WSC alum to celebrate 991 birthday in Nov. By Craig V. Nelson, WSC News Bureau than a year when a five-year mission call from the L.D.S. Church took him to Turkey. “Two years to learn the Paes When this year's winner of the WSC Alumni "Meritorious Service Award" was born there was no pavement on Ogden streets and the elecjr poles for the street cars ran down the middle of the road. At 98, William Arthur Budge is Weber State's oldest known living alumni and was born four years before the college itself. “Of course I live a lot in the past ciation ied dad now,” Budge said speaking of his age, “It's cheaper." Budge received the award from the WSC Alumni Emeritus Association during their annual banquet. Budge is a slim five foot five-and-ahalf inches who parted his once black ‘hair in the middle when he was a forward on the college basketball team. “You didn't have to be seven foot in these-days. You just had to be fast,” he-said. Budge entered what was then the Weber Academy when “he was 18 years old. Beside being active in basketball, he was a member of the ) Weber Academy Choir and_ the Ogden Tabernacle Chior. Under the direction of E.W. Nichols, father of the famous “Red Nichols," Budge also played. the baritone horn in the Academy band. During his junior year he was president of a class of 17 which included | Moroni Olson, later to become an in- ternational actor, and future WSC President Aaron Tracy. _ When he graduated in 1907, David O. McKay, then principal of the school, urged Budge to go into teaching. “I fought with David O. for | three days because I didn't want to teach school," he said. “Finally he let me have the degree in science, but I ended up teaching anyway." Budge had been out of school less language and three years to do missionary work," he said. But hostilities between the Turks and the Armenians resulted in the mission being closed and, after spending a year in Turkey, he was sent to Scotland. When he returned to Ogden he married Jennie Farr, whom he had met at the Academy, and took a job teaching at Central Junior High School. He said, “I saw the superintendent on Saturday night and on’ Monday morning I was teaching, but I had to do a lot of studying.” He stayed at that job, making $700 a year, for five-and-a-half years. But since he was only employed nine months out of the year he had various jobs through the summers. One summer he heard of an opening at Security State Bank and applied. Even though he knew nothing about banking he was hired. He quit his job teaching and began working “in the cage," handling accounts and working the books year round. He retired from what became Commercial Security Bank 42 years later as one of the bank's vice presidents. Budge currently holds a standardcertificate in the American Institute of Banking and was president of the Ogden Chapter. He was a delegate to three National American Institute of Banking conventions and gave a paper at one of them. "I have done a lot of studying in banking," he said. Active in the L-D.S. Church Budge was a bishop for 15 years, in two stake presidencies, one as president, for 17 years and has served as a Stake Patriarch for the past 31 years. He served for six years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital and was also a member of Arthur Budge, Weber State's oldest known living alumni, looks at the 1907 yearbook that recaps the year he graduated. Budge will be 99 this November. the Boy Scout Co-mcil of America and the Ogden Chamber He has been a director of the Asael Farr and Sons Company and is currently an active member of the “Sons of the Utah Pioneers” and the Lions Club. As recently as three years ago he sold programs at WSC football games that the Lion's Club sponsored. Mr. Budge and his wife, who recently passed away, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary and three months his junior. “If I'd have known Id live this long I'd have taken better care of myself.” said Budge who will be 99 ir November and is: still amazingly healthy. Though his failing eyesight restricts him from driving he is still able to attend club and church functions as well as visit friends. sion Budge said, "I-hope to be around little while longer." they received letters of con- | 1984 Activities ot ne lel gratulations trom President. Ronald Reagan and Elder LeGrande Richards, a personal friend of Budge almost three years ago. On this occai- Homecoming Alumni of Commerce. October 22 Family October 23 Reception for Artists, 7:30, exhibit will be up all week. October 26 Homecoming Banquet, Distinguished Service Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented. Night, Dee Events Center, October 5-8:30 p.m. includes Kayla Gabbert, 27 President's Challenge ‘84, registration at 8 a.m., race begins at 9 a.m. sharp! Distance 5,000 meters (or 3.1 miles). Homecoming and Class Reunions: Class of '34 will hold 50-year reunion; Class of '59 will hold 25-year reunion. Stadium, Football Game, vs Nevada/Reno, 1 p.m. For information 626-6469. call WSC Alumni Office see more about Homecoming at (801) 1984 on page 2 a