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Spring 2024

WSU history

Fall 2006

Terrell honored

Last spring, amid smiles and tears and tales from years past, nearly 100 Washington State University officials, students, alumni, and faculty gathered in the atrium of the New Library to rename the 1994 building the Terrell Library in honor of president emeritus Glenn Terrell.

Ever warm and easygoing, Terrell, who had traveled from Seattle with his wife, Gail, accepted applause, hugs, and handshakes from his friends and former staff before sitting down to the dedication.

At the May event, Terrell said that the dedication of that particular building was especially meaningful, since the library is truly the center of the University.

Summer 2007

World Class. Face to Face. It's not a slogan, it's a plan.

Only a little more than a year after I arrived at Washington State University, America and the world were shocked by the events now simply known as “9/1l.” It is difficult to assess how much our lives were altered by that event and the chain of actions that followed. Afghanistan and then Iraq became the centers for the “war on terrorism,” and intrusions on our freedom and privacy that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago became somewhat commonplace. The war in Iraq is now four years old, and is nothing remotely related to what we expected. Furthermore, we really do not know … » More …

Summer 2007

The presidents

Depending on how you count, Elson S. Floyd becomes Washington State University’s tenth, eighth, maybe twelfth, president. Whereas the tenures of the first two, Lilley and Heston, were tumultuous, brief, and of corresponding effect, other interim presidencies, including those of Wallis Beasley and William Pearl, were more subdued, yet productive and vital to the progress of WSU.

Regardless of how you count our presidents, though, the story of WSU and its presidents is rich, wonderful, and filled with drama, pathos, and even a little scandal here and there. Obviously, much has changed over the past 115 years. When George Lilley was named the first president … » More …

Winter 2001

You want impact? Well, we’ve go impact

Since September, serendipitous Seattleites have been treated to a billboard campaign about the high quality of Washington State University’s programs and faculty. The billboards are part of a statewide advertising campaign that debuted last spring in newspapers from Seattle to Spokane. Showcasing the University’s faculty, staff, and students, the campaign is designed to appeal to high-achieving students and their parents. It demonstrates high-quality, intense learning opportunities between WSU faculty and students. In addition to newspaper ads, the campaign includes airport displays, radio and television spots—and, of course, billboards.

Through November, look for WSU’s “World Class. Face to Face” billboards at Denny Way and Wall Street, … » 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 2002

Lone Star Dietz left a football legacy

“That was the game which was to change the face of New Year’s Day in the years to come.”—Rose Bowl historian Rube Samuelsen

In the first four decades of the 20th century, hardly a week went by during football season when the name of William H. “Lone Star” Dietz’s didn’t appear in the nation’s sports pages. Today it’s rarely heard in Pullman, or anywhere else. In spite of that near silence for 60 years now, the one-time Washington State College football coach (1915-1917, 17-2-1 record) left a legacy that could land him in the College Football Hall of Fame next year.

He began his coaching … » More …