BYU HOMECOMING POST - THE BANYAN

 For some reason, which I really really really do not know, my dad purchased The Banyan (BYU's Yearbook) for all four years I attended Brigham Young University.  (Sorry siblings if you didn't get in on this action.)  I don't even remember my dad being very involved in my coming to Provo.  Did they come in a package deal??  Did he wish he had his college yearbooks?  Did he hope that I would do something noteworthy enough to be in the yearbook?  I don't even remember picking them up.

It could have been that he was wowed by the fact that the fall I arrived was the 100th anniversary of the founding of BYU.  There could have been a table near the Cougar Eat in the Wilkinson Center and someone cornered him and talked him into the purchase.  The Banyan that year was pretty amazing.  It is the brown one above  and below - Volume 61.  It is the Centennial Edition, complete with a historical section which features pictures like the one below of the campus which was what it looked like when my dad came out to Provo when his siblings were in school. 

There were many festivities that year to commemorate the centennial.  The biggest one was the groundbreaking and building of the carillon bell tower. Here is a quote from the Banyan  "Top hats and Prince Albert coats were appropriate attire at the ground breaking ceremonies for the Centennial Carillon Bell Tower.  Dressed in 19th century attire, President Oaks presided and spoke at the ceremony and then rode atop an inverted earth-moving scoop pulled by two Clydesdale horses."

Dad and I are in the middle of a giant purging process (saving you kids from having to do it) and The Banyon's are on the chopping block.  I thought at least I had better go through and make sure my picture isn't on one of the pages.  I didn't find one picture of me - but I did find some pictures I thought some of you would enjoy.  (Do any of you Provo kids want to try to sell these on Ebay?  They are going for about $30.00 a book - send me an email if you want them.)

Yes I was in the Danny Ainge era for Basketball.  Had to have a picture of those shorts.

I had some roommates who were in a picture.  They are the second and third  from the right on the top row - Kathleen Sherett and Sally Smoot.  My gals from Brigham City, Utah (Dad, does that look like Becky Harvey that married Jay, bottom right?)

I enjoyed seeing the price of tuition.  Just looked for tuition for fall 2016 - $2650.00 for LDS $5300.00 for non-LDS.  Still a great deal.

The year before I arrived the ground breaking was held for the addition to the Harold B. Library.  There was always some construction project going on.  That has been a pretty constant thing at BYU.

Here are pictures of the members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve when I started at BYU.  President Monson is the only one remaining.  When I arrived Dallin H. Oaks was the President of BYU.  The picture below of him having fun painting the "Y" made me happy.

 

Had to include a picture of "The Goodtime Company".  That is the group that dad was in when he was at BYU.  I have teased him whether it really existed - well, here is the proof.

Sarah might be interested in this picture, since her Mission President is smack dab in the middle.   Rene Alba was part of the Athletic Department.  Oh the people you know.

A few people will appreciate seeing Jerry Laidlaw in the top right corner of the picture below. 

Here is a picture of Ivan J. Barrett.  He was a faculty member for the Department of Church History.  He was an expert on the life of Joseph Smith.  He retired from teaching the year I arrived, but he didn't retire from being a Patriarch.  I received my Patriarchal Blessing from him in September 1975.

I worked for three years as a secretary for the Religion Department.  Here are the faculty pictures of that group.  Elder Holland was the Dean of Religious Studies, then became the Commission of Education which is the picture under that.

As I scoured every page of the Banyan I found a picture that should delight our middle kids - I didn't realize that President Merrill J. Bateman was the dean of the school of Business.  No wonder he made a great University President.

Recognize Elder Gong?  He is one of the Seven Presidents of Seventy.  A smarty for sure.

This one is for the Hodgkinsons.  They are acquainted with Gary Crittenden.  He was a big wig even back then.

This one is for Katie.  Michelle King (Courtney Cotrell's mom) was the Homecoming Queen one year. 

Our good friend Russ Dixon.  He had quite a few pictures in The Banyan.

One of our ward members from Denver, Stan Curnow, was the diving coach for BYU.  He is standing by himself below the diving board.

Jane Kofford Ford got her picture in the Yearbook.  We get to see a little bit of the Royal Blue.

Recognize one of the twelve in this picture of the school leadership?  I'll give you a clue - he had more hair back then.

In those yearbooks there were dozens and dozens of pictures of the many speakers that came to BYU and musicians that gave concerts. 

Fun to be a product of the 70's!!!

  I truly loved my years at BYU.  Would I have done anything differently?  YES, I would have gone to everything, enjoyed everything, learned more, tried more things, made more friends, been in the outdoors more and  relaxed a bit more (especially knowing that I was going to marry dad a few weeks after graduation.) Our formal years at BYU are going to end very soon.  I love BYU and I love Provo and I am glad that there are of a few of you there so that I will have an excuse to visit. Looking at these books I have found that BYU has been a "trail to fame and glory" for many.  Glad we can, with technology, still be able to Rise and Shout when the Cougars are out.  We'll raise our colors high in the blue and cheer our Cougars of BYU!!!