A Quarter Century of Challenge and Change

Chuck Anderson, '50, helped lead Whitman College through interesting times

When Chuck Anderson, '50, joined the board of overseers in 1976 — the U.S. Bicentennial year — Bob Skotheim had been president for only a year, Maxey Hall was still an architect's vision, and there wasn't a personal computer anywhere on campus. Like the nation, Whitman College stood at the brink of an era of major change. "I don't think anyone would have envisioned what was to happen here in the years since then," Anderson said.

The last quarter of a century has brought national notice to the College, a student body and a faculty even more outstanding than ever, two new buildings and major expansion, remodeling, and restoration of others, and a technological revolution.

The Penrose Memorial Library project, launched during Chuck Anderson's term as chair of the board of trustees, nears completion.

Anderson, who served as an overseer until 1990 when he was named to the board of trustees, helped to guide the College through these interesting times. In 1994, just after Tom Cronin became president, he was elected chair of the trustees. He served two terms, handing the gavel over to Robb Ball, '64, this May.

In 1976 when Anderson joined the board of overseers, he was president of ITT Rayonier. Residents of Wilton, Connecticut, he and his wife, Margery Botts Anderson, '50, enjoyed hosting East Coast Whitman gatherings at their home. At the time, "Whitman's age-old problem was that it was better than its reputation," Anderson said. "It was not well known. In my company people from Washington State knew of Whitman, but not others.

"The admission pool was extremely small. Whitman was pretty self-selective in that most students who applied were qualified, and the acceptance rate was 80 percent." However, Anderson added, studies predicted increasingly intense competition among colleges and universities for the best students, and Whitman's governing boards discussed ways to make Whitman better known.

No longer "the Northwest's best-kept secret," the College today enjoys an enhanced national reputation. Whitman now places 35th among national liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges" rankings. The admission office reports an acceptance rate of 50 percent, which helps assure a diverse student body of outstanding scholars.

"It has been fascinating to watch the caliber of the student body increase year by year. It has taken an awful lot of work by a lot of people," Anderson noted. Board members "planted the seed" of the need to better market the College, he said, and others, from President Cronin to dean of admission John Bogley and his staff, have worked hard to attract more students to apply to Whitman.

"It has involved students and the faculty as well. One factor has been the positive feedback from the overwhelming majority of students and their parents, who have spread the word. And it is a great kudo to the faculty that they have met the challenge of having more exceptional, more demanding students in the classroom. It's a lot more work. But the high degree of student satisfaction indicates the kind of teaching they're getting here.

"In general the whole campus has contributed to making this a great place to learn."

All parts of the Whitman community have contributed to Whitman's growth in financial stability as well, Anderson noted. "Over all, we have been very successful in vastly improving the College's financial footing. And we have done a good job building into the budget reserves for future maintenance of our facilities. That's an important development for the long-term health of the institution."

While construction and renovation of buildings has been a very visible use of the College's resources, "what people may not realize," said Anderson, "is the millions of dollars that have gone into technology on this campus. The impact of the technological revolution has been a huge challenge to the institution."

In addition to becoming state-of- the-art in technological resources, from the latest PCs to multimedia and telecommunications, Whitman has added to the campus in ways that will be "terrifically important as time goes by," said Anderson. The Johnston Wilderness Campus, a 26-acre facility on Mill Creek given to the College last year, "opens up all kinds of possibilities for environmental studies, field trips, retreats, and other programs. It's a great facility that with modest investment will be made even better."

Anderson believes the recent acquisition of 18 acres of playing fields near Borleske Stadium also is extremely important to the College. "One of the most difficult obstacles that we've worked on over the last few years has been the lack of space for field sports. The new fields are a boon to various sports as well as to fitness programs and intramurals."

While the board of trustees has overseen the development of new properties, renovation of buildings, technological advancements, scholarship funds, and other matters during the past decade, it achieved something even more valuable for Whitman College, according to Anderson. "It is said that the most important job a board ever has is choosing a president. . . . We had the great, good sense to hire Tom Cronin. We get an A-plus on that one!"

Having turned leadership of the trustees over to Robb Ball, Anderson will remain on the board as "a loyal back bencher" for two more years.

"My parting shot is to encourage everyone to recognize what a jewel we have in this place and to work hard to keep it shining brightly. It didn't get here by accident, and it won't stay here by accident."