Grand Opening Banquet

In the evening a banquet was held to greet friends, alumni, current and former faculty, and undergraduate and graduate students. Speaking on this occasion, Raj Gupta, Physics Chairman, said that Physics at the University of Arkansas has come a long way from its humble beginnings when it was taught as a second or third subject by instructors from other disciplines. He said that although Physics as a separate department was created in 1908, the University did produce its first physicist from its very first graduating class. The graduating class of 1876 included William J. Waggner, who later studied under such prominent physicists as Max Planck and von Helmholtz, and became the first Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado. Other banquet speakers included Drs. Sharrah, Anderson and Pederson.

Dr. Sharrah joined the department in 1942 and stayed with the department until his retirement in 1982. He was physics chairman from 1957 to 1969. In his remarks Dr. Sharrah traced the history of Physics Department with photographs of old building and facilities, former students and faculty.

Dr. Anderson, who contributed greatly to the department's teaching and outreach programs during his 23-year tenure with the Department, is currently the Director of the EPSCoR program at National Science Foundation. He fondly recalled his association with the department and said what matters most is not a building but people who work with you. It is the people who make the difference.

Dr. Pederson, a former Chairman of the department and currently the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, in his remarks commended physics faculty and students for their accomplishments. He said the current renovation and expansion improve the working conditions for physics teaching and research and reaffirmed the administration's support for the Phase II of physics building.

Take a look at these Banquet Photos (about 177 k)