Oct. 1, 2004

Feature highlights of the mcpherson years 1994 2004

Feature: Highlights of the McPherson Years 1994-2004

Michigan State University artistic image

1994

  • Establishes “Guiding Principles” for MSU following campuswide dialogue
  • Names Lou Anna K. Simon as Provost
  • Promulgates “Tuition Guarantee,” which held tuition increases to the rate of inflation, to enhance access to MSU
  • Hires Nick Saban to replace George Perles as football coach
  • First Lady Joanne spearheads the founding of MSU Safe Place, the first such campus facility in the nation
  • Named chair of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan

 

1995

  • Establishes affiliation with the Detroit College of Law, which has since moved onto campus and been renamed the MSU College of Law
  • MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business and Graduate School of Management offers Weekend MBA Program
  • President Bill Clinton becomes first sitting president to be commencement speaker at MSU since Teddy Roosevelt in 1907
  • Prevails on state legislators to increase MSU’s base funding for technology by $10.4 million a year
  • Tom Izzo hired as head basketball coach, replacing Jud Heathcote

 

1996

  • Rededication of the Beaumont Tower bells, silent since 1987
  • Launches initiative to dramatically expand overseas study
  • Cornerstone ceremony for the $14 million Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Institute for Materials Research
  • Promulgates “Technology Guarantee,” which provides student access to  information technology

 

1997

  • Dedication of MSU Law School Building
  • Dedication of National Food Safety and Toxicology Center
  • MSU joins international consortium to build the SOAR telescope
  • Pioneering “virtual” courses are offered by four colleges
  • Named by President Clinton to the Commission on International Development, Cooperation and Trade

 

1998

  • Dedication of Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Support Center,  the first such facility in the Big Ten
  • Renovation of Eustace-Cole Hall begins, launching an ambitious effort to renovate historic “Lab Row”
  • MSU receives major backing from the National Science Foundation to “couple” its two superconducting cyclotrons

 

1999

  • Agriculture Hall Annex is completed
  • “20/20 Vision,” a comprehensive master plan for the campus, is introduced
  • Launches “MSU Promise,” a continued focus on undergraduate education, research, graduate education, globalization, outreach and diversity.
  • MSU wins a national award for its commitment to safety and responsible drinking
  • Lands Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada, as commencement speaker

 

2000

  • Dedication of Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center
  • Parking ramp at Communication Arts & Sciences completed
  • MSU basketball team wins NCAA championship
  • Ellen Taaffe Zwillich’s Fourth Symphony (“The Gardens”) premieres at Wharton Center with Leon Gregorian conducting the MSU Symphony
  • Dedication of Brook Lodge in Augusta
  • MSU confers degrees to its first seven “virtual” graduates

 

2001

  • Dedication of James B. Henry Center for Executive Development
  • With “coupled” cyclotrons, MSU’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory boasts the highest-energy continuous wave accelerator in the world
  • Trowbridge Road extension adds a major entrance to campus
  • Served as international observer of elections in Peru
  • MSU efforts to increase alcohol education via “Action Team” plan is lauded by Michigan Legislature
  • MSU receives funds from Michigan’s Life Sciences Corridor, a state initiative to promote life sciences research and business development
  • A virtual professional development program for estate and wealth planning is launched, along with The Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute

 

2002

  • “The Campaign For MSU,” a $1.2 billion capital campaign—the second comprehensive one in MSU history—kicks off
  • Dedication of Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building, the Delia Koo International Academic Center, and the Alfred Berkowitz Basketball Complex
  • Lands Vice President Dick Cheney as commencement speaker, the fourth sitting vice president to speak at MSU
  • Hires Ron Mason as athletics director;  John L. Smtih hired as football coach replacing Bobby Williams
  • Shaw Lane Parking Ramp and bus terminal completed

 

2003

  • MSU Study Abroad leads the nation, according to figures compiled by the Institute of International Education
  • Served six months as financial coordinator in Iraq for the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance
  • Acquisition of one of the world’s first PET/CT scanners allows MSU Radiology to maintain its cutting-edge status
  • Plans announced for major expansion of Kresge Art Museum
  • Plans announced for major stadium expansion

 

2004

  • Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health begins operation
  • Dedication of the SOAR telescope facility in Chile and East Lansing
  • Honored by U.S. Treasury with Distinguished Service Award
  • Faculty Oversight Committee formed to explore expansion of College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids
  • MSU Debate Team wins the 58th National Debate Tournament
  • MSU Sesquicentennial kicks off with debut of John Hannah statue
  • Ongoing efforts continue to secure the proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator
Robert Bao