PSU Magazine Spring 1996

. l ) It's an honor uring its SO-year existence, Portland State has nurtured and stimulated many individu– als on to better and more fulfilling lives. In return, the University has received its share of inspiration and support from alumni and friends in the community. This reciprocal relationship was celebrated on May 2 at PSU Salutes. The multimedia reception honored alumni, faculty, and friends of Portland State. The event was hosted by the Alumni Association, PSU Foundation, and the Viking Club. The following is an all-too-brief tribute to the friends, faculty, and alumni (one from each decade) who through their service to the University and the community, and their own personal endeavors have made Portland State and the entire region proud. Libby Solomon would only accept an Outstanding Friends of Portland State Award if it also named her late husband, Gus Solomon, longtime U.S. District Court judge. "Gus taught me to support the things I really care about," says Libby. Students at Portland State have been on the receiving end of Solomon's caring support for more than a decade. She began an emergency fund for English and visual arts students in 1985. More recently she established the Gus and Libby Solomon Student Scholarship to help students such as Pam Cohen (pictured left) and Marta Schomer Muth (right) complete their undergraduate degrees. 18 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING 1996 Tektronix Inc., under the leadership of Jerome Meyer, has played a significant role in advancing PSU as an innovative, urban university. It is appro– priate that Tektronix receive an Outstanding Friends of Portland State Award, as both institu– tions celebrate 50 years of service in 1996. Tektronix and the Tektronix Foundation rank among the most generous donors in PSU's history. Since 1982, the University has received more than $2.4 million from Tektronix in cash and equip– ment. Not only has Tektronix declared its support for investment in higher education, it has lived it. For years the company was the lone leader in corporate citizenship among Oregon's emerging high-tech community. Other companies have finally begun to follow this lead-a welcome trend for which Tektronix deserves recognition. Terry Newsom has built his copier business, Pacific Office Automation, into an eight-branch $38 million a year corporation. Newsom has worked hard to promote growth not only in his business, but in his community as well. He received an Outstanding Friends Award in recog– nition of the valuable support he provides to PSU student athletes and the athletic program. Newsom, an All-Star football player in high school, is a believer in the character building nature of sports. He has coached Pop Warner Football for the past 11 years, and in addition to supporting PSU, he sponsors the LPGA program for inner-city golf. For inspirational service to students and the citizens of the state, Professor Marko Haggard received the Alumni Association's Golden Anniversary Award. During his long career at the University, Haggard, now an emeritus professor of political science, was sought out by students for his keen observations and real-world savvy of the political scene. Not only did he encourage students in the class– room and as interns in the state Legislature, he also brought critical leadership to the state as Oregon's first ombudsman under Gov. Tom McCall. Most recently, Haggard has motivated citizens to action as a political commentator on radio and television.