MUC veteran retires after 35 years |
Brian whittle |
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Lyle Ward, who has been with the MUC since its construction, will retire as assistant director at the end of the semester. He is currently on vacation. Ward originally came to the university as a student. One of Ward's greatest achievements at SIUE was booking popular bands for the Mississippi River Festival in the '60s and '70s. He brought Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Jose Felciano, WAR, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, the St. Louis Symphony and many others to the festival, according to Paul Guccione, an SIUE alumnus who worked at the festival. The festival took place on campus near Cougar Village during the summer months, with a band coming every couple of weeks. Other achievements of Ward include playing a vital role in the two major renovations of the MUC. He also helped bring the soccer fields to SIUE. While many people instantly remember Ward for the MRF, his last two secretaries remember him as a great boss. Betty Hacke, his secretary who started in the summer of 1994, described him as "a great boss, very professional, very patient and a gentleman." She added: "He is a very busy person. I don't imagine him being bored during his retirement." Judy Glassmeyer, Ward's secretary for eight years before Hacke, said, "He is just the best. SIUE won't possibly be the same without him. He always treated me with respect and I always respected him." Glassmeyer said she still keeps in touch with him. One of Ward's post-retirement activities is participating as an administrator in the U.S. Youth Soccer Program, according to Hacke. He is an administrator for about 14 states and works for the Olympic Development Program. According to Hacke, Ward is in Europe with the team during a tournament. He will hold a camp at SIUE during the summer for the USYSP. An academic scholarship has been created at the school in honor of Ward. "Ward has inspired and influenced many students throughout his SIUE career and in the spirit of wanting that inspiration and influence to continue, we are creating this scholarship in his name," Mary Robinson, director of the Morris University Center, said to SIUE news services. Volunteering and/or working at the MUC in a leadership position and maintaining a 3.0 grade point average are among the requirements for the scholarship. A reception will be held in Ward's honor on Wednesday, May 3. Tickets for the dinner will be $10 and reservations must be made by Friday, April 28. To make reservations, call the Morris University Center at 650-2300. | |
An instrumental member of the Morris University Center staff will be leaving after almost 35 years.