Help us celebrate Patrick's 99th!

Note: This message was originally sent on December 16, 2022

Earlier this year, Gonzaga University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science received a donation from one of its alumni—Mr. Patrick Lettenmaier (pictured here with his late wife, Bernice). For this gift, Dean Karlene Hoo sent Mr. Lettenmaier a note of gratitude.  He responded with an intriguing taste of his story. My colleagues reached out to hear more about him and his journey, offering to interview him and write a brief biographical piece.  

He said he’d rather write it up himself, which he did—piece by piece, one email at a time, until we had over 65 pages of content. Advancement’s resident strategist and writer’s eyes (Holly Jones!) gleamed with excitement at the opportunity to read the story, which began with tales of the family farm not far from her home in the Spokane Valley, and how the young Mr. Lettenmaier witnessed firsthand the impacts of the Great Depression on the Inland Northwest—losing half of his $11 life’s savings when the bank busted in 1932. Enamored with aircraft, he dreamed of going to school for aeronautics.  His journey to Gonzaga’s mechanical engineering program, which paused a short way in due to his involvement in World War II was an exciting voyage through time, filled with interesting characters and events.  His return to Gonzaga after the War and the love story between he and his wife warmed this writer’s heart and captivated her imagination. Mr. Lettenmaier went on to share the story of his career at Boeing, including projects with Jet Propulsion Laboratories—the results of which are on display in the Smithsonian and Air & Space museums on the Lunar Orbiter and Mariner 10 spacecraft.  

Not satisfied to break Mr. Lettenmaier’s story into pieces for storytelling purposes, Holly began editing and laying out this story as its own book. She dug into the University’s digital archives and other resources to find photographs of some of the people and places he’d mentioned—like his English professor and former GU football coach Sam Dagley (pictured below at right), and the fire in the Administration Building (College Hall) that destroyed much of the third floor and Mr. Lettenmaier’s chemistry book. 

Next Friday, December 23, 2022, Mr. Lettenmaier will celebrate his 99th birthday.  In celebration, his Alma Mater will be presenting him with a hardcover copy of his story, in his own words. You see, every member of the Gonzaga family—students, faculty, staff, friends, fans, and neighbors—has a unique story that is inextricably interwoven into that of the University. Gonzaga has and will always be defined by the people of its community. Together, we are one in pursuit of a shared mission to make the world—no, the Universe (that’s a nod to Mr. Lettenmaier’s impact in space)—a better place.  

If you would like us to include a note of birthday wishes as part of our surprise to Mr. Lettenmaier, just shoot back an email, we will compile the greetings and get them to him on Friday!   

Thank you for being part of this family of Zags.  Your stories have inspired 135 years so far and keep the library of people’s journeys growing.