University of Idaho celebrates extensions 60th anniversary

The University of Idaho celebrated 60 years of service to the Idaho Falls community Thursday.

Since 1954 the university’s extension has educated many of the Idaho National Laboratory’s scientists and engineers, like Dennis Keiser.

“In 1975 none of these facilities were here. As a matter of fact, Freeman Park was just being developed,” said Keiser. “When most of us came here we didn’t know much about nuclear reactors, nuclear engineering and so we had to be educated on that.”

Kieser finished his graduate studies at the extension campus in 1975 and later became a professor at the university. He said as he teaches he often thinks of the many courses he took, taught by the same people that worked on the Manhattan Project.

“I listened to a lecture by the father of the hydrogen bomb, Edward Tiller, and he told us how they went about developing the hydrogen bomb,” said Keiser. “That was the most memorable lecture that I can recall in all the many classes I took here.”

The university has worked to expand its program options, including more undergraduate, graduate and international studies. U of I operates several campuses from its main facility in Moscow, Idaho, including Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls.