March 2002

Pete Reid, '49

Reid Campus Center Opens

The $13-million, 50,000-square foot Reid Campus Center, which welcomed students, faculty, and staff to a splashy open house January 23, is a rich blend of college tradition and architectural innovation.

Located at the corner of Park Street and Boyer Avenue, the campus center is named for Pete Reid, ’49, who has served as a Whitman chief administrator for more than 50 years. Numerous alumni, parents, and friends of the College contributed toward Reid Center’s construction.

Reid Center houses the College bookstore, post office, and café, as well as such student resources as the Outdoor Program, Career Center, Intercultural Center, and Community Service Center. In addition, ASWC, the Pioneer, and KWCW are quartered there. A grand ballroom, coffeehouse, computer lounge, gallery, and numerous meeting rooms round out this newest addition to the campus.

“I love the way the building is designed with lots of open sitting areas, couches, and fireplaces,” says senior Tom Wooton. “I think it will serve as a wonderful gathering area for students, whether at lunch time when everyone comes in to check mail and see friends, or Friday and Saturday nights at Coffeehouse and dances.”

Red brick on the outside of the building gives way to “green” concepts inside. Large south-facing windows bring in sunlight to warm the building, and natural convection techniques help cool the building in warm weather. Other environmentally-responsible systems and com-ponents also have been included in the construction.

While the brick facade gives the building a timeless look, inside are modern light-filled spaces that flow naturally into one another. The Whitman Café, on the first floor, is typical of the building’s common areas, where boundaries are flexible, moveable, and overlapping. Café tables give a view of lobby, lounge, and stairway areas, not to mention a patio and lawn leading to College Creek on the south side.

“The building is amazing, phenomenal,” says Roger Edens, manager of Bon Appétit, Whitman’s food service. Edens launched the café with a selection that includes open hearth pizza, Mongolian cuisine, roasted vegetable salad, and expanded grill items.

Reid Center also features an espresso bar and coffeehouse. Initiated in its first week by the vocal harmonies of Whitman’s Sirens of Swank, Testostertones, and Gospel Choir, the coffeehouse provides a venue for musical performances, literary readings, and impromptu theater.

Most exciting to many students and alumni alike is the long-desired ballroom. Given by overseer emeritus Robert Young, ’55, and his wife, Jacqueline, and named for them, it is a grand, multipurpose room large enough for students to bring in visiting bands and hold big dances. It also can host large crowds for banquets, lectures, receptions, and concerts. Chandeliers and maple floors dress up the room while high-tech lighting and electronic systems make it versatile. A divider wall can be used to separate the space for smaller banquets and programs.

In addition to the Young Ballroom, several other facilities in Reid Center have been named for past and present Whitman people, including professor emeritus David Stevens, former student center directors Vern Solbach and Vern Kinsinger, and professor George Ball. Lois and G. Dudley Dambacher, ’41, have been honored also for outstanding service to Whitman.

Two anonymous donors contributed a total of $6 million toward the center’s construction, and the Whitman classes of 1950, 1960, 1961, 1966, 1975, and 1991 funded various meeting rooms, offices, and lounges throughout the center. The Parents Fund financed the coffeehouse, and Bon Appétit contributed funds for the open hearth pizza oven, which is rumored to cook chocolate chip cookies in just two minutes.

“I love coming to work everyday,” says Brian Dohe, director of conferences and events, whose office is in Reid Center. “The building has an exciting feel about it. It’s gorgeous. We’ve been receiving lots of calls from the public. Not only is there no place on campus like it, there’s no place in Walla Walla like it.”

The Reid Campus Center is the latest in an extensive upgrade of campus facilities. In recent years the College has restored the Music Conservatory, built in 1910, and rededicated it as the Hunter Conservatory and Center for Communication Arts and Technology; remodeled and enlarged Penrose Library (open 24/7 to students during the academic year); acquired the 22-acre Johnston Wilderness Campus in the Blue Mountains; built the Bratton Tennis Center; and dedicated a 17-acre addition to the Whitman College athletic fields. Currently under construction is a new science building, scheduled to open in September 2002.

The architect for Reid Campus Center was Thomas Hacker and Associates, Portland, and the general contractor was Emerick Construction Company, Portland.

Donors and Honorees

REID CAMPUS CENTER
A gift from Whitman College alumni, parents, trustees, reunion classes, and friends, Reid Center honors Pete Reid, ’49. During more than 50 years as a Whitman administrator, Reid worked in career services, admissions, alumni relations, and the business office. He was treasurer and chief financial officer for many years and now continues as an overseer of the Whitman farm committee and special assistant to the president. Over the years, he has become a trusted adviser and friend to countless Whitman people and has been Whitman’s premier ambassador and liaison with the Walla Walla community.

STEVENS GALLERY
David Stevens, ’47, professor of economics emeritus, taught at Whitman from 1951 until 1998. He served as dean of administration and chair of the faculty and was a close friend and mentor to his students. The Stevens Gallery is a gift from Robert Young, ’55, and his wife, Jacqueline. Young was one of the many students Stevens inspired and influenced during his 47 years on the Whitman faculty. The gallery will showcase campus art.

YOUNG BALLROOM
The Youngs also provided for Reid Center’s new ballroom with gifts of real estate worth $500,000. Young has long served the College, not only as a benefactor, but also as an overseer from 1976 until 1991 and as a cofounder and co-chair of the President’s Associates. A San Francisco resident, he is founder of Robert Young & Associates, a real estate investment and development company based in Richland, Washington.

GEORGE BALL MEETING ROOM
This large meeting room is a gift from Dick and Jan Hunter, ’65 and ’67, who dedicated it to professor of religion emeritus George Ball. Dr. Ball began teaching at Whitman in 1960 and continues currently as Stuart Religious Counselor and adjunct professor. Near the meeting room’s door, a wall plaque is inscribed:
In honor of Dr. George H. Ball. He changes lives. Professor of religion, friend, counselor, and mentor. Inspiration to generations of Whitman students.
Dick Hunter, a member of the Whitman College Board of Trustees, is president of Hunter Industries, San Marcos, California.

VERN SOLBACH RESOURCE ROOM
Vern Solbach, student center director from 1973 to 1998, is honored in Reid Center for his many years of service and friendship to Whitman students. The Vern Solbach Resource Room has large work tables and storage lockers for use by Whitman’s many clubs and organizations. The room’s plaque is inscribed, “From your many friends at Whitman.”

VERN KINSINGER MEETING ROOM
Useful for many kinds of small gatherings, a meeting room on the second floor honors Vern Kinsinger, ’38, who was student center director from 1947 to 1973.

DAMBACHER NEWS ROOM
The Reid Center news- room, which houses the Pioneer, blue moon, and other student publications, honors Lois and G. Dudley Dambacher, ’41, for their outstanding support of Whitman College. Dambacher has served the College as an overseer and class representative.

OTHER SPONSORSHIPS

Whitman Café: The class of 1966 in honor of its 35th reunion.

Community Service Center: The class of 1991 in honor of its 10th reunion.

Meeting Room 110: The class of 1961 in honor of its 40th reunion. The class also gave funds for a series of landscape paintings
by local artist Aaron Burgess for this formally appointed meeting room.

Meeting Room 207: The class of 1950 in honor of its 50th reunion.

Career Center: The class of 1975 in honor of its 25th reunion.

Coffeehouse: The Parents Fund 2000-2002.

Computer Lounge: The class of 1960 in honor of its 40th reunion.