Long ago, during a presentation being made in a Dale Carnegie course, it was stated: “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Most colleges are filled with many names. Every student, every professor carries their individual, and at times, family’s name and reputation with them daily.
Rarely does one think a place, a building, a park, or a street will carry their name; yet it happens. It happens here, at Humboldt State University, because of unselfish and collegial service to others and the campus. If you think about it, those espousing a personal agenda or who bully others are seldom honored over time. This is why two recent namings on campus carry significance.
Universities across the country have long recognized the importance of honoring institutional history and heritage. It is a way of celebrating our shared experiences and stories, and of actively creating a future together. Consider those millions of alumni of different universities who proudly wear the gear, cheer on the athletic teams, and show up for events.
At Humboldt State, over the past few weeks, we as a campus community have been able to celebrate our heritage with new names for two facilities — the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center and Alistair McCrone Hall.
Gutswurrak (pronounced “guts-wuh-dock”) is a Wiyot word related to gathering, which recognizes the importance of the student union as well as HSU’s location on traditional Wiyot land. Over time, our students and others will add energy to that positive association each time they refer to the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center.
Perhaps as important as the name itself is the story behind choosing it.
As mentioned earlier, HSU is located on traditional Wiyot land, and many students expressed interest in the student union having a name that reflected that. A formal request for such an honor was made, and options were suggested by members of the Wiyot Tribe led by Wiyot Tribal Chair Ted Hernandez. After consultation on campus, a name was selected that reinforces the idea of the facility as a place for the entire Humboldt State community.
On a related note, HSU along with the College of the Redwoods has recently adopted a formal land acknowledgment. In the past, the two institutions had two different acknowledgments, but today both share the same words.
It reads: “We acknowledge that the land on which Humboldt State University (College of the Redwoods) is located is unceded territory of the Wiyot people who continue to live and thrive today. It is surrounded by the traditional, ancestral, and present homelands of several Indigenous nations including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok that make up Humboldt County.”
Over the past two years, I (President Jackson) have been very deliberate in my efforts to communicate directly, leader-to-leader, to tribal chairpersons. Doing so has provided me with distinctive insights that will only help HSU further align with the community and tribal nations and rancherias. Tribal leaders lead nations. I respect that sovereignty as best as possible.
As for McCrone Hall, it is the former Science D building that was recently renamed in honor Dr. Alistair Mcrone. Dr. McCrone is Humboldt State’s longest-serving president. He served in the role from 1974 to 2002.
We celebrated the naming of McCrone Hall with a reception last week. Dr. McCrone was unable to attend, but three generations of the McCrone family were there, including Mrs. Judith McCrone. There were also many friends and colleagues, and they all praised President McCrone’s leadership and personal style.
We were proud to join them and to share a little about the remarkable man they were there to recognize. President McCrone worked to create an engaging educational experience focusing on academic quality, strengthening the sense of community on campus, and enhancing connections with the broader community. He was known for walking the campus to engage with students and faculty, and felt it was important to get to know individual faculty members.
Among the many facilities built during his tenure was Science D — which is now McCrone Hall.
After he retired, he and his wife Judith remained very involved in campus life and in the broader community. Their efforts have included supporting the work of graduate students, promising faculty, and academic departments. Dr. McCrone also continued to participate in commencement ceremonies for many years, donning his green regalia and joyfully greeting the graduates and their families.
For Humboldt State, these two namings are both a privilege and an inspiration. We can look to Gutswurrak as a reminder of our place on traditional Wiyot land as well as the value of gathering together. And we can look to McCrone Hall to recall the importance of positive and collegial service at an institution that means so much in the lives of our students and in the vibrancy of the broader community.
Be well.
Dr. Tom Jackson, Jr. is the President of Humboldt State University. Frank Whitlatch is HSU’s Vice President for University Advancement.