Awards and Recognition
Bear Down Award
Performance of noteworthy and meritorious service on behalf of The University of Arizona
Homecoming 2008 Award Winners
Jon Alquist, Michele Schulze and Frank Soltys Jr.
Jon W. Alquist, Michele A. Schulze, and Frank W. Soltys Jr. have dedicated years to two very meaningful projects that will live on forever in the hearts of Wildcats — the re-establishment of the Territorial Cup for The University of Arizona and Arizona State University football rivalry and the creation and subsequent installation of a highway marker to commemorate the legacy of John “Button” Salmon.
Initially awarded in 1899, the Territorial Cup trophy was presented to the winning football team following each season’s UA vs. ASU game. After returning to Tempe, its whereabouts became unknown, as it was lost for many, many decades.
In 1986, Frank saw a blurb about the cup in the Arizona Republic and began a campaign to identify the cup and bring it back as the official trophy. Jon saw the cup on display at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, when it was part of a Super Bowl XXX exhibit from October 1994 through January 1996.
Unable to secure the official blessings needed, Frank and Jon asked Michele to help. She went to then UA President Peter Likins for his help, since ASU officials were not interested in championing the cause. Likins loved it. He enlisted then-ASU President Lattie Coor, and with the two president’s support, the cup was lovingly welcomed back with much fanfare and celebration. Luckily for us, the UA won that game!
In 2001, the NCAA certified the Territorial Cup as the oldest rivalry trophy in the country.
The second team project was to have a State of Arizona roadside marker erected near the site of the fatal car accident of John “Button” Salmon in 1926. Frank had envisioned the marker in 1985. Twenty one years later, it became a reality and was dedicated on April 27, 2008. Frank and Michele worked with members of the Salmon family and Jon rallied the UA Lettermen’s Club. The three made a presentation to the lettermen's board and an insert was put in their newsletter to solicit the necessary funds. Jon wrote the copy for the plaque, and Michele worked with the Arizona Department of Transportation to secure approval of the plaque and location, as well as coordinating the plaque’s casting and the marker’s fabrication.
Jon, Michele, and Frank selflessly undertook these projects and accomplished their goal — to celebrate the UA’s legacy today and preserve it for future generations of Wildcats. We are proud to present the Bear Down Award to Jon W. Alquist, Michele A. Schulze, and Frank W. Soltys Jr.
Klindt Breckenridge
Over the past 27 years, Klindt D. Breckenridge, University of Arizona Class of 1981, has designed and studied nearly 85 new and renovated facilities for his alma mater.
Since his days as a UA Residence Life resident assistant and UA Department of Physical Resources Intern Drafter from 1976-1981, to his adjunct faculty position at Pima Community College from 1991to 1993, Klindt has provided service to the UA.
From the halls of Greenlee to the fields of Hillenbrand and beyond, Klindt’s architectural expertise is evident in every plan and report, and one could say that it also is embedded in every, brick, and mortar in buildings and facilities across the university’s campus.
His extensive university résumé includes additions and renovations to McKale Center, Eddie Lynch Pavilion, agricultural science addition, Student Recreation Center, and Alumni Plaza. Other projects include the Optical Sciences Labs, Fine Arts Annex, and the hydrodynamics lab.
The UA is, in essence, Klindt’s home away from home, and his commitment to the university is clearly evident in the quality and quantity of his work. We are delighted to present the Bear Down Award to Klindt D. Breckenridge.
David D. Lee
David D. Lee, clinical instructor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, is a 1977 graduate of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy who has worked for his alma mater for the past 26 years, giving pharmacy students their first important immersion into pharmaceutical calculations and pharmacy practice lab and lecture.
When David is not teaching, he works in the Department of Pharmacy Services at University Medical Center. For many years he has successfully balanced his duties at the college with those of caring for very ill patients at UMC. He consistently goes the extra mile in his pharmacy endeavors, while remaining a true UA supporter. David lives and breathes red and blue, and attends many university sporting events and annual Homecoming events.
David has given of himself unselfishly in support of the college, its students, and to the community. He regularly participates in and is a donor to annual student fundraising events, as well as volunteering for the MEDCAMP, MEDSTART, and PHARMCAMP academic outreach programs. These programs engage the minds of our developing youth, and jump-start their interest in a future at the UA in the medical or pharmaceutical professions.
As faculty adviser to the Phi Delta Chi-Alpha Nu Chapter, David has provided many years of support to the group’s fundraising efforts and enhanced public awareness for causes including the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, helping children at Tucson Medical Center celebrate Halloween, adopting families for the holidays, and much more.
David has proven, without a doubt, that he has performed noteworthy and meritorious service on behalf of his alma mater, he loves this community, and he has made it his life.
The University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Pharmacy are honored to present the Bear Down Award to David D. Lee.