Lifting his glass of champagne, Cornelius Murphy tipped it toward 450 guests dressed in green and toasted his institution’s 100th anniversary.

‘Please raise your glasses in a toast to the past leadership of the college whose vision and foresight brought us to this point in history,’ Murphy, president of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said Thursday. ‘Salute!’

Seated under a white tent, the group of alumni, students, ESF foundation board members and trustees, local business leaders and politicians attending ESF’s Green Tie Dinner promptly obeyed.

‘Salute,’ they boomed back, capping off the highlight event of ESF’s yearlong Centennial Celebration. The college has been celebrating its 100th year since January with a kick-off convocation in Lyman Hall, where the first ESF classes took place in 1911.

Originally known as the New York State College of Forestry, ESF was established by the state legislature on July 28, 1911. To stem the accelerating rate of decline in New York’s forested land,

conservationists, business leaders and politicians had pushed for the founding of an institution to teach and conduct research on proper forestry practices.

Murphy said he views the 100-year celebration as a time to reflect on ESF’s achievements and look forward to the future of the institution.

‘It represents a century of excellence, a century of protecting the environment,’ Murphy said. ‘It’s also a celebration for a new century of environmental discovery and improving our world.’

A series of smaller celebrations preceded the formal gala event, including eight ESF Centennial seminars in February and March, said Brenda Greenfield, Director of Development and one of 13 members on the Centennial Celebration Planning Committee.

Since 2008, the committee, which is comprised of faculty, staff and students, has planned all of the events to celebrate the centennial. Thursday afternoon, the committee held a picnic on the ESF quad. More than 400 faculty, students, administrative members, and alumni ate birthday cake and watched a video commemorating SUNY-ESF’s history.

Before the start of the Green Tie Dinner, guests mingled outside Moon Library for cocktails. Among the crowd was Stu Hosler, member of the ESF Alumni Association Board of Directors. He remarked on the changes

on campus since his arrival as a freshman in 1948, particularly the addition of Illick Hall, the library in 1968 and Centennial Hall, the first on-campus SUNY-ESF dormitory, set to open this fall.

‘It gives me a real chill,’ he said, spotting several students from his graduating class of 1952.

Only two and a half months since he graduated with the 100th ESF class, Ryan Henry stepped back onto the ESF campus to celebrate his alma mater’s anniversary. During his five undergraduate years, Henry

cheered on SU sports teams as a member of the cheerleading squad, but also actively promoted a stronger sports presence in ESF, helping create the Mighty Oaks mascot.

‘I had a great opportunity to be part of SU, but I would always bleed green as well as orange,’ he said.

Eugene Law, an environmental resources engineering senior, said he was excited to celebrate the anniversary with those who shared similar environmental ideals.

‘The celebration marks 100 years of environmental leadership,’ he said. ‘And hopefully, they’ll be another 100 years after this.’

Guests made their way into the tent, illuminated with green lights. Two projection screens streamed live video footage of separate alumni celebrations in Boston, Scarsdale, and Saratoga Springs.

Slides of old and current photos of students and the ESF campus flashed onscreen as guest speakers, including SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Senator John DeFrancisco, congratulated ESF.

When Mayor Stephanie Miner took the stage, she told the crowd that the Syracuse community valued ESF’s commitment to remaining firm in its acknowledgment of human responsibility in environmental protection.

She said that since its establishment, the school has never failed to be at the forefront of promoting energy sustainability and tackling climate change.

‘That leadership has been here in ESF when it has been sexy in 2011 and when it has been less than sexy in 1911,’ she said. ‘And that is true leadership: to stay very committed to your principals when

they’re popular and when they’re unnoticed.’

Halfway through the dinner, SUNY-ESF Provost Bruce Bongarten announced the recipient of the 2011 Feinstone Environmental Award scholarship: the Edna Bailey Sussman Fund, dedicated to supporting internships for graduate students.

Murphy joined the stage and said ESF is poised to continue conducting the necessary research and providing solutions to environmental issues with its expanding global presence, citing ESF’s 57 research projects outside the U.S. He also announced the Centennial Campaign, ESF’s largest fundraising campaign, has raised 11.5 million and expects to reach its 20 million dollar target to finance innovative academic

programs, more student scholarships, and the development of future facilities on campus.

‘It’s incredible what the future will bring to this institution and what this institution will bring to the future,’ he said.

After the screening of the Centennial video, which chronicled the history of ESF, and the champagne toast, Murphy asked guests to set off their party poppers to close out the formalities of the evening.

‘Happy birthday,’ Murphy called out over the firecracker-like snaps. A flurry of green streamers and multi-colored confetti whirled around the tent as guests moved to the south end for a dessert reception and

live music.

‘I think it was an extraordinary celebration,’ Murphy said, smiling. ‘It was very fitting of the 100th birthday of ESF. And I know there’s going to be many more birthdays.’

kkim40@syr.edu

Published on July 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm