Dr. Brad Rothermel gives a brief introduction to his childhood days in Monroe Center, Illinois. He was born into a family of educators, so it was natural that he completed a Bachelor's, and finally a doctorate. He attended Northern Illinois University in De Kalb for his undergraduate degree and the University of Illinois for his Master's and PhD. Dr. Rothermel's work history before arriving at UNLV in 1981 includes coaching in the Chicago Cubs organization and stints at Kansas State and West Virginia University as athletic director and business manager. He describes how he came to apply at UNLV and comments at length on the responsibilities of an athletic director. Brad goes into minute detail discussing the history of the athletic programs at UNLV. His memories of coaches, players, and memorable wins are as compelling as his descriptions of fundraising, an average day as athletic director, and outstanding figures in the UNLV sports scene. After retiring in 1990, Brad's association with UNLV sports did not end, but rather evolved into consulting, developing, and fundraising. He and his wife Suzanne continue to enjoy and appreciate their involvement with community, the university, and their children and grandchildren.
Need for engineering school explained; reluctance of engineers to stay in Vegas if education was not available; need for Air Force association to support program; FRGE group formed (Foundation for Resource Gains through Engineering); members included Bill Becker, Bob Gore; working with Nevada Association of Counties; media campaign. Gaining support of regents; mention of regents Lily Fong and Jack McBride; convincing legislature to support southern as well as northern school; engineering advisory council at UNLV; support from UNLV President Goodall; vice president of PEPCON on board; mention of Bob Weber, head of Nevada Professional Engineers Organization, and June Whitley, officer in telephone company. Personal background in military; need for technically trained professional engineers; currently administrative manager for Clark County School District (CCSD); time spent at Pentagon and TAC; graduate of Air War College; U. of Colorado for postgraduate degree in education; undergraduate work done at U. of California, Sacramento; tour in Vietnam; opinions on more rigidity in examination of instructors; opinions on negative and positive motivation for learning. Coming to Las Vegas; retiring from Air Force, 1981; formed private company, Logistics Technology Incorporated, to do hazardous materials work; hired to set up hazmat program for CCSD; stayed on to manage CCSD building program; currently creating energy-efficient mechanisms for schools; looking at alternative energy sources; working on green building certifications; many employees are graduates of UNLV engineering school. Maintenance of solar panels; working with Nevada Power; opinion of aesthetics of windmills; comments on efforts by FRGE to start engineering college; more comments on support from media, chamber of commerce, Nevada Development Authority, Nevada Association of Counties, university regents; passing reference to Runnin' Rebels; further mention of Bob Gore, Bill Becker, Fred Lewis, Tom Harden of PEPCON, and Hughes Summa Corporation.
John G. Tryon was one of the early leading figures in the Engineering Department at UNLV. He grew up in Washington, D.C., the oldest of three sons. His father worked with the National Bituminous Coal Commission during the Depression and his mother was editor of the American Association of University Women's Publications. John went directly to University of Minnesota after high school graduation and earned a bachelor's in physics. During WWII he served in the Army Signal Corps and then went back to Cornell University to get his doctorate. His post doctoral work experience includes six years at Bell Telephone Laboratories, eleven years at University of Alaska, and six years at Tuskegee Institute. In 1974, Dr. Tryon interviewed at UNLV and was hired. The faculty carefully built up the curriculum, adding classes one at a time. John introduced a senior engineering design course modeled after one that pioneered at Dartmouth. He had also introduced this particular course at University of Alaska and Tuskegee. John was a member of the Academic Standards Committee at UNLV which helped set standards for academic probation and semester length. He has strong opinions on keeping engineering students who show promise and interest, and letting go of students whose academic strengths don't match the program. He believes students need to be matched to opportunity, be given the chance to find a niche that fits, and that they should not be given inflated grades or false hope. Dr. Tryon met his wife-to-be in Ithaca, New York, while attending Cornell University. His wife's mother, who was married to a botany professor, had invited him to Sunday dinner, something she had done for a number of students. John and his wife, who eventually became an English teacher, have two sons who grew to college age while they were in Alaska. Today they enjoy their church community, their family, and their circle of friends.
Rosemary Witt grew up in the very small town of Columbia, Iowa. She went to a two-room country school in Columbia and attended high school in Knoxville. Her nursing diploma was completed at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. She then worked in the operating room for a month or two and switched to pediatrics. When Rosemary's dad fell ill, she moved back to Knoxville to be closer to him and found employment at the VA psychiatric hospital. After five years there, first as staff and then as head nurse, she got the opportunity to attend a nursing program at the University of Iowa which paid tuition and a stipend. She completed her baccalaureate degree, and then worked as an assistant instructor. In the late '60s, Rosemary decided to further her education, and went to the University of Washington in Seattle for her master's in psychiatric nursing. She stayed for three years afterwards to teach on that faculty, and then attended a workshop in Las Vegas in 1971. Rosemary was attracted by the sunshine in Las Vegas, and called UNLV to see if there were any openings. She interviewed and was hired as a psychiatric nurse instructor. In '75 or '76, she decided to pursue her doctorate at the University of Texas in Austin, and persuaded her sister to move to Las Vegas to watch her house and pets while she was away at school. In the many years that she's been at UNLV, Rosemary had served as chair of the nursing program for over thirty of those years. She also served as interim director for a year while a search was conducted for a dean. Today she teaches classes and is involved in research. Rosemary recalls the early days when several disciplines were housed in Frazier Hall. Having spent over thirty years at UNLV, she has seen many changes in the campus and in the city. Today the nursing program has its own school and inhabits most of a large building. She and other instructors are involved in research which improves life for Las Vegans and patients everywhere. She is confident that the nursing school will continue to grow and offer more educational opportunities for students.
Dr. Joseph "Andy" Fry is currently a professor of history at UNLV. He was born and grew up in West Virginia, the only child of an insurance salesman and a public school teacher. His parents met in Ronceverte, West Virginia, and lived for a while in his grandmother's boarding house. He had an idyllic childhood in this small town of 2500 people. Andy received an excellent high school education, including learning eighth grade English and 2 years of Latin from his mother. After graduation, he was interested in playing college basketball and ended up at Davis and Elkins College in east central West Virginia. Undecided on a major at first, he tried math and then chemistry, but he found his niche when he began studying the history of western civilization. During his undergraduate years, Andy met his wife-to-be, Sandra Schwitzer, and they were married in 1969 in the summer after their senior year. He was accepted at graduate school in history at the University of Virginia, so he and his bride moved to Charlottesville. After that, he worked for 2 years at Virginia Tech. In 1975, Dr. Fry was offered a job at UNLV, so he and his family packed up and moved to Las Vegas. He was welcomed to the history department by such notables as Roman "Jay" Zom, Ralph Rosky, and Tom Wright. In addition to teaching, he has had the opportunity to do research, write 4 books, and edit a series of diplomatic biographies. Andy was department chair in the mid 80s and again from 1999 to 2002. He also served for three years as executive assistant to Dr. Carol Harter (president of UNLV for 11 years), but prefers teaching over administrative work. His plans for the future are to finish a fifth book and continue teaching to at least age 66.
Dr. Steven Parker grew up and went to school in Connecticut. His parents were caterers and taught him a solid work ethic through example. His only sibling was finishing a post doctorate at Yale and had accepted a job at one of the Cal State schools when his life was tragically ended. Steven graduated from Assumption College in Massachusetts with a bachelor's in political science and got a scholarship to State University of New York at Albany. About hallway through his Master of Public Administration degree, the dean encouraged him to go on for his doctorate. He finished his PhD in 1971, and got a job at Western Illinois University which he started on September 15, 1971, the same day his son was born. Alter 8 years (and another child) in Illinois, Steve and his wife were ready to leave. He had attended a public administration conference in Baltimore in the spring of 1975, and was interviewed by Dina Titus and Tom Wright of UNLV. He had several other job offers, but UNLV looked like the best possibility, so he and his family moved to Las Vegas. Dr. Parker's title at UNLV was associate professor and department chair, although Dina Titus actually chaired the department his first semester here. He took over as chair in the spring of 1980. Steven started when Brock Dixon was interim chair, and has served under university presidents Leonard "Pat" Goodall, Bob Maxson, and Carol Harter. Today Dr. Parker teaches American Presidency and American government every semester, Natural Resource Policy and Political Corruption and Political Ethics once or twice a year, and occasionally teaches Urban Government. He also continues as the director of the University Forum Lecture Series, which was initiated by Tom Wright more than 23 years ago.
Len Zane and his wife left Colorado State to come to UNLV in 1973. He intended to take a one year position in physics which had materialized that summer, and found a department in turmoil, with a high turnover rate and scrambling to fill suddenly vacated positions. The faculty in physics at that time consisted of Harry Fector, Lon Spight, Fred Stirk, and another new hire, Dave Bynum from UNR. During that first semester, Len taught the graduate mechanics class, and found that the five or six students actually knew very little. In addition he taught modern physics and a beginning engineering physics course. Two more instructors were hired during Len's first year at UNLV, Ed Grayzak and Jeff Dundan. Len got a permanent position that first year and was no longer considered a visitor. At the end of his second year, he accepted a one year visiting position at Dartmouth, and returned to UNLV to become chair of the physics department. At almost the same time, he got tenure and was promoted to associate professor. Dr. Zane was chair of the department from 1977 to 1981, and then was asked to step down. He helped write a set of bylaws for the department that would help change of leadership go more smoothly. John Unrue approached Len around 1984 about setting up an honors program, an idea which had the full support of Robert Maxson, then president of UNLV. Len took on the challenge and helped develop curriculum and recruit faculty. He oversaw the honors program through the transition to Honors College, and served as dean of the college for 15 years, from 1985 to 2000. Dr. Zane returned to teaching in 2000, and continues in that capacity today. He has spent over 34 years in education and administration at UNLV, and has enjoyed working with great people and accomplishing personal goals.