The McNamara Alumni Center rocked on June 4 when more than 900 alumni and friends attended the UMAA’s 2002 Annual Celebration. The event served as both the association’s annual meeting and the symbolic "gifting" of the Gateway Plaza to the University.

Despite a few complications—steady rain for almost 24 hours before the event and the just-announced resignation of University President Mark Yudof—nothing could dampen the spirits of those who attended. Displays and games in a 1950s theme, dinner, a formal program, and a concert with dancing to be held on the new plaza were moved smoothly indoors, to the comfort and superior acoustics of the adjacent McNamara Alumni Center. Indeed, the program took on new significance as Yudof had announced only four days earlier that he would be stepping down as president (see page 8).

UMAA National President Bruce Nelson (B.S. ’80) offered a tribute to Yudof, thanking him for five years of strong leadership and noting the renewed pride alumni feel in the institution. The crowd gave Yudof a standing ovation following Nelson’s comments.

"For me, it is [a day] that is both sad and sweet," Yudof said. "Although the momentum we’ve accumulated needs careful attention, I believe it can be sustained and that the people of Minnesota are still committed to this great institution." Yudof also quoted former governor Elmer L. Andersen: "You don’t manage a university, you nurture it." Yudof added that he is convinced Minnesotans will do all they can to sustain the University. "Indeed, it is because of the confidence I have for the future, rather than any kind of pessimism or discouragement, that I feel secure in making this transition."

Later, Yudof thanked Fred Friswold (B.A. ’58) and Larry Laukka (B.A. ’58), heads of the nonprofit Gateway Corporation, for building the plaza, which was constructed on University land using private funds. "It is quite extraordinary," Yudof said. "There are not many new urban parks being created. . . . A great university is defined as much by its open spaces as by its buildings [and this] will be one of the great open spaces at any university in the country. It will be appreciated not just today and tomorrow, but for the next 150 years."

The plaza was designed by Antoine Predock, architect of the McNamara Alumni Center, in association with LHB Engineers and Architects of Duluth. Landscape architecture professor Lance Neckar and some of his urban design students suggested refinements to the plaza that helped it become an appropriate transition from the commercial area of Stadium Village to the monumental alumni center and the University as a whole. "The students really got into it and did a wonderful job. They could see it as both a place for formal events and a place for people to hang out," Neckar says. "That helped open up a public discourse on this important public space."

He likened the Gateway Plaza to the green that separates Yale University’s old campus from the city of New Haven, Connecticut. "It is both a forecourt to the building and a public square," he explains. "It is important to have open space at the edge of a campus, especially a land-grant university. I think this is a great thing the University has done and it will reflect well on the University."

The plaza includes grass, paths, a grove of native trees set in crushed granite, granite benches, and gently moving pools against the front of the alumni center’s granite and glass Memorial Hall. A stage and central open area make it appropriate for large gatherings and formal events. Future plans include a monument of granite, copper, and glass at the corner of Oak Street and Washington Avenue that will mark the corner of campus, reflect the materials of the McNamara Alumni Center, and become a landmark in itself. As with the entire plaza, private funds will be used to build the tower.