Welcome
Spring is here…at least that is what they say! If you happen to be one of those outdoors people, maybe you should consider coming back to help cheer for one or all of our spring sports that is in action. Hot off of spring break you will be able to find some good play wherever you look.

Our first annual alumni escape to Lake Las Vegas was such a success last month that we are already planning an event in San Diego for this fall and looking into a cruise for next year’s escape in March 2007! We are also planning several regional events throughout the country for this coming year: Orlando, Denver, Kansas City, Tucson, Detroit, Northwest Indiana, Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, Raleigh/Durham, San Jose, Long Island, and Minneapolis. If you would like more information on any of these events, please contact Julie Wert at wertj@tristate.edu.

Homecoming this fall is going to be one you won’t want to miss. The weekend of September 21st will be the first time Homecoming, Parents’ Weekend, and Fall Frenzy Open House for Admission will be held on the same weekend. Make your reservations now and plan to attend. Don’t forget if you are interested in reconnecting with old classmates you can check out our online alumni directory or contact me, and I would be more than happy to help you get in touch with those old friends.

Allen Keen ‘03
Director of Alumni & Regional Campaign

From the Board Chair: Dr. John Pittman ’58
Over the past five years Tri-State University has made enormous progress, building on the history and competencies we are so proud of and implementing a new and exciting future in every area of the University’s life. At the beginning of this period we hired a new President, Dr. Earl Brooks. As he began the task of reorganizing and building his staff and developing a vision of what we could and would be, the Board began the process of building a strong, involved and committed Board of Trustees. Together the senior people in the Administration and the Board have created that vision and are now in the process of implementing the plans to realize our future. We are fortunate to have a highly skilled and deeply involved Board with a wide variety of experience. Slightly more than half the Board is TSU alumni. The Board is made up of people with academic, business, financial, engineering & high tech, medical, legal, and manufacturing backgrounds. Some are business owners, some are senior executives from large companies, and some are outstanding professionals in their chosen fields.

During the recent accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission the commission members indicated that they were very impressed with the qualifications of our Board members and by the Board’s support and commitment to the Mission of the University.

The Board accomplishes much of its work through eight standing committees and an Executive committee. Each of those committees works closely with the appropriate people in the Faculty and Administration. We are a close knit team, Trustees and Administration, dedicated to preserving our heritage and expanding our future.

It was not until the late 1990s that the University began its first organized campaign to raise money to help meet our increasing needs. Initially, that first program was to raise $14 million in five years. We raised $22 million in less than the five years. Our second campaign began with a goal of $35 million; but, it has been expanded to $70 million and will culminate in a celebration in 2009—our 125th Anniversary. We are at $54 million today. Many people have contributed to this success, and special recognition must go to Dr. Brooks, Robert Remington (the responsible Vice President), the University Advancement staff, and the Board’s Development and Marketing committee.

I hope in future editions of the Thunderbolt to tell you more about the Board and its work.  

TSU Receives Million Dollar Gift
Dr. Clifford W. Sponsel ’31, trustee emeritus, has donated $1 million to TSU, one of the largest gifts in school history. The contribution will help support the university’s signature building: University Center and Center for Technology & Online Resources, a $13.5 million, 100,000-sq. ft. building that will serve as the central hub of activities on the Angola campus. It marks the second million-dollar gift the university has received this year. Sponsel began his career as a project engineer for General Motors, then moved onto positions with Glenn Martin Company, Bell Aircraft Corp., and Ryan Aeronautics Corp. He was owner and CEO of Western Design & Manufacturing and Spectral Dynamics. In 1977, TSU presented Sponsel with a Distinguished Service Award. In 1985, TSU conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Engineering. In 1996, in recognition of his contributions to the renovation of TSU’s engineering building (Fawick Hall), TSU named the building’s main entrance Sponsel Tower. In 1999, he was named Trustee Emeritus for his 21-year tenure on the TSU Board of Trustees. In November 2003, in honor of his $1 million gift to support the renovation of the university’s 100-year-old building, TSU renamed it the C.W. Sponsel Administration Center. (In 2005, the exterior renovation earned a national first place award for masonry.) 

Fourth Million-Dollar Gift in 27 Months
The gift from Dr. Clifford W. Sponsel ’31 marks the fourth million-dollar-plus gift TSU has received in the last 27 months. In addition to Sponsel’s two, one-million-dollar gifts, TSU received a $3.5 million gift in August 2005 from the estate of Maxine Bateman Kolb, former first lady of Tri-State, and a $1 million gift in January 2006 from trustee emeritus Dr. Robert L. (’50) and Dolores Jannen.

TSU Names Jannen School of Arts & Sciences
Tri-State University's School of Arts & Sciences will be renamed in honor of a distinguished alumnus and long-time supporter, Robert L. Jannen, and his wife. The Dr. Robert L. and Dolores Jannen School of Arts & Sciences will be dedicated during Commencement 2006 ceremonies.

Jannen joins four other distinguished alumni who have earned a place in Tri-State history by virtue of this honor: Dr. Jerry Allen ('78) and Dr. Jorga J. Frasher ('78) Allen, the Jerry and Jorga Allen School of Engineering & Technology; Dr. Lawrence A. Franks ('59), the Franks School of Education; and Dr. Ralph W. Ketner ('39), the Ralph W. Ketner School of Business.

A 1943 graduate of the U.S. Maritime Service Cadet Academy and a veteran of World War II, Jannen entered Tri-State in 1947 and completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1950. He went on to earn a Master of Business Administration, with honors, from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was class president.

Jannen has been a member of the TSU Board of Trustees since 1969, the second-longest tenure in school history. He served as chairman from 1988 to 1991, when the board named him chairman emeritus. He was honored by Tri-State with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1975 and was selected as the Commencement speaker for the Class of 1975. He received the school's Distinguished Service Award in 1967. In 1992, he established the Jannen Renaissance Awards, given annually to one student who pursued, and one faculty member who encouraged, a breadth of education. In 2005, the Jannens helped renovate the baseball diamond, which was re-named Bob Jannen Jr. Field, in memory of their son.  

Thunder Time
Spring is bringing early success to our Thunder teams. Women’s softball recorded its first shutout of the 2006 season: a 9-0 victory against Manchester College on March 15. Last year, the Thunder posted seven shutouts. Thunder tennis had a successful Spring Break. The women’s team improved its record to 5-1, and junior Holly Kimball (Camden, Mich./Sturgis) remains undefeated at number one singles. Men’s number one doubles team of freshman Bryan Roth (Topeka, Ind./Westville) and junior Dan Weidemann (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary Grove) earned a 6-1 record in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Men’s golfer Matt Haneline (Indianapolis, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) earned medalist honors in Atlanta, Ga. Outdoor Track-and-Field opens its 2006 season on March 25.

TSU Wins Big in Las Vegas
Alumni from 17 classes gathered at the beautiful MonteLago Village Resort in Lake Las Vegas for a weekend of fabulous food, wonderful tours, and great fellowship. Some highlights were a breathtaking helicopter night flight over the Las Vegas strip, an afternoon touring the Hoover Dam, and a luxurious yacht tour of beautiful Lake Las Vegas made this an event to remember! Some even tried their luck at two award-winning golf courses!

Hall of Fame Inventor Visits TSU
Helen Free, world-renowned chemist and inventor, was the fifth speaker in TSU’s 2005-2006 Distinguished Speakers Series. Mrs. Free, with her husband Alfred, developed dry reagents that have become the standard in laboratory urinalysis and the more consumer-oriented "dip-and-read" tests that first enabled diabetics to easily and accurately monitor their blood glucose levels on their own. The Frees also co-authored two books, Urodynamics and Urinalysis in Laboratory Practice, both considered notable works in the field. Click here to watch the archived audio of Free’s presentation on TSU's Web site. The sixth-and-final Distinguished Speakers Series presentation will be on April 12. Patricia Miller, CEO of Vera Bradley, will speak at 7 p.m. in Best Hall 229.

Humanities Institute Brings Back ‘NIPR at TSU’ Series
TSU’s Humanities Institute is offering, once again, a spring series of intriguing and thought-provoking presentations. New this year is a focus on books: “Why You Should Read X!” The series is a joint-benefit series for Northeast Indiana Public Radio (NIPR) and the Humanities Institute, in conjunction with the Department of English & Communication. Click here for the full schedule of events. The Institute also sponsors TSU’s free movie series in Wells Theater, Cinema Sampler. Dr. Dennis Petrie, professor of English, coordinates the series. Click here for the Spring 2006 schedule. Dr. Thomas Tierney, professor of English and Humanities, is the director of the TSU Humanities Institute.