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Winter 2001

Two million volumes and counting

IN APRIL 2001 the WSU Libraries celebrated the acquisition of their two millionth volume. At a reception in the Owen Science and Engineering Library, botany and biology faculty, library faculty, and longtime friends gathered to thank Edith, Julia, and the late Adolph Hecht for this volume and many others.

Out of their love of plants and gardens, their appreciation of the importance of sharing information and knowledge, and their allegiance to WSU, Edith and Julia Hecht established the Hecht Family Fund for the Support of the Botanical Sciences prior to Adoph Hecht’s death in December 2000. Professor Hecht was with the WSU Department of Botany … » More …

Winter 2001

From the President: Quality and Reputation

I COMPLIMENT THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED in creating this new publication—Washington State Magazine. To me, it is an extension of the “World Class, Face to Face” spirit that pervades Washington State University today. I hope that our readers will learn more about things that are vital and interesting to them and that they will also come to better understand the depth and breadth of the University.

Washington State University has nearly 2,000 faculty with a vast range of interests and expertise. Together, they occupy and utilize millions of square feet of modern facilities equipped with the latest technologies and equipment. Our tenure standards are high, … » More …

Winter 2001

SR 26 Revealed

“The task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees.” —Arthur Schopenhauer

THERE ARE LANDSCAPES that move us and landscapes through which we simply move.

State Route 26 has always been considered one of the latter: a notoriously dull 133 miles between Vantage and Colfax that has for decades been the main transportation link between the West Side and Washington State University.

It’s the asphalt welcome mat for more than 10,000 WSU students who travel this highway between their homes in Western Washington and WSU, along with thousands … » More …

Winter 2001

Mariner Mania

“You kinda have to pinch yourself every day.” —Alex Wood

EVERYONE LOVES A WINNER. Home attendance at Seattle’s 47,116-seat Safeco Field exceeded three million in 2001. Baseball fans arrived early. They came to watch batting practice, seek player autographs, and purchase souvenirs.

Mariner victories came at a pace seldom seen in the history of America’s pastime. Fifteen wins in a row at one stretch. Into September, the Mariners hadn’t lost more than two games in succession. A new hero surfaced every game. Ichiro, Bell, Boone, Martinez, McLemore, Olerud, Cameron, Garcia, Sele, and Sasaki.

Baseball All-Americans Aaron Sele and John Olerud were Washington State University … » More …

Winter 2002

Paul Castleberry sharpened minds

During 40 years in teaching, including 34 at Washington State University, H. Paul Castleberry touched the lives of many students. He taught courses in American government, international law and organizations, and U.S. foreign policy.

“He was never easy as he pulled and pushed, bullied and begged better work out of his students,” said Patrick Morgan, a former WSU faculty colleague in political science. “He sharpened minds and shook up views, and not just here [WSU]. He taught in London and has held Fulbright Awards for lecturing in Egypt.”

… » More …

Winter 2002

Herbert Eastlick mentored thousands

Zoology professor Herbert L. Eastlick was devoted to preparing students for professional careers in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. He once described himself as a “taskmaster and autocrat in the classroom,” motivated by his overriding concern for his students and the rigid demands they would face in professional schools. He mentored thousands and gained a reputation among medical schools for honest, accurate evaluations of the students he taught and advised. Often, deserving WSU applicants were admitted to leading schools on the basis of his word.

During his 33 years at WSU Eastlick gained wide respect for his research on the origin of pigment cells in … » More …

Winter 2002

Overseeing the Davenport Hotel with an appreciation for history

“It’s wonderful to be a part of an environment where all you have to do is make people happy and make them comfortable.”—Lynnelle Hull Caudill

Being part of something as elegant and historical as the Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane adds extra excitement to Lynnelle Hull Caudill’s workplace. She joined the Davenport in October 2001 during the landmark hotel’s $30 million, two-year renovation. In April she became director of operations.

While overseeing the daily workings of the hotel, she enjoys the stories she hears from so many people with strong attachments to the building. For decades the Davenport served as a favorite Northwest site for … » More …

Winter 2002

Deeter recalls demise of college boxing as a sad day

More than four decades have passed since intercollegiate boxing was dropped, first at Washington State University following the 1959 season, and nationally in 1961.

Isaac “Ike” Deeter established the college boxing program at Washington State College in 1932 and coached for 24 years. He also taught men’s physical education courses until retiring in 1967.

“I hated to see boxing go, but I realize the circumstances,” he says. Competition in the Pacific Northwest was too hard to find. Idaho State, Sacramento State, and San Jose State were the nearest opponents. For other matches, WSU had to travel to the Midwest and Big Ten Conference. The cost … » More …

Winter 2002

Ershlers complete Seven Summits with Everest climb

Phil and Susan Ellerman Ershler can scratch one more thing off their “to do” list. On May 16 they conquered 29,035-foot Mount Everest and became the first husband-wife team to top the Seven Summits together. (See sidebar.)

The Ershlers’ quest to successfully scale the tallest peaks on each continent began in 1992 on Mount Kilimanjaro. Having scaled six other peaks since then, Mount Everest was their final and most formidable obstacle. In fact, the Kirkland, Washington, couple had been thwarted during a 2001 expedition just 1,500 feet from Everest’s apex. When Phil’s corneas began to freeze, he and his wife had no choice but to … » More …

Winter 2002

Hyslop, Damon earn WSU Alumni Achievement Award

Longtime Spokane residents William D. Hyslop and Dwight Damon received Washington State University’s Alumni Achievement Award at a July 16 WSU wine tasting event at Wyvern Cellars in Spokane.

Hyslop, an attorney with the law firm of Lukins & Annis, served as president of the alumni association in 1991-92. Damon, a former two-sport athlete at WSU, maintains a practice in orthodontics.

During Hyslop’s tenure as alumni president, the association drafted and then adopted a “role and mission” statement and a list of 10 goals and objectives. Previously, Hyslop served as a volunteer alumni director in Spokane for eight years, and co-chaired WSU’s Legislative Network, which … » More …