By Jane Carter
A month ago, President Merrill J. President Bateman saw a dream fulfilled. The Marriott Center was packed floor to ceiling with students in Sunday attire, carrying their scriptures – devotional attendance was at a record high. Pencils and notepads poised, devotional attendees eagerly awaited counsel from Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
But students heard the last thing they may have expected – President Hinckley announced President Bateman would be leaving BYU for a new calling.
From his first days on campus, President Bateman encouraged the campus community to leave their daily activities and attend weekly Tuesday morning devotionals to bring the campus community closer together.
On Sept. 11, 2001, the devotional became a mark of President Bateman”s campus leadership. Just two hours after terrorists attacked America, students filled the Marriott Center during the devotional hour as President Bateman led them in a prayer for peace.
The devotional setting was a fitting tribute to say goodbye – the campus community had finally heeded his call.
In his seven years as president of BYU, President Bateman left his mark on campus, permanently changing the face of BYU.
Campus gets a Facelift
Many students remember President Bateman as the man who turned the campus into a construction site maze.
“You”d be in the JKHB (Jesse K. Knight Humanities Building) and you couldn”t get across campus,” said Joan Roldan, a BYU graduate. “There was no way you could get to the Wilk (Wilkinson Center). There was only one narrow walkway from the JKHB to walk by the library pit.”
The new wing of the Harold B. Lee Library was under construction from 1996 to 1999. Roldan”s husband, also a graduate of BYU, remembers the maze inside the library.
“I couldn”t find anything at the library,” Stephen Roldan said. “The books were always in storage. They weren”t located where they (the card catalog) said they would be.”
Also during President Bateman”s tenure, Wyview Park, transformed from a mobile home park into a 30-building complex, home to hundreds of families.
The Wilkinson Center, McDonald Building, McKay building, Eyring Science Center and Harris Fine Arts Center were updated and earthquake retrofitted.
A state of the art data center merged servers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU underneath the Talmage Building.
The Student Health Center moved from the McDonald building to its current location.
The step-down lounge in the Smith Family Living Center disappeared forever. Today, a step down would put a student in the giant hole that is the future Joseph F. Smith Building. It will take its permanent place in campus history in 2004.
Officially, President Bateman is responsible for completing 36 new buildings, with three more slated for completion in the next two years.
But new buildings were not limited to campus. President Bateman was also responsible for the Barlow Center in Washington D.C., home of the Washington Seminar.
“For over 20 years, the university had been looking to establish some kind of facility in Washington D.C. to house our students and have a place that would have a university presence in the city,” said J. Scott Dunaway, director of the Washington Seminar. “It wasn”t until President Bateman came into the office that he was able to help push it forward, and be a significant catalyst in helping us, when the right property came along, develop the center.”
Dunaway said the Barlow Center is a unique feature that places BYU among top tier universities. He gives President Bateman all the credit.
“We wouldn”t have that building if it hadn”t been for President Bateman,” Dunaway said. “His role in it was that important.”
Sports teams also benefited from the construction projects.
“One of the buildings prominent on the skyline is Miller Park,” said Ralph Zobell, web and game program coordinator for the BYU athletics department. “He was instrumental in bringing women”s softball to BYU, and then they needed a place to play. We got a one-of-a-kind building.”
Also, the Indoor Practice Facility and the Student Athlete Center will be completed in the fall, the last of the structural changes President Bateman has made to BYU.
Rise and Shout
Since President Bateman took office, BYU sports have gained more than just new buildings.
The first year President President Bateman was on campus, the men”s basketball team only won one game. This year, the team went to the NCAA tournament for the second time.
A new men”s basketball coach, Steve Cleveland, and the formation of the Mountain West Conference are both key changes to the basketball program credited to President Bateman.
“We were part of the WAC when President President Bateman took over,” Zobell said. “He and a couple of other presidents . . . were the motivating force of the creation of the new Mountain West Conference which we enjoy today. When we pulled away from the Western Athletic Conference, people were skeptical – President Bateman had the vision and the courage to lead us through that.”
Cougar Stadium did not become LaVell Edwards Stadium until Edwards retired in 2000. Naming of the stadium was attributed to a push by President Bateman, as traditionally, campus buildings are only named after those who have passed away. The Indoor Practice Facility, a dream of Edwards, was announced at the same time.
Another new face, football coach Gary Crowton, joined BYU under President Bateman”s tenure.
When the NCAA rescinded the ”BYU rule,” which allowed BYU to opt out of Sunday play in April 1998, Zobell credited President Bateman with leading the way to reinstate flexibility regarding Sunday play in college sports.
“In a day and age when money increasingly seems to be a motivating factor, the NCAA has made a significant departure from its own principles,” President Bateman said in an editorial in The NCAA News. “Now, unless some flexibility in scheduling is restored, student-athletes will be discriminated against on the basis of religion.”
Brigham Young Magazine reported that 99 other colleges contested the reversal of the BYU rule.
“He had to lobby for support through his fellow presidents around the country, and the issue was defeated,” Zobell said. “We did have to withstand some challenges to that. During his administration, they popped up again – most recently during this year”s NCAA championship.”
Another major change to BYU athletics during President Bateman”s tenure has been the school colors. In 1998, President Bateman sent an email to the student body encouraging students to “wear blue.”
Students responded by asking President Bateman to change the color of his tie.
“As a concerned alumnus, I invite President Bateman to invest in a nice blue tie,” wrote Bart Rojas of Arlington, Va., in a letter to the editor. “If you must still wear that red tie in support of our rival to the north, please wear it at home. In public we all really need you bleeding cougar blue.”
Cougar blue was officially changed in 1999, along with BYU”s logo.
“Hale said the darker shade of blue – navy blue for all intents and purposes, but what President Bateman said is officially code 287, the darkest shade of royal blue they could find – has received approval from coaches, administrators and fans,” the Daily Universe reported.
John Lewis, associate advancement vice president, said the university changed the logo to make it consistent across campus.
“He understood the value of a consistent, easily recognizable brand,” Lewis said. “He was very sensitive to the past and traditions. As you go out across campus you”ll see a lot of flexibility in how it”s applied – we”ve tried to maintain that.”
Lewis said President Bateman”s background prompted the smooth transition.
“He was a very savvy businessman, recognized what athletics wanted to do, to get a look that was appealing to students as well as our athletes,” Lewis said.
Uniforms were not the only sports attire destined for change. In a 2002 devotional address, President Bateman also asked students to wear shirts to the games rather than painting their chests BYU blue.
The new colors and uniforms did not harm the Cougars winning tradition. Under President Bateman, BYU ranked in the top 25 of the Sears Director”s cup, which ranks the strength of overall athletic programs.
Women”s cross country claimed three NCAA championships; the men”s volleyball team claimed two. According to a recent university press release, BYU”s intercollegiate teams brought home championships in 11 of 20 conference-sponsored sports last year.
Enter to Learn…
Campus academics joined the sports teams in posting winning numbers under President Bateman.
U.S. News and World Report ranks both the J. Reuben Clark Law School and the Marriott School”s MBA program among the top schools in the nation, and ranked BYU 77th out of 228 schools in 1998.
“The (Marriott) school has achieved its highest ranking ever, which is 29th in U.S. News and World Report, while President Bateman has presided,” said Joseph Ogden, assistant dean of external relations for the Marriott School. “We”re ranked 38th in the world for all business schools.”
The law school was similarly ranked 31st. Also, Ogden said the Marriott School was the number one rating in the nation for best return on investment.
Ogden attributes the high rankings to President Bateman”s wise selection of leaders.
“One of the things that President Bateman did was help select an excellent dean to lead the school,” Ogden said. “Under (Marriott School Dean) Ned Hill”s direction, the school has grown in size – it”s had a more than 350 percent increase in positive news exposure about the school and the university. It”s great to have such qualified leaders around.”
Ogden said President Bateman”s organization of the BYU Management Society, a group of Marriott School alumni comprising 55 chapters in 12 countries and 40 major U.S. cities, allowed President Bateman to personally promote business integrity.
“President Bateman is so highly regarded by the alumni population of the school as a great leader – as one who has not sacrificed anything, as far as integrity, and has not given into anything,” Ogden said. “He has just represented what true business leaders should be like.”
Ogden also credits President Bateman”s focus on student mentored learning a reason for the program”s success.
“That was one of President Bateman”s big pushes – to implement mentored learning,” Ogden said. “He”s helped the (Marriott) school set up the Center for E-Business, the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Global Management Center. We have these centers now to help fund research and develop expertise. They get faculty involved in training so they”re better teachers, and they get students involved in projects such as the business plan competition and business trips. A lot of it is mentored learning.”
While a student, Dave Johnson, BYUSA president, initiated the Choose to Give campaign, which last year raised $3 million for student programs, including mentoring.
“Choose to Give raises money for student mentored learning,” Johnson said. “The student mentored learning program, started under his tenure, will increase the reputation of the school and the quality of its education for future generations.”
In addition to helping undergrads do research, President Bateman made it possible for more people to attend BYU and made it easier to graduate.
In 1999, President Bateman reduced the number of hours required for graduation from 128 to 120, allowing between 10 and 20 percent of students slated for graduation to finish a semester earlier.
He also raised the enrollment cap from 27,000 students to 29,000 students and added 100 new faculty positions.
In an effort to streamline the freshman learning experience, Freshman Academy was introduced.
President Bateman opened a BYU education to the world by enlarging BYU”s Independent Study and online courses, allowing students to gain a BYU education from home.
In 1999, President Bateman orchestrated the formation of the Center for Instructional Design to help teachers develop online courses.
“Creating this center (was) really a response to President Merrill President Bateman”s vision of the future for this university,” said Scott Howell, CID director, in a press release. “Which means we will always be looking at ways to improve and extend university curriculum to both on and off campus students.”
The campus also gained technologically in many areas under President Bateman”s influence.
Ira and Mary Lou Fulton donated a supercomputer to BYU.
BYU now boasts one of the largest educational computing facilities in the nation, with five supercomputers and a virtual reality theater.
The supercomputing power of BYU became very important in 2002, when Partners for Advanced CAD/CAM/CAE Education (PACE) gave BYU $313.8 million, the largest corporate gift in the history of BYU.
…Go Forth to Serve
President Bateman has also made it easier for students to fulfill another goal of a BYU education – lifelong learning and service – when he helped create the Jacobsen Center for Service and Learning four years ago, said Jonathan Kau, director of the Jacobsen Center.
“President Bateman has always taken an interest in how students are doing and who they”re being as citizens in the community, and the impact their lives have on the community,” Kau said. “He had a vision of a place that helps students apply their learning through service and developing better relationships in the community – an asset to the university and the students.”
And when the world came to Utah, BYU was again ready to serve, providing thousands of volunteers for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games.
In addition to giving students an unprecedented four-day “spring break” to allow them to volunteer, President Bateman offered the services of BYU”s performing groups.
“From the opening ceremonies, to Light of the World, to the medals plaza, to Washington Square to Deer Valley, 16 performing groups, combined, did over 150 concerts in all those venues,” said Edward Blaser, director of performing arts management.
Blaser said the results were phenomenal.
“We made a lot of friends,” Blaser said. “We ended up making a lot of good contacts.”
The World is Our Campus
At President Bateman”s encouragement, a primary purpose of BYU”s performing groups has been to increase the reputation of the school, and as a result, the Church of Jesus Christ, said Blaser.
Each year performing groups tour over 100 cities in 20 countries, appearing before hundreds of thousands of people.
“It”s opened doors for BYU and the church,” Blaser said.
Blaser said President Bateman supports the performing arts groups by attending performances both on and off campus, even accompanying them as they have traveled around the world.
“He”s been a real fan of the performing arts companies,” Blaser said. “I remember when he joined the International Folk Dance Ensemble in the Czech Republic several years ago, and he toured with them to about three different cities.”
Performing arts is not the only way the world has been exposed to BYU under President Bateman. In 2001, the Institute of International Education recognized BYU for having the largest international study abroad program in the nation.
President Bateman also named a new vice president for international affairs, reflecting the unique atmosphere of BYU.
Students from 120 countries attend BYU, and more than 72 percent of the student body speaks a second language.
In addition to an international presence on campus, President Bateman encouraged BYU to develop a way to communicate with the world community.
In 2000, BYU launched BYU TV, a satellite and cable-TV network that carries educational and religious programming dedicated to family values to over 20 million homes across the world, with over 200,000 new subscribers per month, according to a press release.
“With the three campuses of Brigham Young University, we can accommodate just over 40,000 students. Yet there are millions of people who would benefit from an association with BYU,” President Bateman said in a press release. “Now, with the advent of BYU Television, we have been able to greatly expand our reach beyond our students and friends in the local community. In fact, BYU Television has become a major force for good as it exports so much of BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to a most receptive audience spread across the world.”
BYU TV broadcasts include devotionals and education week addresses, religion courses, performances by BYU groups, news and genealogical programming.
Fundraising
In a special video presentation to announce the success of BYU”s Lighting the Way Campaign, President Bateman stood on a cliff in the mountains overlooking BYU, reporting exceptional results. Originally intended to raise $250 million for the university, the program ended in 2000 with more than $411.7 million in donations.
President Bateman was credited with raising more than $750 million for BYU while serving as president. Some estimates indicate President Bateman spends up to 30 percent of his time fundraising.
These are merely some of the highlights of President Bateman”s tenure at BYU. But from Merrill”s ABC”s, his favorite BYU Creamery ice cream, to his integrity and dedication to campus, his mark on BYU is indelible.
Odds and Ends
* BYU announced the formation of the School of Family Life in 1998 – the largest of its kind in the nation, along with the Schools of Technology and Music and the David O. McKay School of Education
* President Bateman announced in 1998 the annexation to BYU of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), a group dedicated to research on the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
* President Bateman announced in 2001 the formation of the Brigham Young University Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, which encompasses several ancient history groups, including FARMS. The group, whose intention is to increase availability of ancient texts, produces the Dead Sea Scrolls on CD-ROM
* BYU ranked in the top 50 by Yahoo! Internet Life”s “America”s Most Wired Colleges,” with 100 percent of dorms and 60 percent of classrooms wired to the Internet
* BYU joined the University of Utah in opposing concealed weapons on campus
* President Bateman was appointed to the board of directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
* The Bachelor”s of General Studies program created
* BYU”s division of Continuing Education has 450,000 enrollments in all 50 states and around the world
* U. S. Department of Education selected BYU as the headquarters of the National Middle East Language Resource Center
* Neuroscience Center and Center for Remote Sensing established
* President Bateman was awarded the Exemplary Manhood Award in 1999, the highest award given by BYU”s student body
* BYU Museum of Art acquired “Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda,” a painting by Carl Heinrich Bloch, praised as one of the most important art acquisitions in Utah
