The School of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University turns 75 in 2007, and anniversary events are taking place to share the excitement with alumni and friends nationwide.
“It is quite a milestone to have such an admired and successful program reach the three-quarter century mark,” said SHBM Director W. Terry Umbreit, leader of one of the oldest hospitality programs in the nation for the past 23 years.
“Throughout 2007, we will be reminiscing about old times, celebrating our today, and discussing plans for our tomorrows. It is a great year as our graduates, students, professors, staff and friends celebrate our future as much as our history. And it’s a time when we can honor many who have helped to make us successful.”
An anniversary planning committee has been hard at work since 2005 and is putting finishing touches on the celebration’s 75th Anniversary Honoree Dinner taking place on June 21 in Seattle. More than 150 honorees will be recognized for their contribution to the SHBM and the hospitality industry at the signature event.
Other events are taking place around the nation to celebrate with alumni, friends and supporters on both coasts. In May, a reception at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago honored and thanked restaurant and foodservice companies that have recruited and employed SHBM graduates.
On Sept. 8, there will be celebration at the Dry Soda Company in Seattle for all SHBM graduates. The event will take three hours prior to the WSU vs. San Diego State football game at Qwest Field.
The campus Burtenshaw Lecture Celebration will take place in Pullman on Oct. 18, 19, and 20 honoring alumnus DeVere Jerry and Angelina Burtenshaw.
The lecture series was created in 1981 to honor the memory of their son, Calvin Brett. The Burtenshaws’ also created a memorial scholarship in their son’s name. Through the lecture series, dozens of hospitality leaders have given thousands of students invaluable insights into the industry.
In November, the anniversary will be celebrated in the San Francisco area and then in New York City. California alumni will be invited to an event in conjunction with the Cougar football game against Cal Berkeley on Nov. 3.
One week later, the SHBM will plan a reception at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show to honor and thank hotel companies that have supported the program through the years.
The hospitality program began as the “hotel management” major in the College of Home Economics in 1932. It became “hotel and restaurant administration” in 1951, and “hospitality business management” in 2002.
For more information events, and for a complete list of honorees, visit the anniversary Web site at www.business.wsu.edu/shbm75.
