Inaugurationprogram Program

Page 1

The Inauguration of

WALTER V. WENDLER Eleventh President of West Texas A&M University



WALTER V. WENDLER Eleventh President of West Texas A&M University September 15, 2017 1:30 p.m. Jack B. Kelley Student Center, Legacy Hall West Texas A&M University Canyon, Texas


MISSION AND HISTORY MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY West Texas A&M University is a diverse and inclusive student-centered community of learners that: • provides a technology-rich, academically rigorous educational experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels; • c ultivates opportunities to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, information literacy and ethical behavior; • directs resources in support of empowering co-curricular experiences; • m aintains focus on the development of future leaders for our community, the state, the nation and the world; and • s erves through education, research and consultation as a catalyst for economic development and enhancement of the quality of life for the region.

HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY The passage of a bill in early 1909 by the 31st Texas Legislature authorizing the establishment of a state normal school for the education of teachers located somewhere “west of the ninety-eighth meridian” set off a spirited bidding war as some 25 West Texas cities and towns competed to secure the educational institution. On Sept. 9, 1909, the location committee, consisting of the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, the lieutenant governor and the superintendent of public instruction, announced its decision. The location for the school, already named West Texas State Normal College, would be Canyon, a young community of 1,400 located near the center of the rapidly developing Texas Panhandle. Many factors were involved in the location decision, but a pledge of 40 acres of land and $100,100 in cash made Canyon’s bid particularly attractive. Although not mentioned in the official report, the city’s lack of saloons also strengthened its case.


PLATFORM PARTY President of WTAMU, Walter V. Wendler Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, John Sharp Chairman, The Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System, Charles W. Schwartz State Representative John Smithee State Representative Four Price State Representative Ken King Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Canyon, Justin Richardson Mayor of the City of Amarillo, Ginger Nelson Pastor Steve Olsen Pastor James L. Collins Faculty Senate Immediate Past President, Neil Meredith Staff Council President, Megan Whitten WTAMU Alumni Association Board President, David Willis Student Body President, Chandler Huddleston Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Wade Shaffer Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Dean Hawkins Dean of the College of Business, Neil Terry Dean of the School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics, Emily Hunt Dean of the College of Education and Social Sciences, Eddie Henderson Dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, Jessica Mallard Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, J. Dirk Nelson Vice President for Compliance and Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Angela Spaulding Vice President for Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success, Michael Knox Vice President for Business and Finance, Randy Rikel Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Tim Bynum Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of The Texas A&M University System, James Hallmark Job Najera, Vocalist


WALTER V. WENDLER Walter V. Wendler took office as WTAMU’s eleventh president on August 20, 2016. With more than 20 years of academic experience and leadership, Dr. Wendler is well-prepared to lead WTAMU to excellence. Dr. Wendler comes to WTAMU from Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, where he served as chancellor from 2001-2007. During his tenure, research productivity increased by 65 percent. He later returned to teaching architecture and retired as director of the School of Architecture at SIU in 2015. Before joining SIU, Dr. Wendler served as vice chancellor for Planning and System Integration at The Texas A&M University System. A native of New York, Dr. Wendler earned an associate degree from the State University of New York at Farmingdale and a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from Texas A&M University. He received his master’s degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Mary have two sons and five grandchildren.


WTAMU PRESIDENTS

Robert Bartow Cousins 1910-1918

Joseph A. Hill 1918-1948

James P. Cornette 1948-1972

Lloyd I. Watkins 1972-1977

Max Sherman 1977-1982

Gail Shannon 1982-1984

Ed D. Roach 1984-1990

Barry Baird Thompson 1991-1994

Russell C. Long 1994-2005

J. Patrick O’Brien 2006-2016


INVESTITURE CEREMONY Prelude

Fanfare from La Peri

Paul Dukas

WTAMU Brass Quintet

Processional

March from Aida

Giuseppe Verdi

Call to Order

WTAMU Brass Quintet

Wade Shaffer | Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, WTAMU

*National Anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Job Najera | WTAMU Student, Vocalist WTAMU Brass Quintet

Francis Scott Key

*Invocation Welcome and Introductions

Pastor James L. Collins | Mount Zion Baptist Church, Amarillo

Wade Shaffer | Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, WTAMU

Musical Selection

String Quartet Op. 44 No. 1 in D Major, Molto allegro vivace

Felix Mendelssohn

Greetings from the State

Harrington String Quartet

The Honorable John Smithee | State Representative

The Honorable Four Price | State Representative

The Honorable Ken King | State Representative


INVESTITURE CEREMONY Greetings from Community

The Honorable Justin Richardson | Mayor Pro Tem, City of Canyon

The Honorable Ginger Nelson | Mayor, City of Amarillo

Greetings from Higher Education

Chandler Huddleston | President of the Student Body

Megan Whitten | President of the Staff Council

Neil Meredith | Immediate Past President of the Faculty Senate

David Willis | President of the WTAMU Alumni Association Board of Directors

Charles W. Schwartz | Chairman, The Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System

Investiture

John Sharp | Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System

Inaugural Address

Walter V. Wendler | President, West Texas A&M University

*Benediction

Pastor Steve Olsen | First Baptist Church of Canyon

*Alma Mater

WTAMU Choir Members, Directed by Sean Pullen

“The Alma Mater of West Texas A&M University�

S. Elizabeth Davis

Recessional

Die Bankersangerlieder

Georg Daniel Speer

WTAMU Brass Quintet Platform Party and WTAMU faculty

You are cordially invited to the community reception to follow in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center lobby area. *Audience will please stand


COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND MUSICIANS INAUGURATION STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS Amy Andersen, Co-chair

Jessica Mallard

Tim Bynum, Co-chair

Oliver Malumba

Bill Ambrose

Puff Niegos

Royal Brantley

Plug Piehl

James Calvi

Tracee Post

Kimberly Cornelsen

Wade Shaffer

Lisa Hoff Davis

Becky Stogner

Jack Hildebrand

Ann Underwood

Chandler Huddleston

James Webb

Carol Lovelady

Megan Whitten

MUSICIANS Harrington String Quartet

WTAMU Brass Quintet

Rossitza Goza, violin

William Takacs, trumpet

Evgeny Zvonnikov, violin

Russell Teweleit, trumpet

Vesselin Todorov, viola

Guglielmo Manfredi, French horn

Emmanuel Lopez, cello

John Shanks, trombone Jeremy Lewis, tuba


REGENTS, MARSHALS AND MACE BEARER THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM Charles W. Schwartz, Chairman Elaine Mendoza, Vice Chairman Phil Adams Robert L. Albritton Anthony G. Buzbee Morris E. Foster Tim Leach Bill Mahomes Cliff Thomas Stephen F. Shuchart, Student Regent

FACULTY MARSHALS Royal R. Brantley Nabarun Ghosh Harry Hueston Emily Kinsky Mallory Vestal

BEARER OF THE UNIVERSITY MACE Syed Tariq Anwar


VICE PRESIDENTS AND DEANS Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences Dean Hawkins

Dean of the College of Business Neil Terry

Dean of the School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics Emily Hunt

Dean of the College of Education and Social Sciences Eddie Henderson

Dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities Jessica Mallard

Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences J. Dirk Nelson

Vice President for Compliance and Research and Dean of the Graduate School Angela Spaulding

Vice President for Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success Michael Knox

Vice President for Business and Finance Randy Rikel

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Tim Bynum

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Wade Shaffer


INVESTITURE SYMBOLS The inauguration of a university president is a formal induction into office that is steeped in academic tradition. The ancient ceremony, which includes a processional and recessional of robed members of the faculty and special guests, reaffirms the heritage and roots of an institution. The ceremony is usually conducted during the new president’s first year in office. The investiture symbolizes the bestowing of power to the president when the University medallion is placed around his neck.

GONFALON A gonfalon is a banner that hangs from a crosspiece or frame to visually represent the characteristics of the organization or group that it precedes. Gonfalons, which originated in the republics of Italy as an ensign of state or office, have been adopted in many universities around the world as institutional or college insignias. West Texas A&M University has a University banner and six gonfalons for five colleges and one school that are carried in processions at commencement and other ceremonies. The banner was developed from a type of Roman cavalry flag which was a rectangular piece of cloth attached to a crossbar fastened to the head of a spear. This type of standard was eventually adopted by the Roman emperors and held a large flag of silk embroidered in gold. The banner in medieval times was a heraldic flag that indicated the presence of a monarch, prominent person or commander. Over the years, it has been adapted to represent a variety of institutions and normally bears the symbol of the institution.


UNIVERSITY MACE The West Texas A&M University Mace is a ceremonial symbol of office and authority. The symbol is derived from a weapon used in medieval times and was often carried by a bodyguard to protect a king or person of high status. The West Texas A&M University Mace is a 40-inch walnut staff with decorative silver crowns. A band of engraved sterling silver bears the name of the University and the state seal of Texas.

PRESIDENTIAL MEDALLION The Presidential Medallion is the official symbol of the University’s Office of the President. The Presidential Medallion will be presented to Wendler by Chancellor Sharp to symbolize the bestowing of power entrusted to him by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The medallion is designed to be worn with academic regalia at all official University programs.

ACADEMIC REGALIA The academic regalia, which consists of a cap, gown and hood, dates to the 12th Century European universities. Originally worn primarily for warmth by students and laymen, institutions of learning prescribed a gown of black for scholars during a time when laymen began wearing capes and breeches. Scholars also wore a hood draped down the back and a mortarboard cap shaped like the mortarboard of a master workman. In 1895, the Intercollegiate Commission of the United States produced a code that specified the design and color of academic regalia for American college and universities. The code specifies long pointed sleeves for a baccalaureate gown, oblong sleeves for a master’s gown and bell-shaped sleeves for a doctoral gown. Most academic gowns are black, but some universities have specified special regalia for the doctoral gown. The central colors on the hood represent the colors of the school from which the wearer graduated. The velvet border of the hood may represent either the designated color of the degree or the color of the field of study. In earlier years dark blue was characteristic of all doctoral degrees regardless of field, but the current trend is for the color of the hood’s border to represent the field of study.


ALMA MATER Over boundless reach of prairie, Over rolling plains, Over cliff and crag and canyon, Alma Mater reigns! To maroon and white, our colors, We would faithful be— Hearts as bold as western breezes, Souls as pure and free! Round thy image, Alma Mater, Hallowed memories twine; Bless the sacred ties of friendship Pledged before thy shrine. Alma Mater! Alma Mater! We will faithful be; Through the years that lie before us We’ll remember thee!



Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.