor for two years. It was the same month
and year that the first TROM (Temporary
Removable Office Module) was used on
campus. We have yet to get a definitive date
for when the last TROM was removed;
if anyone knows, please contact us.
1970s Administrative unification
of the two universities officially took place
in 1974. Chancellor Donald Schwartz
became the chief administrative officer
and, as noted previously, some might claim
that this was the official beginning of IPFW
as a historical entity.
The ’70s was an era of social consciousness.
After the Kent State affair May 4, 1970, an
antiwar contingent on the IPFW campus
grew significantly, with polarization on all
sides of the Vietnam War issue. Scott Gillie
was elected student-body president in 1970
on a platform of addressing local issues.
Reminiscing in 2003, Scott says,
“Suddenly, local issues didn’t seem
very important.”
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970,
and the Child Care Consortium became
a reality in 1971. The first official logo for
IPFW was established in July 1976. One
of the most-often-recalled events of the ’70s
was the library book walk. On Sept. 20,
1972, volunteers walked a total of 5,500
miles, making 11,000 trips to move 85,000
books from the old Kettler Hall library to
the new Helmke Library. The Fort Wayne
Art Institute merged with IPFW in 1976.
In the spring of 1971, the student
athletic board voted to commit all funds
to intramural athletics. In the following year,
however, funding was restored to varsity
athletics. It was during this era that the
mastodon became the campus mascot.
Several stories about how the decision came
about are on file. One version
maintains that the student
newspaper ran a ballot to determine the
university’s team name, and Mastodons beat
out Mustangs. Another holds that there was
some confusion about the balloting, and a
student-government committee made the
decision. Yet another version has it that the
ballot box was stuffed by geology students
working on the mastodon-bones project. If
you have an interpretation of the mascot
decision to share, send it to the archivist.
1980s
Compared with the
’70s, the ’80s might be thought of as halcyon
years. Nevertheless, the campus was changing
and growing. During the two previous
decades, the majority of students were
single, college-age kids, but in the ’80s,
the campus saw a significant increase in
what has been called the nontraditional
student. The average age of students
increased, as did the number of working
parents. Student-related events
Three Rivers Festival 1981. There has to
be an IPFW student on one of these rafts.
appeared less in the news, and the focus
was on expansion of campus facilities
and programs.
In 1981, the faculty senates merged.
The Friends Carillon was dedicated that
same year. In 1983, a major endowment for
FALL 2003
the library was established, and it has since
become one of the largest among the IU
and Purdue regional campuses. The McKay
Farm was purchased that same year and
became IPFW’s west campus.
The Army ROTC program begun in
1976 was phased out in 1983. The Center
for Women and Returning Adults was
formed in 1986. Perhaps the most colorful
event was the controversy surrounding
school colors in 1987–88. For a while,
it seemed the colors might be black and
blue, instead of white and blue!
1990s
In the ’90s, Supervision,
one of the oldest departments on campus,
was renamed the Department of
Organizational Leadership and Supervision.
Other campus reorganization and growth
led to name changes and new programs.
New organizations were chartered or formed,
such as Phi Kappa Phi in 1993 and Psi Chi
in 1996. New buildings popped up all over
campus: the fine arts building
and Friends Pavilion in 1992
and the science building in 1998.
Dedications for Williams Theatre
and the engineering technology
building took place in 1993.
Perhaps the greatest change on
campus came in the library. The
card catalog was eliminated, and
the move toward becoming a
“virtual library” was initiated.
The library now provides computer
resources available both on and
off campus to meet the needs
of the nontraditional, heavily programmed
IPFW student of the 21st century.
Thanks for the memories to all the alumni
who have sent in articles, factual information,
and notes of appreciation for this column.
Keep the e-mail and phone calls coming,
and check out the Archives Information
Center at www.ipfw.edu/archive. Your
comments are welcome.
20
Do it all ...
with this one little form!
Yes! I want to become a dues-paying member of the IPFW Alumni Association and of my main campus.
IPFW/IU dues are $40 per year ($20 if your first IU degree was awarded within the past five years).
IPFW/Purdue dues are $40 per year ($20 if your first Purdue degree was awarded within the past five years).
Yes! I want to volunteer to help with the following upcoming alumni events and services:
Fifth Annual Alumni Mastodon Roast
Statehouse Day
Legislative Issues Luncheon
Senior Salute
Homecoming
E-mentoring a student
PineSAP Art Fair
Service on the IPFW Alumni Association Board of Directors
Service on a school alumni council
Yes! I’d like to attend the following events. I’ve enclosed payment as appropriate:
Fifth Annual Alumni Mastodon Roast, Oct. 14 (free)
Legislative Issues Luncheon, Oct. 29 ($10 per person)
I would like to be seated with a legislator if possible.
Dick Vitale Meet & Greet Homecoming pregame reception,
Nov. 21 (must show current dues-paying membership card)
Statehouse Day lobbying our legislators, February T.B.A. (free)
And I’d like to attend my school/department alumni events, including:
April T.B.A., Dental Hygiene alumni luncheon
April T.B.A., SPEA new grad and alumni gathering
April T.B.A., Math alumni dinner
All-area-universities-alumni Meet Me At Five
at Columbia Street West, March T.B.A. (pay at the door)
Tapestry: A Day for Women, May T.B.A.
(discount coupon for dues-payers coming in April newsletter)
29th Annual IPFW Alumni & Friends Golf Outing
($69 for dues-payers; $75 all others)
April T.B.A., VPA new grad and alumni gathering
May T.B.A., School of Education new grad and
alumni dinner
Name
Address
City
State
Day phone
Evening phone
Payment enclosed is:
check made payable to IPFWAA
MasterCard
Card No.
Dues-payer of:
Zip
E-mail
VISA
Discover Expiration date on card
Signature
IPFW/IUAA
IPFW/PAA
Membership card expiration date
Use enclosed envelope and mail this page to IPFW Alumni Relations, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805.
FALL 2003
A N
A N N U A L
L E T T E R
T O
A L U M N I
F R O M
C H A N C E L L O R
M I C H A E L
A .
W A R T E L L
Summer thoughts inspired by Orville
and Wilbur Wright during the hundredth
anniversary of their greatest triumph.
Dear IPFW Graduate:
A cult of celebrity dominates much of our society. One of
the most unfortunate aspects of this is the confusion of celebrity
with leadership. Too often these days, celebrities — some of
whom are known simply for being known — come to be seen
as leaders of one stripe or another. We find ourselves listening
to their opinions on a wide variety of topics and not questioning
nearly as often as we should whether their thoughts are wellinformed and thus worthy of our attention.
So extreme has this become that, in some cases, we’ve lost
perspective on what constitutes real leadership. For many, it
Images donated by Corbis - Bettmann
seems to be about charisma, false perfection, and outmaneuvering
and one-upping the next guy. I believe we need a better model,
and I have an unlikely suggestion. I think we would all be wellserved if we chose to emulate individuals like the Wright brothers.
You may wonder why I’m invoking two turn-of-the-20th-century
brothers from Dayton, Ohio. But I’ve been thinking about them
a lot in recent weeks, and I believe they are excellent examples
of true leaders — solid, determined, imaginative, true to their
principles, willing to risk failure to learn lessons that could
pave the way for success.
Pointing the way
This year is the 100th anniversary of
the Wrights’ history-making flight at Kitty
Hawk, North Carolina, and publications,
documentaries, and regional celebrations
around the country are recalling their lives
and achievements. In recent months, I’ve
read several articles about Wilbur and Orville.
In particular,
a Smithsonian
magazine piece
containing excerpts
from a new book
about their lives
had me marveling
at the low-key
but single-minded
way these sturdy
entrepreneurs and
gentlemen scientists
left their mark on
the world.
The Kitty Hawk flights for which they are
so famous were the culmination of exhaustive
research over several years in their Dayton
bicycle shop and trial-and-error experiments
in a Dayton field and on the sand dunes at
Kitty Hawk. Looking at old photos of Wilbur
and Orville, restrained and proper in their
bowler hats and starched suits—who runs
around on sand dunes in a tie, anyway?—it’s
clear the Wrights were products of their times.
On the other hand, they pushed limits like few
of their contemporaries. They were seemingly
ordinary men who achieved extraordinary
things through the force of their convictions,
their willingness to take risks, and their ability
to focus on goals.
High-caliber leadership that has long-term
impact often comes in such unassuming
packages. These brilliant men would not have
caught your attention in a restaurant or on the
street, yet they changed the world in their time
and forever more. They succeeded in realizing
an elusive dream that had tantalized humans
for centuries—controlled flight. These restless
minds studied the aerial performance of
buzzards and transformed their observations
into a means of liberating humankind from
its earthbound existence. Their ingenuity,
adaptability, determination, tenacity, and
ability to envision the possibilities prompted
others to experiment, challenge the limits of
conventional wisdom, and catapult human
beings through the sound barrier and all the
way to the moon.
As a scientist and as chancellor of this
university, I’m fascinated by the strengths
the Wrights represent and the leadership lessons
we as individuals, and IPFW as an institution,
can learn from them. But how, you might
ask, can I compare leadership as exemplified
by these two individuals with leadership
exerted by an institution such as IPFW?
A few comparisons
It’s a fair question, but the parallels are
stronger than you might think. The university
shares noteworthy traits with Orville and
Wilbur: willingness to try new approaches and
incorporate differing perspectives, mindfulness
of tradition with an orientation toward the
future, creating results that elevate the lives
of others.
In their experiments, the Wrights went
about the business of incremental progress
through a continual process of trial, outcome
measurement, adjustment, more trial.
Unanticipated results became teachable
moments, and any “failure” was merely
another step along the way to a useful
solution—not something to be avoided,
but something to be worked through.
IPFW has endeavored to launch programs
and partnerships that serve community needs
we’ve come to recognize. From courses taught
in neighboring cities and at local workplaces,
to custom instruction from our Company
Training Center, to our involvement in the
annual Latinos Count summit on Hispanic
participation in politics and business, these
efforts have flourished and expanded. With
each new venture and community connection,
we’ve further developed our ability to discern
ways the university can contribute to the
larger community.
True leaders model effective approaches with
their own practices. As a public university,
we take this very seriously by setting high
academic standards and paying close attention
to student needs. We measure how well we’re
doing with various benchmarks, such as the
high numbers of grads we send to medical and
law schools, the strong satisfaction businesses
have expressed with their IPFW alumni
employees, and achievements such as our
math team’s supremacy in a 39-member field
in this year’s state math competition sponsored
by the Indiana Section of the Math Association
of America. We’ve instituted new courses
increasing the depth of academic preparation
in numerous areas of study, added well-qualified
faculty with experience from recognized
institutions, and taken the runaround
out of administrative procedures to spare
students’ time.
The Wrights faced criticism and derision
from many. IPFW also has had its share of
scoffers and critics but, like the bachelor
brothers, we stay focused on the big-picture
potential of our new offerings and forge ahead
undeterred. We haven’t balked at taking risks,
particularly when it meant being able to offer
the community new athletic fields; online
registration for students; an unprecedented
single, comprehensive fee for all students;
and a small-business incubator (the
Northeast Indiana Innovation Center)
to foster entrepreneurial creativity through
a partnership with the City of Fort Wayne,
Allen County, and the Greater Fort Wayne
Chamber of Commerce.
In their work, the Wrights couldn’t have
succeeded without an abundant flow of
information. They looked to all kinds
of sources for inspiration and built on the
work of thinkers long dead as well as that
of their contemporaries. They tested, retested,
rejected, and refined commonly accepted
theories on the physics of flight, as well as
their own ideas. They sought the opinions
of others.
IPFW recognizes its duty as a center of
learning to offer an objective forum in which
various perspectives can be explored and
community members may examine and
expand their own views. I’m very proud of
the growth of our Omnibus Lecture Series,
which, in past years, has brought to Fort Wayne
influential cultural figures from political
commentator Molly Ivins to environmental
activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to glass sculptor
Dale Chihuly. Community members have
responded to these opportunities by packing
the house for each lecture. We have also
sponsored debates and cultural activities
appealing to a wide range of tastes, including
the PineSAP Art Fair and first-rate
theatre productions.
With an eye to helping shape the future,
IPFW is host to Leadership Fort Wayne,
the organization training community
members for thoughtful, proactive service
in the businesses and organizations that are
mainstays of community life. IPFW staff also
serve on the boards of nonprofit organizations
throughout Greater Fort Wayne and volunteer
as Junior Achievement instructors.
We move this community forward by
empowering those around us, generating
the kind of energy that will spark the
“next big idea”—and the next and the next.
A resource for the bold
Some moments seem graced with special
significance, a confluence of the resources,
circumstances, and minds necessary to create
momentous change. At the turn of the 20th
century, as the Wright brothers were conquering
the problems of flight, other Midwesterners
were achieving milestones of their own:
Henry Ford was automating production
Image donated by Corbis - Bettmann
As a member of Invent Tomorrow—an
alliance of organizations working to improve
the local infrastructure and quality of life—
IPFW is assisting with the establishment
of broadband technology that will enrich
the learning experience for students at all
educational institutions in Allen County by
enabling them to take advantage of interactive
learning options. Our Community Research
Institute provides data to widely differing
organizations and plays a pivotal role in
economic forecasting for northeastern Indiana.
We’ve created avenues for students to get
a jump on their careers by making available
useful, real-world experience
in their fields while providing
additional staffing for local
enterprises. IPFW students
prepare business plans for new
ventures. Engineering majors
lend support to existing businesses
in search of a fresh perspective.
Communication students learn
about emerging technology and
programming in television
through a cooperative work
agreement with WFWA PBS-39,
whose new state-of-the-art facility
is located on the IPFW campus.
Eighty percent of IPFW alumni
remain in Indiana after graduation, with
the vast majority choosing to reside in the
northeastern quadrant of the state. Because
workforce issues are so key to the prosperity
of our region, IPFW has especially concentrated on establishing programs that attract
and retain professionals and on stimulating
discussion of other ways to add vibrance to
life in our community. For instance, the
university is working with Parkview Hospital
to enhance preparation for nurses, who
continue to bear heavy responsibility in
today’s increasingly complex—and much
regulated—healthcare system. This winter,
we invited the community to envision a
vastly different future Fort Wayne as noted
economist and author Richard Florida gave
a presentation on the importance of attracting
“the creative class”— young, culturally
involved citizens who appreciate the unconventional and tend to spur entrepreneurial
activity wherever they settle.
With all of these measures and more,
we give wings to economic development in
this region. We educate, proactively extend
resources, and equip others to be risk-takers.
of the automobile, and Thomas Edison’s
work was illuminating the homes of wealthy
trendsetters. It is no accident that these men
came from this part of the country. As
Midwesterners, they grew up in a tradition
that grounded them in practicality, expected
persistence, and rewarded adaptability.
Think of it: as Midwesterners, invention and
innovation are our inheritance. And as a public
university, IPFW is a leader in continuing
that trend. It’s entirely appropriate for this
university to take risks, to test the wind,
to be a clearinghouse for the possible and
a resource for the bold. I think Wilbur and
Orville Wright would have appreciated that.
New additions to our campus offer concrete
evidence (literally) of our role in embracing
change, meeting new challenges, and anticipating what’s over the horizon. The student
housing now under construction is a good
example. With these facilities, we add a new
residential aspect to our community’s university.
Such a move has not been tried before in
the state system, but that doesn’t faze us. And
now the shape of things to come is reflected
in the steel triangle that soars above Crescent
Avenue on the east side of our campus,
symbolic gateway to all of the culture
changes occurring within this institution.
Many people found it hard to imagine the
utility of that bridge. Now it is not only an
architecturally compelling structure, but also
a potent symbol of IPFW’s influence in this
community as citizen, partner, innovator,
and catalyst.
Consider this: as businessmen, the Wrights
made their living in an “old” economy
employing “old” technology, while, as inventors
and innovators, they strove to create new
technology that would foster a “new” economy.
Their work would transform
“modern” life from quiet and
small-scale to a faster, worldly
aware, more mechanically
sophisticated existence. As a
former industrial stronghold
seeking its place in the postdot-com era, our community
now faces a similar shift that
requires all manner of new
thinking. And the virtues that
underlie that thinking link our
time with that of the Wrights.
IPFW is a leading institution
in this community, and the fine
qualities embodied in these
amazing brothers are also evident in IPFW’s
students and graduates, staff and faculty.
One might say we’re made of the Wright
stuff—the stuff of leadership.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Wartell
Chancellor
P.S. Our new annual report will be
published soon. It will center on a selection
of IPFW grads who are leaders in their
chosen areas of endeavor. I’d be happy
to send you a copy. Please drop me a note
at [email protected].
Image donated by Corbis - Bettmann
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