IU President Michael McRobbie presided over his final public event as IU’s president Wednesday, a dedication ceremony for the Teaching, Research and Exhibition Center and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
McRobbie opened the event by thanking those in the audience before mentioning that the improvements for both the TREC and museum are part of the Bicentennial Repair and Rehabilitation Plan, with $62 million of the funding for the entirety of the plan coming from the state of Indiana.
Another source of funding was from billionaire Gayle Cook, McRobbie said.
“The two facilities that we dedicate today are longtime landmarks that, for some time, have been in need of renovation and restoration, and that is probably a massive understatement,” McRobbie said.
A principal focus of the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology will be pro-Colombian Native American civilizations of the Midwest, McRobbie said, with multiple artifacts coming from the Angel Mounds State Historical Site in Evansville, Indiana.
Following his opening remarks, McRobbie introduced IU Vice President for Research Fred H. Cate, who took time during his own remarks to praise McRobbie.
“It is so important to remember that while you can have a beautiful orchestra, you need somebody to blow the certain trumpet, to know the direction you're heading,and we are all here today to express our gratitude to a man who for 14 years has blown that trumpet,” Cate said.
Other speakers at the event included President and Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Cathryn Ferree, IU Executive Director of University Collections Heather Calloway and IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Executive Director Edward Herrmann.
Prior to the official dedication, McRobbie awarded Cate with the President’s Medal for Excellence. Afterward, Cate presented McRobbie with symbolic keys to both the TREC and the museum.
“These facilities open up a world of possibilities for everyone in the Indiana University community and far beyond,” Cate said.
