Tremendous Possibilities

E.G. Meyer has dedicated more than 60 years of his life to the University of Wyoming.

1963. That’s when E.G. “Gerry” Meyer began his long-standing relationship with the University of Wyoming.

UW President George Duke Humphrey hired Meyer to serve as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and as a professor of chemistry. Although his start date was Sept. 1, Meyer arrived on the UW campus from New Mexico that summer. He temporarily lived in McWhinnie Hall, which was a dorm at that time.

“The purpose was to acquaint myself with the campus and see what the heck I had to work with and understand the problems that I faced,” Meyer says.

He had accepted the position as dean knowing that he had a monumental task ahead of him — “to help Humphrey meet his commitment to build a science center.” Meyer was charged with finishing raising money and overseeing the construction of a complex that would house the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Zoology and Psychology. In addition to faculty and graduate student offices, the center would include teaching and research space, a machine shop, a glass shop, an electronics shop and a science library.

Meyer worked with the Wyoming architects hired by the UW Board of Trustees to design the science center. What resulted was the construction of the Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Classroom buildings. The massive project was completed in 1969.

“What I tried to do — and I think there was some success — was to build the buildings so that there was sufficient flexibility to accommodate what you don’t know is coming,” Meyer says.

During Meyer’s 12-year tenure as dean, the College of Arts and Sciences experienced tremendous growth. Not only were new facilities built, but also existing ones were repurposed to house departments and graduate programs. The college shifted its teaching-only focus to one that emphasized both teaching and research.

Besides serving as the College of Arts and Sciences dean, Meyer filled other administrative roles at UW. He was appointed the university’s first vice president for research in 1976. Five years later, he served as director of the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center.

Another significant role he played during his UW career was that of donor. Although he retired in 1990, he has remained a strong supporter of the university. His nearly half-century of philanthropy to UW has impacted scores

of students, faculty, staff and visitors to the state’s only four-year university.

“I chose to give to UW because I had invested a lot of energy in UW. I also was aware of the possibilities of getting programs improved,” Meyer says.

His latest gift, combined with state matching funds, will create an endowed fund — the E.G. Meyer Family Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Department Head in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

“My undergraduate degree was in chemical engineering, and I just feel that chemical engineering has tremendous possibilities,” Meyer says.

Much like a new building can transform the physical landscape of a campus, an endowed position can transform the academic landscape. An endowed department head position can elevate the department’s profile and the university’s reputation. It can help the department recruit and retain a strong leader who is driven to boost the department’s standing by fostering faculty excellence and supporting student success. An endowed position provides dedicated financial resources that can be used to support cutting-edge research, innovative teaching methods, special projects and other departmental needs.

Meyer hopes the university can develop innovative cutting-edge programs. He says having both graduate and undergraduate students involved in research is critical. Typically, graduate students participate in research activities, whereas undergraduate students usually do not. He says undergraduates should be “properly encouraged and given facilities and opportunities to do things.”

Another gift to UW created the E.G. Meyer Family Staff Recognition Award.

The idea to set up a fund to recognize staff came from a conversation with a staff member. “She said, ‘You know, we go to these award programs, and staff never gets any awards.’ I told her that she was right and that we were going to try to do something,” Meyer recounts.

The E.G. Meyer Family Staff Recognition Award honors two staff members who show initiative, helpfulness, dependability, and a positive and cheerful demeanor. Each winner receives a cash award and plaque at the annual Staff Recognition Day each spring.

Meyer says he and his family are proud of the award. “The staff is an integral part of the university,” he says.

Besides creating named funds with his major gifts, Meyer has supported numerous existing funds and programs at UW. His philanthropy has touched all corners of campus. Then, there’s the art.

One of Wyoming’s foremost art collectors, Meyer gifted a significant portion of his primarily Western American art collection to the UW Art Museum. The collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings includes original works by well-known Western artists, such as Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Joseph Sharp, William Gollings, Thomas Moran, John Clymer and Edward Borein.

 

The collection was started by his grandmother, Anna Ilfeld, a patron of the Taos Society of Artists. She would travel from Albuquerque to Taos to meet the artists and buy paintings.

“That was the beginning of my interest in art, as I saw those paintings around the house, and they were really something,” Meyer recalls.

He took some time to learn about the artwork and then expanded the collection. “The result was that we got a fairly decent collection,” he says.

Thanks to Meyer’s generous gift, visitors to the UW Art Museum — those who are part of the campus community and those who are not — can engage with and deepen their understanding of Western American art.

Nearly 62 years have passed since Meyer, now 105, joined UW and began his long-lasting relationship with the university. During his lengthy career, he played a key part in shaping the university and contributing to its growth and success. He continues to impact UW with his philanthropy.

Given his many roles and numerous accomplishments over the years, how would Meyer like to be remembered? Simply put, he says, “as a guy who learned to be very interested in this university and worked very hard to help it in various ways.”