PROVO -- The ceremony was almost as colorful and ambitious as Ernest L. Wilkinson himself.
Beneath clear blue skies and before 8,000 spectators gathered on a sun-drenched outdoor plaza, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the new Ernest L. Wilkinson Student Center Tuesday afternoon. The building was originally built in the mid-1960s and has undergone extensive remodeling and expansion the past four years. At the time the student center was constructed, it was the largest of its kind in the country.President Hinckley and BYU President Merrill J. Bateman praised the modernized center as well as the hard-working, visionary man for which it was named. Wilkinson, who was selected as the Founders' Day honoree for Homecoming Week, served 20 years as the school's president and is credited for molding BYU into what it is today.
"He left his imprint on this great institution," President Hinckley said. "This building is an extension of the great shadow of Ernest L. Wilkinson."
During his two-decade tenure, Wilkinson, known for his no-nonsense, aggressive style, headed a recruiting campaign that saw enrollment jump from 4,004 in 1951 to 25,116 in 1971. He also oversaw an 80 percent increase in the number of buildings on upper campus. One of those buildings, the Wilkinson Center, has been known for years as "the campus living room."
President Hinckley said such a structure, which he called a shining emblem of BYU, is necessary in a university setting. "It has been a centerpoint for student activity," he said. "Students who grind away in their studies need a respite . . . this they will find inside the walls of this structure."
Now that renovation is complete, the Wilkinson Student Center is 498,000 square feet -- 100,000 square feet larger than before. It houses, among other things, the BYU Student Association offices, the Varsity Theater, the Honor Code Office, a post office, the Dean of Student Life Office, an expanded Cougareat, a bowling alley, a computer lab, a copy center, the BYU Bookstore and facilities on the fifth floor for NewsNet, where the Daily Universe and KBYU News operate.
Wilkinson conceptualized a student gathering place early in his administration and in 1953 instituted a student building fee to make it a reality. Of the $6.7 million cost, 60 percent was paid for by students, said Student Life Vice President Alton Wade. Prior to the building's approval for construction, Wilkinson made a proposal to the school's Board of Trustees. Afterward, he was asked to step outside, leaving him to wonder if he was going to be terminated from his post because of his grandiose plans. When Wilkinson returned to the meeting, he was surprised to learn that not only would the student center be approved, it would also bear his name.
"From the beginning his heart was with the students," Bateman said. "He loved young people. He was a great builder, not only of buildings, but of men and women."
For the dedication ceremonies, thousands of folding chairs and several bleachers were set up in the plaza area (now known as "Brigham Square"), between the Wilkinson Student Center and the Harold B. Lee Library to accommodate the crowd, which endured unseasonably hot temperatures.
As part of the dedicatory services, the school presented a time capsule. It will be sealed for opening in 2065, the 100th anniversary of the opening of the original center. Among the items placed in the capsule include a bowling pin, a student ID card with the image of Cosmo the Cougar, a set of scriptures with a letter signed by the LDS Church's First Presidency, compact discs from various musical groups on campus, a 1998 football jersey (number 99), and an empty container of LaVell's Vanilla Ice Cream, produced by the BYU Dairy.
After offering a dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley helped cut a ribbon that encircled the Wilkinson Student Center. The strands of blue ribbons were signed by thousands of students.
Earlier Tuesday, BYU kicked off its weeklong Homecoming festivities at the Marriott Center with a video presentation on Wilkinson and a speech by his son, Doug. Afterwards, a fireworks display exploded inside the Marriott Center as the Cougar Marching Band played a stirring rendition of the school fight song.
Janie Thompson, 78, who helped create two touring shows at BYU -- Young Ambassadors and Living Legends -- sang a special tribute she wrote to longtime football coach LaVell Edwards and his football team. Thompson will be the grand marshal of Saturday's Homecoming Parade.
But clearly, the day belonged to Wilkinson, who was born 100 years ago last May.
"I honor him, we all honor him, for the foundation he laid," Bateman said. "This (BYU) is a special place. He was a special man."