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The university, and indeed, all of the state, lost a great friend with the death of Frank O. Papen in March. A prominent Las Cruces businessman and New Mexico political leader, the former president and CEO of First National Bank dedicated his life to ventures that promoted growth and development in the Mesilla Valley and southern New Mexico. NMSU was one of those ventures.
Early in 1977 state Senator Papen and a handful of Las Cruces businesspersons organized the Presidents Associates. The group promotes private annual gifts of $1,000 or more to support scholarships and other university programs. The first year there were more than $38,000 in contributions. Today more than 300 individuals and businesses contribute $1,000 to $10,000 annually. About 60 students enroll each year as Presidents Associates Scholars.
R. Guy Hankins, publisher of the Las Cruces Sun-News in the late 70s, recalled that the senator recruited him to help establish Presidents Associates.
"Our goal was to attract more of New Mexics best and brightest high school seniors to attend NMSU," Hankins said. "In 1978 the $1,000 scholarship was the largest and most sought-after award in the state."
Papen remained an active supporter of the programs goals right up to his death. Just weeks before, plans were in the works for a special reception with NMSU President J. Michael Orenduff, at which time Frank and wife Mary Kay were to make an extra gift to Presidents Associates Scholarships. The gift would raise the endowed fund to $1 million. The university received the gift but missed the opportunity to thank Frank in person.
In 1984, when he was ending his tenure as university president, Gerald Thomas wrote a letter of appreciation to Papen for his unswerving dedication to the university...you were always there when we needed you in Santa Fe. Your advice and counsel was the best. Your leadership in starting the Presidents Associates and all the activities of the NMSU Foundation set an example for the community and the state. Our progress in the area of public support could only have been done through your excellent example.
Hankins, too, has fond memories of working with Papen. "When you signed on with Frank, you knew the journey would end in success," he said.
As a state senator, he helped bring much needed appropriations to the university during its period of rapid growth in the 70s and early 80s. Robert Kirkpatrick, former vice president for business affairs and university legislative liaison, said Papen supported the universitys priorities and persuaded others to back them, too. He worked to establish the State Department of Agriculture at NMSU, supported the development of the Dona Ana branch campus, co-sponsored legislation establishing the Water Resources Research Institute at NMSU and worked for the creation of the New Mexico Border Authority.
Honored in many ways by the Las Cruces and New Mexico community, Papen received the NMSU Foundations first Branding Iron Award in 1977 in recognition of his outstanding service and support of the university. In 1988 the university awarded him an honorary doctorate.
NMSU will miss the leadership, dedication and commitment of Frank O. Papen. Thank you, Frank.
Annette Morales, 87, ARCO Foundations program officer for education, arts and humanities, presented a $15,000 check to NMSU to recruit and retain American Indian education students.
ARCO, an oil and gas company active worldwide, has awarded NMSU more than $135,000 over the years through its Los Angeles-based foundation.
The recent grant will fuel a pilot program by the College of Education in cooperation with the Office of American Indian Programs. The pilot program will provide mentors and tutors and pay for students books and teaching materials. Student teachers assigned to their home communities will receive travel stipends.
NMSU has 35 American Indian undergraduate students and 12 American Indian graduate students in teacher education. The universitys five-year goal is to increase the totals to 80 undergraduates and 30 graduate students.
Students from the NMSU Development Offices 1995-96 phonathon team include (clockwise from center) Jesse Rinkenberger, Kelly Behl, Marcus Rael, Melissa Berry, Theron Harvey and Robin Willbanks. The 10-member team spoke to nearly 30,000 alumni during the school year. Calling on behalf of each of the colleges and the University Library, the callers received pledge commitments from more than 3,500 alumni amounting to nearly $135,000, which is a new record for the five-year-old program.