Ernest Calderόn, president of the Arizona Board of Regents, presented current and former regents with a lapel rosette, honoring the members’ commitment to higher education, during the Sept. 24 meeting held at Northern Arizona University.
During an evening dinner program following Thursday’s meeting, Calderόn presented the rosettes to his fellow regents as well as three former regents in attendance, including Kurt Davis (1996-98), Wes McCalley (2003-05) and Kay McKay (1998-2004). All former regents will be invited to a future event and will receive a rosette.
“The rosette — a symbol of dedicated service and commitment to higher education,” Calderón said, “states with subtle dignity current and past affiliation with the Arizona Board of Regents.”
The copper and azurite ribbon — hand crafted to resemble a rose — represent minerals native to Arizona.
“Just as copper was one of the essential ingredients to Arizona’s economic success in the 1900s,” Calderόn related, “higher education is essential to Arizona’s success in the 21st century.”
In 1877, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States became the first organization in the United States to use a lapel rosette to identify its members. Since then, rosettes have been presented to and worn by members of various types of organizations in both public and private sectors.
The rosettes were a gift from Ernest and Karen Calderόn