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Show Page 12 The Thunderfnrd Wednesday May 29, 1 985 Sherratt: We must strive for excellence in all we do (continued from page 11) opportunity to act on at least the fringes of show business. It was a kick, he says. It provided me with as escape valve and was rather nice to be acquainted with people from the business and to find that theyre just like us. The list of those Sherratt worked with on the pageant and other endeavors is an impressive one and includes such names as James Stewart, Peter Strauss, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Michael Landon, John Denver, Bob Hope, Arte Johnson, Dirk Benedict, Tim Matheson, Mel Torme, Duke Ellington, James Brolin, John Davidson, David and Meredith Baxter Birney, and Ben Murphy, not to mention the then host of Death Valley Days, an actor of some note, Ronald Reagan. Sherratt also enjoyed an almost annual winter trip to New York where hed take in every Broadway show he could fit in, just to get away from it all. He hasnt the time any longer, though. In 1979, when Royden Braithwaites tenure as president of SUSC was coming to a close, the name of Jerry Sherratt was bandied about as a possible successor. He had more than a small cadre of supporters on campus and in the community. In the end, he lost out to Orville Carnahan of the office of the Commissioner of Higher Education for Utah. It was said that Sherratt failed to land the job partially because he had never been married, a somewhat odd Saint man in his middle ages. situation for a Latter-da- y Two years later, after Carnahan had departed for Utah Technical College at Salt Lake, Sherratt used his bachelorhood to his credit when interviewed for the presidency. Without the pressures of a family life, he told the Regents, he could devote all his time and energies into making SUSC the institution he envisioned and the Regents seemed to desire. He travels to the capitol at least once a month, and spends a total of perhaps 30 days a year there. Its a continual battle, he says. I just hope that we never set our goals too low and become he says. We cant measure ourselves by what other institutions do. We must be the best we can. He notes that the disappointments engendered by a been said by those critics that he places an amount of importance on the sizzle than the steak, that style often overwhelms substance in his work for the college. The thrust for a special events center at the expense of what some others claimed were more important endeavors drew some fire. Its been said that he cares more about image than anything else. Characteristally, Sherratt does not argue this point too strenuously. Among the most important things for any college is its image, he says. Its often the thing that gives value to a diploma. If youre known as Suntan U, youre not going to be putting out graduates who will be held in particularly high favor with employers. The self fulfilling prophecy has a lot of merit here. If people think of you as one way, ultimately you become that Its 23-ye- perhaps the quintessential confirmed Sherratt I doubt that Ill ever marry, he because Ive lived too long doing what I tt want when I want to do it. Marriage isnt like that. Jy Nobody could live with me. Id hate to fight over which television program to watch. Theres a touch of what might best be described as pensiveness tinging the corners of Sherratts eyes as he says those words. He admits that although he relishes the freedom bachelorhood allows him, his greatest regret in life is not having a family. seated As he says those words, a longtime next to him shows definite signs of surprise. Later the . administrator says the sentiment expressed by the president was the first of its kind he had ever heard. As it is, his life does not seem to be particularly lonely. Again, he spends little time at home and when he does, hes often working. When not, he reads. Both Time and Neiwuieek are digested each week, cover to cover. He watches a bit of television, works on preparing the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School lesson he teaches in the Cedar City eighth ward of the LDS Church, and retires at 11 p.m.. He rises at 6:30 or 7. I sleep really well, he says, and Im happy about that. Theres so much that happens in a day that could ruin my sleep and Im glad that it doesnt. You have to do a lot of things you wish you didnt have to in this job, he says. Its a great obligation to all the students who come to school here. If I take off too much time I feel guilty. He takes his mission with utmost seriousness. We have the opportunity to be the best teaching college in Utah and maybe we are now. Id like us to be recognized as such. We have an excellent faculty, were getting our facilities in place and our funding is being improved somewhat." Does he miss teaching? Its easier to live without it than I thought it would be, he says. Its fun to teach, but I cant do it. Id always be canceling class to go somewhere. He is almost quarterly unable to teach his portion of affair because he was freshman orientation a one-daneeded in Salt Lake City. is er y A desk is confining, he says, "and I never dictate. I write everything out longhand. Its a waste of time for a secretary to transcribe from dictation because when its in printed form it generally needs to be retyped anyway. His writing truly takes up a lot of his time, and its his dedication to the feel of what he has to say that often gives his critics an extra salvo. Sherrattworks well with employees, including Karrie Sue Randall, secretary to the vice president for college relations. . conservative legislature should not be cause for scapegoatism. In many cases success isnt dependent on money. Commitment made this school what it is and it will be commitment that will continue to make it great. Everybody, however, must be working toward the same goals. We cannot afford to have splinters. This, he says is one of the great dichotomies in education. In graduate schools, professors are trained to be critical, and while that is often admirable trait, we must teach our students to be positive-mindeIts not always easy for Sherratt to be positive-minde- d y when faced with the grueling challenges that are inherent in the job. Its not always fun, he says. This job is a lot of work and its not always pleasant work.' I know theyre a lot of lives depending on what decisions we make here. Sherratt makes those decisions after much thought and consideration. They are decisions that spring from pools of long ponderance, from periods of time when college-relate- d matters insinuate themselves into Sherratts every waking hour. Im on the job all the time, he says, and it starts with breakfasts I have to attend. Im president all the time. I recognize that I represent the aspirations for an entire institution. And I have an ever deeper commitment than many college presidents in that my ancestors sacrificed greatly to bring the college into being. Its my mission to make the college a better school than when I came. Since I have no children, its day-to-da- my legacy. His days are characteristically filled with meetings, and, he says, Theyre not always stimulating. Those meetings are often in his office, which is a relatively spartan one. His expansive desk of Danish walnut serves largely as a waystation for the stacks of papers and correspondence that flow through his hands. The muted orange chair in front of the desk has most probably been used by others more often than by him in the past three years. When speaking on the phone that sits on the desk., the president stands. He works and meets with people around a rectangular conference table in the middle of the room. Writing commands a great deal of his time while hes seated at that table. way. We must strive for excellence in everything we do, he says. We owe that to our students if to no one else. And, he says, we must seek an excellent reputation in everything we do, from athletics to our buildings and other facilities. Im just as excited about the great successes of our students in debate, business, music and other fields as I am about our success in He obtaining a quality facility like the Centrum. heard like criticisms before he took this job criticisms that hes not too concerned with academic pursuits. Thats not the case at all, he says. Its all a part of the institution. I know how it all works, he says, alluding to his degrees and 28 years of experience. But Im not really a threat to revamp the entire academic atmosphere of this college. The academicians teach. Thats their job. The business office takes care of business. Thats their job. Weve got good people here. I let them do their job. I learned that from Glen Taggart: Dont look over shoulders. Much of his time is spent dealing with problems. Were always putting out fires, he says. Theres not enough hours in a day and the days go by so quickly. Theres not enough time for organization. he has enough time to organize fights with the and with the Legislature. Hes fought for the programs hes wanted and equally hard to change things he felt were less than beneficial to SUSC. The battle over the fifth-yea- r accountancy requirement is an example. Ive been called aggressive, he says. Everyone has his own turf. Youve got to speak up for what you believe in. I dont feel I should be loved by the other colleges in the state. If I am, I dont think Im doing my job for this school. I hope they respect me for it though. Im sure the know the reason why I am the way I am. I simply believe our students shouldnt get less than the best. Sherratt also believes that the college owes something to the community. Among the roles of the college is to act as a catalyst for the area, to make life better in southern Utah. And were trying to do that in many ways, from offering cultural programs to the emphasis on vocational education. Were a great part of the hope for the future. We lost the mines after 100 years. Now were putting our faith into the college. Thats quite a burden to assume. But well take it. Jerry Sherratt has been assuming burdens for most of his 53 years. Hes been assuming them for a cast of people who have depended upon him to shape some kind of final product into a homogeneous whole one that might make Alfred Hitchcock proud. As he works his angles and edits the takes, hes got one eye on that project and another on whats next, like any good director is expected to do. Still, |