Connecting with Aggie friends

Connecting with Aggie friends

Don Roth, NSA, '39, meets Joni Taylor Petersen, UNSTA, '87 at an alumni reception in Chadron. (NCTA Photo)
Don Roth, NSA, '39, meets Joni Taylor Petersen, UNSTA, '87 at an alumni reception in Chadron. (NCTA Photo)

May 28, 2018

NCTA Dean’s Column by Ron Rosati, Ph.D.

Alumni and students of the ag campus in Curtis are invited to the 2018 Aggie Alumni Association reunion on June 16-17.  The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture will host alumni at campus with an evening banquet at the Curtis Memorial Community Center.

Our NCTA community enjoys a strong relationship with alumni who have attended the high school or college here at the agricultural campus.

The vast majority of the 4,300 living graduates reside in Nebraska. We try to stay in contact with as many as possible through social media, mailings and the news media.

Three weeks ago, I had opportunity to connect with a few of these alumni during visits to campuses at North Platte, Scottsbluff and Chadron. After conversations with college administrators in those communities, I joined colleagues from the University of Nebraska in greeting alumni.

That was enjoyable to gather and share updates about NCTA and our many activities here. Thanks to the friends from the Curtis and North Platte areas for joining us in North Platte.

And, it was great to meet new friends in western Nebraska at Scottsbluff and Chadron, including one who may be our oldest living alumnus.

Donald Roth and his siblings were raised on a farm near Hayes Center and they attended the residential high school at the Nebraska School of Agriculture in Curtis. Don graduated with the NSA Aggie Class of 1939.

He went on to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying agriculture, judging on the livestock judging team and graduating in 1943. Don brought his UNL yearbook along to show the photo of his judging team.

Now, he lives in Gordon, and will be 99 in July. It was great to meet Don and his daughter and I am glad they made the effort to attend the reception that morning.

I look forward to meeting more of the graduates of the Aggie high school which operated from 1913 to 1968. Join us for a day filled with reminiscing and campus activities on June 16!

The school became a post-secondary institution with the establishment in 1965 of the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture (UNSTA). Its mission and added academic programs continued in 1988 as NCTA.

The UNSTA-NCTA Alumni Association has proposed a bylaws change to incorporate all graduates of the Curtis campus eligible for alumni membership as the Aggie Alumni Association. Members will vote on the new title and bylaws updates at the annual business meeting on June 16. I hope to see you there!

To register or for details, call Catherine at (308) 367-5200 or see https://ncta.unl.edu/activities/aggie-alumni.

Download a PDF of this press release