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Picnic, presentation celebrate career of Glenn Poshard
A long line of people stood anxiously in line Friday, occasionally peering ahead to see how far they were from their destination.
The line that virtually stretched the length of the sidewalk included the Saluki mascot, which briefly chatted with those waiting in line. It was the kind of anticipation typically seen at SIU sporting events.
But this line, filled mostly with SIU employees and students, was not a line for tickets. Nor was the topic of discussion any pre-game conversation. The discussion, in fact, revolved around an ending, that of Glenn Poshard's 40-year affiliation with SIUC.
The socializing and reminiscing occurred at a retirement picnic that took place Friday evening in the Old Main Mall area outside of Shyrock Auditorium and was followed by "A Salute to Glenn Poshard."
The salute was a one-hour tribute in Shyrock that consisted of a video presentation and brief speeches honoring Poshard.
"The atmosphere and the people here have made my stay here so wonderful," said Poshard, who will retire from his position as vice chancellor for Administration on July 31. "My love for this University goes very deep."
Although he spent only three years in his current position, Poshard has maintained strong ties with the University for four decades, as an undergraduate, graduate student and member of the administration.
He has been associated with the University since 1966, when he first began his 18-year career as a student, a career that ended in 1984 when he received his doctorate degree.
For this reason, it came as no surprise that at any given time during the three-hour picnic, at least 30 people could be found in both lines of people waiting to personally congratulate the guest of honor, as well as the line to speak with his wife, Joann.
"He's one of the most honest, genuine people you will ever meet," said Jill Kirkpatrick, director of the Bursar office and one of the first employees hired by Poshard.
"If he says he's going to do a job, he does it. He's a wonderful man, and SIU is going to miss him. But I know he'll continue to serve Southern Illinois."
By the time the picnic began at 4:30 p.m., the sky was a medium gray, a bit darker than the typical summer day, but light in comparison to the midnight blue that encompassed the sky shortly before noon. The wet grass and benches provided reminders of the storm that left the air with a wet smell, and, many with the certainty there would be no picnic that day.
Instead of the cancellation or postponement most expected, tents were erected, with the hope that a fair amount of people would venture out to provide an appropriate sendoff for the committed administration member.
The position that he held since Aug. 1, 1999, is just one of many accomplishments on the extensive resume of the three-degree graduate of the university and Southern Illinois native.
Throughout the past 25 years, Poshard has demonstrated his abilities not only at SIUC, but also as a politician, former gubernatorial candidate and founder of the Poshard Foundation and the Coats for Kids project.
"Glenn has a knack for putting things together," said Chancellor Walter Wendler, who was the host for the tribute to Poshard. "He's always been very level-headed, but I was first impressed by his strong faith.
"I consider this great, and I think the turnout has really let Glenn know who his fair-weather friends are, because we certainly haven't had the fair weather today."
Judging from the scene at the picnic outside, Poshard's list of fair-weather friends is much shorter than that of his genuine companions. The number of people in attendance for the tribute to Poshard was enough to fill at least 200 of the seats in Shyrock and to form two lines of people wishing to pay tribute to Poshard and his wife outside of the building.
"The way it was raining, we kind of started to wonder if people were going to come out," said Evelyn Moore, an employee in the Constituent Relations and Special Events department from Murphysboro, who assisted with invitations to the event. "But it was like another tribute to him the way people came out anyway.
"Everything has worked out really well. One of the tents was blown down earlier, but we got it right back up. Everyone's just been real eager to help."
Moore has known Poshard since he began working at SIUC and had first met him when her family took a trip to the White House. She said that, despite the fact that they had never met prior to this, Poshard and his wife, Joann, were eager to share their favorite locations in Washington D.C. and were "talking like he had known us all of our lives."
John Clemons, an attorney and friend of Poshard's, has known him for the past 25 years and attended the event to congratulate his companion.
"There couldn't be a more deserving person than him," said Clemons, who came to the picnic with his wife, Susan. "He's a wonderful, genuine person. That's why we tried to get him elected governor.
"I think it stopped raining just for him."
Most of the people who attended the event spent their time waiting patiently in the line that consisted of his fellow SIUC employees, politicians and friends. Most spent the wait chatting with one another, while occasionally fighting the slight humidity with the black and white fans that displayed the countenance of Poshard, and the words "I am a fan of Poshard."
"I was so gratified with the turnout," Poshard said. "I stood from 4 to 7 because there was a constant line. It was just wonderful to see old friends. Just to think that hundreds of people, some who I hadn't seen for a number of years, came from downstate, Chicago, Effingham and Charleston just to say hello."
One such well-wisher was U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield.
"I was told I was supposed to come down here, something about a retirement," Durbin said. "But this looks more like a campaign kickoff to me."
The tribute included hour of reminiscing from guests such as Durbin and State Comptroller Dan Hynes, a video presentation, as well as the announcement of a scholarship established for low-income students.
In addition to this, Poshard said he plans to spend his post-retirement days running his foundation for abused children and building more shelters. Even with his dedication to projects new and old, he still plans to remain committed to the University.
He has spent his last month working on the budget and doing whatever possible to ensure a smooth transition for those obtaining his responsibilities after his retirement.
"The best is yet ahead," Poshard said. "I really see things changing soon, and I'm very confident that under Wendler's leadership we will reach our goal of being one of the top 75 research universities.
"I definitely see SIU having a new face within the next 10 years."
While he looks forward to SIUC in the future, he said he also has very fond memories of his past at the university, especially his first years on the SIUC campus.
"There was a tremendous energy here in the '60s," Poshard said. "In part because of the circumstances surrounding the country, and in part because of President [Delyte] Morris.
"I have a lot of memories of the NIT championship basketball, being a delegate to Congress, but particularly the friendships. It's always the people who make the memories."
