LEADERSHIP
Environmental Policy
The Board of Trustees approved an official “Statement of Environmental Policy,” codifying and enhancing previously informal efforts throughout the campus and affirming the College’s commitment to responsible use of resources and sustainability.
CAMPUS
Frary Hall Renovated
The Frary kitchen and servery were renovated in 2002–03. While the extensive work was under way, students were served in a “Garden House” structure temporarily added to the north side of Walker Hall. Constructed of steel, polycarbonate and glass, it resembled a large greenhouse, particularly after being filled with tropical plants.
Lawry Court Renovated
The Lawry Court student residences were completely renovated in 2002.
Updated Planetarium
The planetarium in Milliken received an update in 2002, which included a GOTO GEII project from Japan capable of sharply projecting nearly all the stars visible by naked eye (more than 3,000) on the dome. The planetarium, funded by The Fletcher Jones Foundation, was outfitted with the latest audiovisual equipment enabling all-sky projection, computer-sequenced shows and high-quality video and computer projection.
ACADEMICS
David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace, author of the critically acclaimed novel Infinite Jest, joined the Pomona College faculty in 2002 as the Disney Professor of Creative Writing.
Professor of the Year 3
Economics Professor Cecilia Conrad was named the 2002 California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the third such honor to be earned by Pomona faculty in consecutive years. Previous winners were Music Professor Katherine Hagedorn in 2000 and Psychology Professor Nicole Weekes in 2001.
Exiled King
King Kigeli V, the exiled king of Rwanda, gave a lecture at Pomona in March and met with Professor Pierre Englebert’s class, The Reconfiguration of Power in Africa.
FINANCES
Campaign for Pomona College
The Campaign for Pomona College, conducted during President Peter Stanley’s tenure, set a goal of $150 million to create professorships, expand international studies and Study Abroad, and increase endowed scholarships for students. In 2001, the campaign came to an end after exceeding its goal, raising $206 million, including funds to build the Smith Campus Center, Andrew Science Hall and Richard C. Seaver Biology Laboratory.
$23 Million Gift
Pomona received $23.3 million from the estate of Frank R. Seaver 1905 to support the renovation and expansion of the College’s Seaver Science Center. The funds were used to carry out a complete renovation of the Seaver Laboratory for Biology. Gifts from the Seaver family have, over the years, funded five major buildings, including major four science buildings and the College’s Seaver Theatre Complex.
EVENTS
Honoring WWII Japanese Language Instructors
Twelve Japanese Americans who served as language instructors during World War II were honored on the Pomona College campus, thanks to the efforts of Professor Dru Gladney, a former student of one of the sensei, and the Pacific Basin Institute. The instructors received Distinguished Public Service Awards from Rear Admiral Richard Porterfield, director of Naval Intelligence. Many of the awards were accepted posthumously by sons or daughters.
Gilmore Girls
The popular television show The Gilmore Girls filmed a segment on the Pomona campus in October 2002, with Pomona standing in for Yale University, where one of the show’s young characters was making a campus visit.
ATHLETICS
Baseball Title
The baseball team went 18-0 in the SCIAC (36-7 overall), earned a No. 12 national ranking, and boasted three All-Americans.
ELSEWHERE
- The United States invaded Afghanistan in an effort to destroy Al-Qaeda’s safe haven and capture Osama bin Laden.
- The bear market associated with the “dot-com bubble” hit bottom, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped below 7,200.
- President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law, establishing the Department of Homeland Security.