Dr. Weber

This year at University of Arizona, Dr. Knight is retiring. I didn't go to U of A, I didn't have him as a professor but I worked with him on the FFA Foundation and I could tell how great a teacher he was by the students he taught. And since my Facebook feed is filled with comments on how great Dr. Knight is, I thought I would share about my  "Dr. Knight" at Oregon State. His name is Dr. Dale Weber. Dr. Weber started at OSU in 1976. A lot of my friends have fond memories of Dr. Weber but I think he is one of those people that falls into the category of "Everyone Needs to Know How Special He Really Is." I also think you could fill Reser Stadium, the field and parking lot with the students Dr. Weber has impacted over the years.

Courtesy of OSU Animal Science

I transferred to OSU and didn't have Dr. Weber till the Winter term for Beef Production and as a Junior I didn't take his Intro to Animal Science class where he would get to know you. If you had him as a freshman, most likely your photo was on a board in his office so he was able to get to know you. I had him that Winter term for two classes- Beef Production and Steer-A-Year. Two weeks after starting class my mom died and I left for a week to go home. I was barely able to pack a suitcase with a black dress so I didn't even consider packing my books to study. The week I was home I decided that I was going to stay home but my dad insisted I go back. So my roommate and I left straight from graveside and drove back over the mountain to school. I came back to half my first set of midterms being over and a few left to take.

And here's the first reason why Dr. Weber is so special. I went to class that next morning and he was passing out the midterms- graded. He came to me and said he wanted to talk after class. After class he said he knew I was a good student and that he would just take my second midterm and double it to make up for missing the first. He had never had me as a student and I don't know if he knew if I was a good student or not.

The second reason came in my next class with him. Steer-A-Year (SAY) was a student-run feedlot. The night I got the call I made two phone calls. One to my big sister at my sorority house to tell her what was happening and the second to my friend Brook to see if she could cover my feeding time slots. Walking into that class later on that Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Weber handed me a card. He had had everyone in class sign it and they gave it to me. It touched my heart because the rest of my professors didn't care or even ask if I was ok, if I needed anything- nothing. They had all be contacted by the school and even in one class I walked in on Thursday morning to find that we were taking our midterm. He informed me that because I had the syllabus I could have taken my books home and studied. I got a 13 on that midterm.

Dr. Weber (right) and his brother 

There are many more reasons to love Dr. Weber. He retired a few years after I graduated but still today you can find him in a meeting, teaching a class, or talking with a student at OSU. I had the privilege of traveling the Midwest with him one Fall and I was able to meet his family- brother, nieces and nephews, on their family's farm. He shared the story with us of being a kid and going into Chicago and visiting the doorman at the Wrigley building to get a stick of gum. To us that isn't a big deal but when he was a boy that was a big treat. I also remember one day in class, Dr. Weber came in with his arm in a sling and said his wife was making him give up skiing because he had hurt himself.

I went to his retirement party in 1999, before I moved to Arizona and I was able to thank him for keeping me in school. Had I not had Dr. Weber show kindness to me in one of the darkest moments of my life I would have quit school and walked away from OSU. Instead I found incredible friends and made some life-long friendships.

I was able to have lunch with Dr. Weber last summer and it was so nice to catch up with him and visit about what everyone was up to. He shared his story of being honored by OSU with the Dan Polling Service Award.

I think we that had Dr. Weber and those who were taught by Dr. Knight have been blessed because not every college or every student has the privileged of being taught by an incredible person.

The card Dr. Weber had the Steer-A-Year class send.