The Good Guy in the Black Hat

Alumnus Bill Frederiksen brings in IdahoÕs best and brightest

The locals in his hometown of Dubois, Idaho, recognize rancher Bill Frederiksen (B.S. agriculture '71) by his black hat. And those who know him are quick to tell you he's a good guy, a great guy. For the past 20 years or so, Frederiksen has been rounding up some of Idaho's brightest high school students, buying them tickets to Vandal games, piling them in his car, and making the 8-hour trek to the University of Idaho. Working with New Student Services, he lines the kids out with dorm rooms and lets them loose on campus.

"I don't do anything to sell the UI," says Frederiksen. "The university sells itself. The kids like it as soon as they see it. And I've never gone into any department with students yet where the professors and other people didn't take them in."

"He's such a proud UI alum," says his cousin MiChele Stefanic, associate director of New Student Services at Boise. "I remember when I graduated from high school the gift I got from Bill was a UI garment bag."

Frederiksen doesn't think of himself as a recruiter, but recognizes that he's been allowing Idaho to sell itself since about 1980. "I guess it started with my cousins," he admits. "I don't go looking for recruits. It's just outstanding local kids and people I run into."

Frederiksen thinks he has brought less than a dozen students to the College of Agriculture. Stefanic suggests the number is higher. Thirteen of Frederiksen's cousins have graduated from the UI.

He has been allowing Idaho to sell itself for so long, Frederiksen has introduced the university to a second generation: A cousin's son, James Armstrong Godfrey, earned a B.S. degree in criminal justice from the UI in 1995. His sister Janice's daughter, Megan Zielinski, is currently a junior studying agriculture.

Frederiksen's other recent recruits to the college include junior Jaimie Philippi and freshman Tiffany Callison.

When he isn't driving kids to Moscow for a Vandal game, Frederiksen gets around in a pickup truck, his dog Robin at his side. He is a bachelor, and devotes most of his time and energy to taking care of his cattle business, Frederiksen Ranch, which he owns and operates with his father, Howard.

Frederiksen also was instrumental in establishing the Steer-A-Year Program, which provides scholarships for agriculture students and student athletes (see story).

Seems like that black hat has a streak of Vandal gold running through it.

--Donna Emert