MSU Alumni Magazine, Fall 2004 issue - MSU Alumni Association ...

The McPherson Y
Kurt Stepnitz/University Relations
By Robert Bao
Peter McPherson pushed productivity
Perhaps no photograph better
to a new level and
symbolizes Peter McPherson’s
11-year advanced tenure as MSU’s
president
than his presiding over the
unveiling of the John A. Hannah
statue on Sept. 17, the kickoff
event for MSU’s Sesquicentennial
celebration.
When seeking adjectives and accolades to bestow on
McPherson, one word recurs—“Hannahesque,” as in
John A. Hannah, the mastermind of MSU’s modern
growth from 1941-69.
After McPherson steps down Jan. 1,
2005 as MSU president, he can look
back over his 11-year tenure and take
pride in one of the most productive eras
in the university’s history. His era was
“Hannahesque” in every imaginable
way, from the flow of concrete to
changes that will have a major impact on
the university far into the future. As the
accompanying timeline makes clear,
and as future historians will record,
McPherson has cast a giant shadow over
his alma mater and left an imprint comparable
to that of his mentor, the great
John Hannah.
Indeed, McPherson unleashed the
biggest wave of new construction on
campus since the Hannah years. He
spearheaded many visionary changes
that will benefit MSU years down the
road. He launched a $1.2 billion capital
campaign that will take MSU to the next
level academically. He tackled key national
education issues, such as rising tuition
costs and binge drinking on campus,
earning national attention. He
brought people of national stature to
campus as commencement speakers,
and also as McPherson lecturers. He
worked to implement his visions for
MSU, such as leading the nation in
Study Abroad. He fought tirelessly and
strategically to secure funding and other
advantages for the university. He
thought outside the box to bring a law
school to campus, perhaps completing
the last mosaic in John Hannah’s ultimate
vision for the university.
PAGE 20
FALL 2004
MSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE