Inauguration to be Celebration of Utah State University

 

This fall, Utah State University students and others will celebrate a milestone that has only occurred 15 times in the school's 117-year history - the inauguration of a president.

 

For President Stan L. Albrecht, the investiture is set for Friday, Oct. 14, although other celebrations leading up to the event are also planned.

 

Albrecht, a Utah native who steps into his role with more than 35 years experience in higher education, wants the focus of the inaugural festivities to be on the university and its students.

 

The inauguration theme is "transformation," and several activities are planned for inauguration week, Oct. 10-14, highlighting the university and its strengths. The new Caine School of the Arts in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences will be featured, as will the new Merrill-Cazier Library.

 

"We have many reasons to celebrate Utah State University, and the students are a big part of that," said Albrecht. "The celebration theme, transformation, gives us the opportunity to highlight the university's progress from its agricultural roots to the major research university it is today. It has undergone many changes and continues to transform the lives of students who study here."

 

The word inauguration, reflects an official recognition, or ratification, of a new leader, according to Mark Damen, professor in USU's history department.

 

"Inauguration is a very fine old Latin word that refers to a political and religious office in the Roman world," Damen said. "Etymologically, it means 'the act of (ation) seeking the omens (augur) in regard to some matter (in).'"

 

He said Roman augures were priests and experts in divining the future from signs such as the flight of birds. "The modern sense of the term as seen in inauguration comes from one of their functions, to sanctify and ratify new priests or temples."

 

A look back through university archives shows that past inaugurations have varied. In USU's seventh president, Franklin Harris, celebrated his inauguration in January of 1946. Details are few, but library archive records show he was congratulated by Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of the television. He sent Harris a letter wishing him well in his new post.

 

And while USU has little inaugural material from presidents serving before Harris, university archivist Robert Parson said something was done to honor these men, even if the records are silent.