Photo by John Cross
John Frey is shown here in one of the newest Trafton classrooms, but he was here when the original Trafton was launched. In fact, he taught the first class ever in Trafton when it opened in the 1970s.
Outside his office, administrative assistants are busy completing work for the upcoming semester, getting ready for the new boss coming in and dealing with computer problems.
Inside sits a man who, come this time today, won't even be on the payroll.
It's John Frey's last day. After 37 years at Minnesota State University — and at age 70, 15 years longer than he'd planned years ago — the dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology is calling it quits.
On his last day, his office is bare. Those busy assistants made sure of it last week when Frey was on vacation. There are no framed degrees hanging on the wall, no pictures of his wife perched next to his computer terminal. Nothing much remains, except a calendar, a few computers and pink rectangle with keys taped to it. When he leaves today for the last time as dean, the keys to the buildings he's reigned over for 11 years will stay.
"I've enjoyed more than I ever thought I would," he says. "I always felt privileged to have landed in Mankato."
Frey's impact on MSU and the community has been significant. Just during the last five years Frey has overseen efforts that resulted in nearly $14 million in contracts and grants, $4 million in private donations and more than $50 million in state and federal appropriations for MSU.
Perhaps his most visible achievement is the massive Trafton Science Center projects.
Nearly complete is the Ford Hall, the addition to Trafton, which already was the largest academic building in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Soon to begin is perhaps an even larger task of renovating the existing Trafton Science Center, which is badly in need of upgrades.
But Frey's history with Trafton started long before anyone sought a dime to renovate or add to it.
When Trafton first went online in the 1970s, Frey was the first professor — he originally came to MSU to teach botany — to teach a class there.
Since then he's taught in or presided over the college as thousands of students have come through.
"There hasn't been a student who has come through this institution that hasn't been affected by John Frey," said Scott Olson, MSU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. "That's a huge impact."
Frey began getting notice in the 1980s when he first began applying for, and receiving, grants. Among the more substantial ones came from the National Science Foundation grant. He received two worth more than $200,000 — one to work with high school teachers on bio-technology, the other working with middle school teachers on soils.
He became dean in 1997, and since then has worked to establish MSU as a leader in renewable energy and biofuel technology.
One of the more recent endeavors has been the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute. IRETI, as Frey calls it, will be housed at MSU and will be funded by the Swedish government, federal government and the state of Minnesota. IRETI will research technologies from other parts of the world and modify them to fit U.S. codes.
Olson said the College of Science, Engineering and Technology is one of MSU's signature colleges, and area community leaders have come to see and respect Frey as a leader, even if Frey probably wouldn't want the notoriety.
"John is the most humble, salt-of-the-earth person you'd ever want to meet, and it's probably hard for him to have us give him this much attention," Olson said. "He's so hard-working and he does it because it's just part of his character."
Frey says he likes the direction the university has taken so far. He likes the fact the Trafton addition is "green," or environmentally conscious. And he likes MSU President Richard Davenport's approach on the push to 20,000 students.
Demographics are showing a decrease in the number of high school graduates available to area colleges to fight over. MSU's choice was to get proactive and announce plans to grow enrollment even in a climate of shrinking potential students.
And he likes how much more international MSU is becoming. International student enrollment is growing, and he hopes recent trips he's taken to India and China will result in more international students in his relatively Caucasian science and engineering college.
As for his future, things are a little uncertain. He may be seen around campus occasionally, but first he might "get in a car and drive across the country just to let the job ooze out of my pores."
But not today, his first day of retirement. Today's plans are firmed up.
"I could say I'll sleep in, but I won't," he said. "I promised to take my wife to coffee at Dunn Bros. about mid morning."
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