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 STANDING as
a silent sentinel on the hill, the Thomas E. Ricks Building
overlooks the campus of Brigham Young University–Idaho and the city
of Rexburg. The Ricks Building’s vantage point at the top of campus
is a perfect location to observe how far the area has come since it
was settled in February of 1883. Where the hill was once bare, it is
now thriving as thousands of students come from all around the world
for their education. The journey started by the building’s namesake,
Thomas E. Ricks, continues to grow, and his memory will be honored
as his name remains a lasting part of the BYU–Idaho campus.
As the newest facility on
campus, the Ricks Building opened its doors to students for Winter
Semester 2005. Its unpretentious design mirrors Thomas E. Ricks’
life—quietly dedicated to service and function, to exploration and
learning. The 56,200-square-foot, L-shaped building includes 23
classrooms, 58 offices, and four secretarial reception areas. The
Ricks Building houses the Department of Mathematics; the Department
of Psychology; the Department of Sociology and Social Work; and the
Department of History, Geography, and Political Science. The
building’s completion fulfills President Gordon B. Hinckley’s
reassurance given in June 2000 when announcing that Ricks College
would become a baccalaureate-granting institution named Brigham
Young University–Idaho. He said, “The memory of Thomas E. Ricks will
continue to be appropriately honored and perpetuated.” Even though
the name of the school has changed, the “Spirit of Ricks” remains.
Awareness and respect for those who paved the way continue to
thrive. The foundations of this campus are not built with brick or
stone; they are built with obedience, love, and service to the Lord.
Thomas Edwin Ricks was a devoted
father and husband, a courageous explorer and colonizer, an
enterprising businessman, and an instrumental leader in founding the
school now known as Brigham Young University–Idaho which carried the
Ricks name from 1902-2001. A convert to the Church, Thomas E. Ricks
demonstrated a willingness to serve from an early age when he toiled
in the construction of the Nauvoo Temple. At the age of 20, he
crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley and was later called or
volunteered five times to assist others in their trek west. During
one exodus, Thomas and others met with Indians who had driven off
their cattle. Three shots left him on the ground. As related by
himself later, Thomas struggled for life and felt uncertain of his
fate until a voice came to him, clearly and audibly: “You will not
die; you will go to the valley of the mountains and there you will
do a great work in your day and generation.”
Thomas did just that
as he worked as a colonizer to identify potential settlement
locations in what became the states of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. He
knew there was a great potential yet to be realized, especially in
starting an academy in Rexburg. Ricks said, “We must educate our
children as there are important positions awaiting them.” The
mission set forth by Thomas E. Ricks extends over time and
generations whether the education came from the years of an academy
or now as a university. At the funeral for Thomas E. Ricks,
President Joseph F. Smith said, “It may be a long time before we
find another man his equal in honor, mind, and unswerving loyalty to
the cause of God and his people.”
When Elder
David A. Bednar announced that a new facility and the nearby
demonstration gardens would be named the Thomas E. Ricks Building
and Gardens, he said, “It is most appropriate that this new academic
building and beautiful garden area bear the name of Thomas E. Ricks
as a lasting tribute to his valiant and pioneering educational
efforts.”
The changes to the Ricks Gardens come not only in name but also
in function and format. Byron John, the Department of Horticulture
faculty member who oversees the gardens, says they were a bit hidden
before but will now be used and experienced by more people. Walkways
have been added as the Gardens have become a quad used by students
going to the Ricks, Hinckley, Benson, Taylor, and Kimball Buildings.
One hope is that students will feel encouraged to slow down and
appreciate the beauty of the landscape. Formerly known as the
Horticulture Research and Demonstration Gardens, the gardens were
originally approved in 1974 as a 10-acre classroom extension for the
horticulture program. The plot developed through hands-on learning
projects as students added elevations to the landscape, constructed
features, and planted a vast variety of trees and vegetation. “The
gardens were built year by year for over 30 years. The result was a
little bit choppy,” explains John. “The remodel brought unity and
cohesiveness by pulling everything back together. Visually and
functionally they make a lot more sense.”
In dedicating the Thomas E. Ricks Building and Gardens on
February 18, 2005, Elder Bednar expressed appreciation for the Ricks
heritage and the tradition of loyalty. “The on-going tribute we pay
to Thomas E. Ricks, a tribute far more meaningful and significant
than naming a university or a building or a garden in his honor, is
that the workings of the Holy Ghost in this sacred and set apart
place are affectionately and warmly referred to as the ‘Spirit of
Ricks.’”
 He
continued, “The ‘Spirit of Ricks’ suggests the spirituality, the
desire for obedience, the personal caring and warmth, the humility
and modesty, the friendliness, the genuine concern for others, the
bright smiles and cheerful hellos, and so many other things that
make this university an unusually inviting, supporting, and
nurturing place.”
As this Spirit is preserved and enhanced, the Thomas E. Ricks
Building will stand as a silent reminder of pioneering perseverance
and the ascending aspirations of those who continue to follow
pathways of education in an environment of faith.SM
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