Loving dedication: ceremonies honor Casotti, Palmer & other contributions

The dedication of a new display of scholarship awards and plaques in the Armory on Oct. 25 included an introduction of the School's newest scholarship program, the Fred Casotti Sports Information Scholarship. A sculpture honoring Casotti was created by artist John Haertling, left. Pat O'Connor Adam, center, helped fund the scholarship. She's congratulated by Interim Dean Stewart Hoover. Adam's daughter, Naomi, 5, is in front.

It had the warmth of a family reunion, but, then, that's what it was on Oct. 25 when scores of faculty members, alumni and other friends of the School gathered to commemorate dozens of new scholarship and awards plaques and displays now bedecking the walls of the Armory.

Presiding over the ceremony, Interim Dean Stewart Hoover said the awards "are an important record of our accomplishments over the years and of our relationships with the network of alumni, friends and supporters that so enrich academic life."

Hoover officially introduced one of the School's newest scholarship programs, the Fred Casotti ('49) Sports Information Scholarship. A commemorative wall sculpture featuring the late Casotti was installed on the Armory's top floor.

"He was not only a professional but also a mentor and a teacher. He embodied the idea that all of us on a campus like CU are involved in the education process whether we are in the classroom regularly or not," Hoover said.

Dave Plati and Rich Clarkson

Athletic Director Dick Tharp and Athletic Media Relations Director Dave Plati ('82) also paid tribute to Casotti.

"He never saw a distinction between athletics, which he loved, and his profession, which he loved," Tharp said.

Plati noted how Casotti's loyalty inspired the same in others.

"I can look around this room and see at least 20 people who were good friends with Fred," he said.

The Casotti Scholarship Fund was established with a lead gift from Pat O'Connor Adam ('80). Adam, who was a student assistant in CU-Boulder's sports information office during her undergraduate days, went on to work for the Boulder Daily Camera.

She later worked in the public information field and formed her own publishing company.

Bob Palmer and former KCNC-Channel 4 co-anchor Amy Sporer

Also honored during the event were Gloria and Bob Palmer ('60). Hoover recognized the scholarship that bears their name and rededicated the sculpture featuring Bob Palmer that was recently relocated from Macky Auditorium to the Armory. Local artist John Haertling created the Casotti and Palmer pieces.

Richard Byyny, chancellor of the Boulder campus, called Casotti and Palmer "legendary figures" in CU's history.

"Fred had a significant and lasting impact on the athletic department and numerous journalism students who worked with him during his 50 years with the university," Byyny said.

"Bob Palmer, Colorado's best-known TV newsman for 33 years, set a high standard for us with his professionalism and a sincere on-air style that has kept him in the hearts of Coloradans even after several years of retirement," he said.

Hoover then dedicated the new array of awards on the Armory's main floor.

Jack Holden ('48) holds a digital camera his donation purchased for the Campus Press as photo editor Patrick Kelley explains its advantages.

"Any of you who remember the way we displayed our awards in Macky will recall that they were a bit haphazard and polyglot in form," he said. "They were and are a wonderful record, but they suffered a bit aesthetically.

"We owe a great debt of gratitude tonight to Dave Manzanares, who offered to rectify that situation by remounting all of our awards in new settings and giving the galleries a unified and dignified look."

Manzanares and his family have endowed a scholarship in the memory of his late brother, Dominic Manzanares.