Nic Honors Former President Auditorium Bears Name Of Controversial Barry Schuler
Former North Idaho College President Barry Schuler reacted with delight Thursday to the news that a college auditorium would be named after him.
Schuler left NIC in 1986 in the midst of controversy. But on Wednesday night the school’s board of trustees decided that any lingering bad feelings were outweighed by his accomplishments during 18 years.
Board chairman Norm Gissel broke a tie vote, bestowing Schuler’s name on the auditorium in Boswell Hall.
“The auditorium was one of my proudest achievements because of the wonderful impetus it’s given to music, speakers, lecturers and cultural events of all kinds in the beautiful setting of North Idaho,” Schuler said.
He listed among his other accomplishments the construction of the science building; establishment of a nursing program; preservation of the beach on Lake Coeur d’Alene, which was targeted for condominium development, and expanding vocational-technical programs.
Since leaving Coeur d’Alene, Schuler has presided over Williamson Free School, a private vo-tech college near Philadelphia.
He said he has no regrets about his leadership of NIC.
Some people, though, recall how he refused to renew the contract of a journalism instructor who wouldn’t kill a story that Schuler wanted kept out of the school newspaper. And how he allowed the school to pay for landscape improvements for his daughter’s on-campus wedding. He paid for the work after it was publicized.
The auditorium honor was opposed by three organizations representing students, faculty and staff. The college senate also was against it.
Their major objection was that naming the auditorium will detract from the memory of Joyce Boswell, the teacher for whom the communication/ fine arts building was named.
“We were disappointed,” senate chair Ann Johnston said Thursday of the decision. “The senate was more than happy to entertain other alternatives for honoring former president Schuler.”
The name change was proposed by former trustee Donald Sausser.
“It’s always nice to win one,” Sausser said. “The winning, of course, is in honoring Barry Schuler for the service he gave to the college and the community.”
Sausser said he did not know what it would cost to put up a sign bearing Schuler’s name, or who would pay for that. He expects that there will be a dedication or other event to honor Schuler and his wife.
Schuler said he was last in Coeur d’Alene about three years ago.
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