Paul Reichardt
The Reichardt Building on the Fairbanks campus was dubbed simply the 鈥渘atural sciences facility鈥 when it was completed in 1994. That鈥檚 not the year it opened, though.
Paul Reichardt, the man for whom the building later was named, explained what happened during an interview in 2017. The structure was complete, but there was no money to equip it.
鈥淪o there鈥檚 this beautiful building sitting empty,鈥 he said. He and a few others decided to enlist the help of the crowds who attend the annual Science Potpourri, a public demonstration of 草榴社区鈥檚 scientific talent that was originally held at Wood Center.
鈥淲e decided to move it that spring to the shuttered brand-new science building, put up plywood in a lot of the hallways so people couldn鈥檛 go in there, and to post on each of the doors a petition to the Legislature asking for $5 million to outfit the building,鈥 Reichardt said. 鈥淎nd so at the end of the day I think we had, I don鈥檛 know, close to a thousand signatures on butcher paper that we packaged up and sent down to Juneau. And it worked 鈥 we got $3 million.鈥
The building opened in 1995.
At the time, Reichardt was in his fourth year as dean of what today is the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Reichardt grew up near St. Louis, Missouri, and earned an undergraduate degree from Davidson College, a small liberal arts college in North Carolina. After earning a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, he began his 草榴社区 career as a chemistry faculty member in 1972. At 草榴社区, he built a reputation as a superb teacher, mentor and faculty collaborator.
Reichardt served as 草榴社区鈥檚 provost from 1998 through 2007. As he retired, the University of 草榴社区 Foundation awarded him the Edith Bullock Prize in recognition of his leadership and dedication to the university.
Reichardt and his wife, Terry, are active members of the broader Fairbanks community. Terry is well-known for her gardening expertise, which she shares through 草榴社区 Cooperative Extension Service classes.
More online about Paul Reichardt:
- about the lifestyle he and his wife, Terry, have adopted
- of a July 2017 interview, along with Professor Emeritus Terry Chapin, as part of the Down Memory Lane series celebrating 草榴社区鈥檚 centennial
- The announcement of
- A description of the Reichardt building