UA volunteer wins award

Dan Kampner Arizona Daily Wildcat Donald Soldwedel the 1998 recipient of the Arizona Board of Regents award for outstanding service to higher education sits in the board room of the "Swede" Johnson Building yesterday. The UA alumnus is very involved with the UA Foundation as well as being on 11 other university boards.

Soldwedel, 74, received the 1998 Arizona Board of Regents award for outstanding service to higher education in part because of his work with the UA Foundation and more than 10 other university boards. His University of Arizona-related efforts keep the Yuma resident and his wife visiting Tucson more than 300 nights each year.

"My wife and I spend so much time in Tucson, my friends don't ask where I am any more," Soldwedel said. "But every time I turn around, there is something else to do at the university."

Soldwedel graduated from the UA in 1946 with a marketing degree from the College of Business. He is chairman of the board of Western Newspapers, Inc., which owns 17 newspapers, two radio stations, three printing plants and produces outdoor signs and telephone books.

The publisher has been giving back to the UA community since about 1977 when he first became a foundation board member.

"Then I added a little more involvement every few years, when something new cropped up," he said.

One UA board Soldwedel sits on is at the University Medical Center.

Greg Pivirotto, UMC president and chief executive officer, said Soldwedel is involved in many aspects of the medical center's projects. He said Soldwedel helped UMC expand in 1990, when competing hospitals used city papers to put enormous pressure on the university to halt the project.

"Don never backed down from the pressure from people not wanting the expansion," Pivirotto said. "In fact, Don was always there leading the charge."

Soldwedel's energy is not completely contained to the board room, Pivirotto said.

"Don shows up at the UMC Wellness Center - a gym - almost every morning at 5 a.m. to work out," Pivirotto said. "We joke that he opens up the hospital in the morning - that he makes the coffee and turns on all the lights."

Other UA committees Soldwedel sits on include the president's task force on the Department of Journalism, the Arizona Senior Academy, University Physician's Inc. board of directors, the UA Public Relations Committee and the Karl Eller Center Advisory Board.

"I get myself involved in areas where I could do some good," Soldwedel said. "The best way to be successful is to make sure you take an active role in the community."

Soldwedel's involvement earns respect from many UA community members.

Dana Wier, the foundation's vice president for communications and public affairs, has known Soldwedel for 11 years. The latter's impact on the UA campus was evident at a party thrown in Soldwedel's honor last year, she said.

"There was a birthday celebration for Don last spring, with about 90 people from the various departments touched by Don's generosity," Wier said. "People were literally lined up 20 to 30 deep to thank him for his service, and that was just for his university involvement."

Soldwedel is also involved with organizations outside the UA. He is chairman of the Arizona Western Community College board and helped establish the Northern Arizona University extension in Yuma.

He said although he appreciates the recognition, individual awards are not fair.

"Any time you are trying to honor one person, you are forgetting to honor others," Soldwedel said. "There are a lot of people that do things for the university."

Recognition or not, Soldwedel said there's a simple reason why he is so involved with the UA.

"When the university found out how cheap I work, I became very popular," he said.

Anthony C. Braza can be reached via e-mail at Anthony.C.Braza@wildcat.arizona.edu.