Celebrating Westminster at 150 Years

One Westminster Day – March 6, 2025

On March 6, 2025 the Westminster community celebrated One Westminster Day. This annual 24 hours of giving features fundraising projects from across campus, creating immediate impact for Westminster students. 

This year’s projects addressed needs from performing arts, Great Salt Lake Institute, athletics, First Scholars, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the Outdoor Program, and more. As this year’s One Westminster Day coincided with Westminster’s other sesquicentennial celebrations, the Westminster Board of Trustees launched a special Giving Day challenge: every project that received 150 gifts earned an additional $1,875 in honor of our founding year.

On campus, students passionate about this year’s initiatives staffed tables throughout the Shaw Center, enthusiastically sharing the importance and impact of their project. Dean of Students Kellie Gerbers and Director of Athletic Development Conor Bentley roamed the dining hall quizzing students on Westminster trivia. Correct answers were rewarded with donor-funded Westminster Bucks, which students could give to their favorite project.

Sesquicentennial Proclamation – April 10, 2025 

Richer Commons was awash in shades of purple as the Westminster community gathered to celebrate Westminster’s Sesquicentennial Proclamation on a sunny spring afternoon. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall was in attendance to read the proclamation and designate April 10 as Westminster Day in Salt Lake City. 

Guests signed a commemorative guestbook and witnessed the unveiling of the Sesquicentennial Time Capsule. Participants were invited to submit digital stories or contribute items to be placed inside the capsule, which would officially be sealed during the Westminster Weekend 150th Celebration in September.

In a nod to a historic photo of students holding a giant “W” cake, the event featured an enormous, intricately detailed cake modeled after Converse Hall. 

Alumni Awards – April 11, 2025 

Celebrating the achievements of Westminster alumni is always meaningful, but this year’s Sesquicentennial Alumni Awards featured a special Sesquicentennial award and introduced the Young Alumni Award along with the traditional recognitions. 

 

2025 Alumni Award Recipients 

Ginger Giovale ('65)

Sesquicentennial Legacy Award

 

Taylor Stevens (’18)

Young Alumni Award

 

Delvis Fernandez Levy (’61)

Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Nancy Panos Schmitt

Honorary Alumni Award

 

Tommy Connor

Athletics Hall of Fame

 

Each of these awardees exemplify leadership, service, and achievement in their professions and communities. The program featured brief highlight videos and remarks, as well as a brief interview with each awardee. 

Sesquicentennial Gala – June 5, 2025

This summer, Westminster’s Sesquicentennial Gala celebrated 150 years in one inspiring evening of generosity. At the opening reception in front of Converse Hall, attendees enjoyed appetizers and conversation while browsing and bidding on silent auction items, many from local artists and vendors. 

As the silent auction concluded, guests made their way to beautifully arranged tables in Richer Commons for dinner and remarks from President Beth Dobkin and Obaid Barakzai (’22), who shared his powerful story as an international student from Afghanistan.

 

Between the silent auction, an experience-based live auction, and an enthusiastic paddle raise in support of scholarships, generous supporters helped raise over $1.3 million to support Westminster’s students and mission.  

We are so grateful to gala committee for their work creating an unforgettable experience, and for the dedication and generosity of the Westminster alumni, friends, and donors who came together to celebrate Westminster’s remarkable history and promising future. 

 

Westminster Weekend 150th Celebration – September 12–14, 2025 

There’s nothing quite like Westminster Weekend, and this year’s 150th Celebration captured the spirit of the university perfectly. The annual all-class alumni reunion began with futurist, game designer, and author Jane McGonigal as the final speaker in the 2025 Presidential Speaker Series.  

The following day, alumni and friends filled campus to reconnect and reminisce about their Westminster days. “Classes Without Quizzes” returned to offer a variety of learning experiences with faculty, and the new W Shop had a record-breaking day of sales. 

In the afternoon, the all-school Alumni Reception brought together graduates from every discipline and decade, fostering connection and shared celebration. The Oktoberfest-style dinner completed the evening with commemorative steins, hearty food, dancing, and karaoke hosted by local drag queen Darcy Willey. 

The weekend concluded with a moving musical performance by former professor Chris Quinn. The performance featured Dr. Quinn’s original compositions and included alumni from his many years of Westminster productions, celebrating both tradition and talent. 

Westminster Weekend Time Capsule Luncheon – September 13, 2025

During Westminster Weekend, the Westminster community celebrated the many stories and mementos gathered for inclusion in the Sesquicentennial Time Capsule. Luncheon guests took Polaroid photos and explored the memorabilia: yearbooks, Westminster swag, a compilation of stories and memories from alumni, and historic items like a collection of Westminster pins from the 2002 Olympic Games. The time capsule itself sat ready in its designated place on the northeast side of Converse Hall, where it will remain buried until 2075.

Speakers at the event included Daniel Lewis, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, as well as a current student, Sophie Haslem, who shared sections of a brief Westminster history written by history professor Dr. Jeff Nichols. Both speakers reflected on how Westminster shapes lives and how these experiences will continue to inspire future generations.