Peanut butter sandwiches, funny little hats and a knowing chuckle. As a university president, Glenn Terrell walked beside his students on the WSU campus.

Many remembered Terrell as a man of heartfelt words and a sincere faith in serving others.

WSU celebrated Terrell’s legacy with a ceremony Thursday afternoon in the Terrell Library Atrium. Friends, family and colleagues came to share stories of how the late president emeritus changed their lives.

Terrell died on Aug. 30 at age 93. The Glenn Terrell Friendship Mall and Terrell Library are named after him.

Glenn Terrell III, his son, said seeing his father change lives was amazing to witness.

“We live in this ‘what have you done for me?’ kind of world today,” Terrell III said. “He really was like ‘what can I do for you?’”

The late president served as WSU’s leader from 1967-85.

Paul Casey, ASWSU president from 1973-1975 and master of ceremonies for the event, felt honored to have served at WSU during Terrell’s time.

“He knew what he put a stake in the ground for,” Casey said. “He was a gentleman, he was ethical and he had a great sense of humor.”

Many refer to Terrell as “the students’ president.” Casey distinguished between the friendship anyone can show and the friendship Terrell showed as a Cougar, and especially when it was put to the test.

During a student riot in 1970, Terrell refused to call in the National Guard. Instead, he served the students by listening to their concerns.

“His always No. 1 constituent was the students on the on campus at any time,” Casey said.

V. Lane Rawlins, president emeritus of WSU from 2000 to 2007, said Terrell brought courage and grace to every act and gave meaning to helping the students of WSU.

“It’s easy to love the students collectively,” Rawlins said. “Glenn loved them one at a time.”

WSU Board of Regents member Scott Carson is an example of that understanding. Carson enrolled at WSU after serving in the military and getting married. When administrative confusion hit, Terrell helped him graduate.

“I’m sure Glenn Terrell believed that if one student wasn’t important, none of them were important,” Carson said.

Some called Terrell a life-long teacher.

Carol Gordon, a professor emeritus of WSU, said serving with Terrell was a wonderful time in her life. 

“We didn’t always agree, but he never held that against me,” Gordon said. “You could always say what you wanted to say. You didn’t have to play politics.”

She distinctly remembered a time Terrell asked her to represent WSU at the then Pac-8 conference meetings. She quickly noticed all of the other speakers and members at the meetings were men.

“Dr. Terrell had the courage to break that barrier,” Gordon said.

Samuel H. Smith, president emeritus of WSU from 1985 to 2000, said his ability to lead grew as a university president because of the help Terrell calmly offered.

“He stayed with people, helped them, learned with them,” Smith said. “He became my teacher.”

Display boards around the library atrium during the ceremony showed quotes of former colleagues and ASWSU presidents.

In the words of Ray Crabbs, ASWSU president in 1969, meeting with Terrell was especially memorable. In their first meeting, Terrell tossed Crabbs an apple and said, “We’ll have hundreds of meetings together, and we need to know how to do that and eat an apple at the same time.”

WSU President Elson S. Floyd thanked Terrell’s family at the ceremony. He said Terrell’s legacy would live far beyond his death, and the university will strive to follow in Terrell’s footsteps.

“We have to do everything we can to nurture our university and care for our students,” Floyd said.

A group from University Events and the President’s Office arranged the ceremony, and about 120 guests attended.

The speakers said Terrell’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of all he touched through his devotion to graceful understanding being a friend.

“He just loved people,” Casey said. “That’s Glenn Terrell.”