Like many of us, when I hear the name “Marriott,” I immediately think of a high quality international hotel chain known for its pleasant and helpful staff and excellent accommodations. Did you know that this business might not have come into being had it not been for a former Weber professor?

Marriott International founder J. Willard Marriott did not start life as a privileged businessman. In fact, he had little more than a middle school education and was in debt to the bank after a family livestock speculation went awry. He had no idea then of what the future would hold, but he knew that the only way to improve his situation was through education.

Aaron Tracy, a local teacher who would later become president of Weber College, saw something special in Marriott’s determination. Tracy helped Marriott complete the back work needed for his high school studies, helped him apply to Weber College, and found odd jobs around the campus to help him pay for tuition. Despite a crushing schedule of classes and jobs, Marriott found time to serve as student body president and to teach theology. He graduated from Weber College and went on to attend the University of Utah before entering the service industry.

Marriott built a summer root beer stand and winter hot shop into a franchise of drive-in restaurants, and eventually into the worldwide hotel chain it is today. His son, J.W. Marriott Jr., who spoke at Weber State University’s spring commencement and was awarded an honorary degree, says, “I think a lot about what would have happened if Aaron Tracy and Weber College had not given my dad a chance.”

At Weber State, Aaron Tracy’s legacy of mentoring students is still alive today. Our 22 to 1 student to teacher ratio allows our faculty to form close, personal relationships with students. The importance of these relationships cannot be overestimated. Whether a student goes on to establish an internationally renowned business or becomes a stay-at-home parent, the personal and professional investments we make in their lives will stay with them long after they graduate.

Like the ripples that radiate outward when a stone is thrown into water, the impact we have on our students resonates throughout not only their lives, but through their families and their communities. By graduating motivated, inspired students, we’re improving our community, our state and our nation.

In an age when we rely so much on impersonal communication—through e-mail, memos, text messages and the like—it’s refreshing to be part of a university with faculty so dedicated to offering a personalized educational experience.

Too often college students are just another number in the enrollment statistics. I’m pleased that this isn’t the case at Weber State. A familiar Weber refrain is, “The good news: the professor knows your name. The bad news: the professor knows your name.” It’s a humorous way to tout our student/teacher ratio, but to me, it’s more than that. It serves as a reminder that our primary focus is on teaching.

So many students tell me that one of the best things about their experience here is the relationships they have with the faculty. Students discover our faculty’s commitment and dedication to teaching, virtually from the minute they first set foot in the classroom.

Interactions and collaborations with faculty create bonds that our students take with them as they pursue their careers, post-graduate education and lifelong dreams. And, as evidenced by J. Willard Marriott’s story, it’s an experience that is not soon forgotten.

Sincerely,

F. Ann Millner
President