PULLMAN – Keith Lincoln, former WSU Alumni Association (WSUAA) executive director, will receive the WSUAA Alumni Achievement Award on Nov. 14. This award is the highest honor bestowed upon alumni by the WSUAA and will recognize Lincoln for his contributions to WSU and WSUAA.
Lincoln, also known as “barn builder extraordinaire,” came to WSU in 1957 after being offered a football scholarship and soon became a triple-threat running back. His success on the football field earned him the nickname “The Palouse Moose” and a spot in the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1961, Lincoln was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and two years later led the team in rushing, punt returns and kickoff-return yards. He was a five-time All-America Football League (AFL) selection and was named the AFL All-Star Game MVP in both 1963 and 1964. He was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame with 3,383 career rushing yards, 2,250 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns.
After nine years in professional football, Lincoln retired and came to WSU as an assistant football coach. He was then named executive director of the alumni association in 1971.
In his 32 years as executive director, Lincoln worked to reach out to the WSU family, build friendships and celebrate the university’s alumni. His leadership ushered in a number of vital initiatives, including the Student Alumni Connection, Alumni Executive Committee, Crimson Company Show Choir, Alumni Leadership Scholarships and numerous alumni recognition awards.
His most significant achievement was the creation of the Lewis Alumni Centre, which stands today as one of the most visible symbols of the university. In the early 1980s, Lincoln knew what WSU was missing was a warm and inviting place alumni could call home when visiting the Pullman campus. A place which would help the university enhance friendships with its alumni and a facility which would foster alumni spirit.
“We always talk about cougar pride and we desperately needed a facility to help alumni celebrate their alma mater and help the university celebrate its alumni,” Lincoln said. “It’s the most important thing the alumni association can do for WSU.”
When Lincoln discussed possible options for the imagined facility with his friend and colleague Stan Schmid, former vice president for University Relations, Schmid mentioned a building on campus that was slated for demolition – WSU’s Animal Sciences Beef Barn, built in 1925. A tour of the facility confirmed for Lincoln that the building would be a good fit for his concept of an alumni center. The preservation of the historic barn would relate strongly to WSU’s land-grant mission, the barn was located close to campus and would allow for plenty of parking and the facility contained one of the campus’s more spacious indoor settings (approximately 20,000 square feet).
“I knew then that this facility would best serve the university and all alumni, present and future,” said Lincoln.
Lincoln wanted the building to be funded entirely by the generosity of WSU alumni and friends, so he felt strongly about not accepting donations from corporations. To engage the cougar nation in this massive project, Lincoln enlisted the help of renowned sports broadcaster and WSU alumnus Keith Jackson. Jackson became an honorary co-chair of the building committee and assumed an active role in fundraising for the project.
Lincoln also found innovative ways to raise the $4.5 million required for construction – he sold 8,500 floor tiles, arranged significant gifts of materials and commissioned artist Chester Fields to create an exclusive drawing of the historic barn. The original drawing was converted into classic prints that were each individually signed.
“The sales of the prints provided us with seed money,” Lincoln said. “Those funds allowed us to finance the architectural drawings, the design phase and to create the campaign to build the alumni centre.”
In 1989, the building, commonly referred to as the “University’s Living Room,” opened its doors and it continues to serve thousands of WSU alumni, faculty, staff and students. According to, Tim Pavish, the current executive director of the WSUAA, “Washington State University, thousands of alumni and friends and all future generations of cougars have one man to thank for our beloved alumni centre: Keith Lincoln.”
Lincoln, who retired in 2003 and resides in Pullman with his wife Bonnie Jo, is known for his unwavering commitment to WSU. The award presentation will take place on the field during the WSU vs. UCLA football game.
The WSUAA Alumni Achievement Award was created in 1970 by the WSUAA Board of Directors to recognize alumni who have given outstanding service to WSU and made contributions to their professions and communities. Out of the estimated quarter of a million people who have attended WSU over the years, Lincoln is the 480th alumni achievement award winner.
