Fish Fry reels in big crowd at new venue

Al Cummins, BS '58, has been to almost every Ag Alumni Fish Fry since 1974. But when the Lafayette alumnus heard that this year's version was moving to the Marsh Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, he wasn't sure he wanted to go.

“I was very apprehensive about moving the Fish Fry to Indianapolis and was concerned if it was going to work,” Cummins said. “However, I was very happy to see that it was a great success and a good move.”

Thanks to Cummins and 2,100 other alumni and guests, the Feb. 7 event was the biggest Fish Fry crowd since at least 1991.

Moving the Fish Fry to Indianapolis is the latest in a string of recent changes introduced by Donya Lester, Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association executive secretary, to boost attendance.

The event was moved from Friday to Saturday, pork replaced fish on the menu, and guest speakers of national prominence have been featured, such as the Washington couple Mary Matalin and James Carville this year, Sen. Robert Dole in 2002, and Nobel Prize-winning agronomist Norman Borlaug last year.

Mary Matalin pokes a little good-natured fun at her husband, James Carville, as they were introduced to the Fish Fry crowd.

The change in location brought new faces to the crowd, as a larger number of graduates from the last 15 years attended. There also was an increase in young families, alumni from the Indianapolis area, members of the General Assembly and Congressional staff.

“It all came together,” Lester said. “The synergy of the program, audience, faculty and staff, all the great volunteers, made this a terrific event. It was fun to be a part of something that was so big and so positive for Purdue and Purdue Agriculture.”

The larger crowd and the new location created new challenges for Lester and her team that puts on the Fish Fry. They had to work with all new people this year, since the event was away from campus. However, Lester gathered her resources at Purdue and took them to the State Fairgrounds. There she met up with John Barto and his catering service, which fixed the meal and worked with the volunteers to get the pork served and everyone fed.

Preparation for the event started at 7:45 a.m. when Jim Beaty, BS '77, MS '86, Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education superintendent and head fish monger at the Fish Fry, walked into the Marsh Blue Ribbon Pavilion to see 220 tables with white tablecloths waiting to be set. For Beaty, this was a scary and exciting moment as he realized for the first time how big an event this was going to be.

Beaty, along with Larry Underwood, BS '66, MS '69, Purdue animal science research farm coordinator and head commissar, worked with more than 80 volunteers to set the tables, serve the meals and distribute drinks and coffee.

“After the prayer, we were able to serve over 2,000 people in 10 minutes,” Beaty said. “At first the caterer was concerned that we wouldn't be able to serve quickly enough, but he was quite impressed with what the volunteers did.”

Bringing Mary Matalin and James Carville as featured speakers helped draw a large crowd to the Fish Fry, even though it was moved away from the West Lafayette area this year.

Ag Alumni Fish Fry volunteers really help pull this event off, Lester said. But other key players in making the Fish Fry a success are the sponsors. Howard Halderman, BS '88, and his family's business, Halderman Farm Management and Real Estate in Wabash, Ind., have helped sponsor the alumni gathering for the last three years. It was Howard's father, Robert, BS '58, who suggested some ways to enhance the Fish Fry several years ago when it was still held in the Purdue Armory.

“Having Matalin and Carville at the Fish Fry really piqued the interest of our alumni,” Lester said. “They appreciated the humor and the tie that the couple had to agriculture. I think the comments Carville made about the Morrill Land Grant Act, and the impact it had during the troubled times of our country, resonated with the crowd.

” Howard Halderman said: “The changes that have been made over the last few years have made sense and reflect the changes we have seen in agriculture and in the world. This year's Fish Fry provided good information with entertaining speakers, and I think the success of the event is evident in the attendance. The timing was right, and it has now become a family affair.”

Jolene Rice, BS '90, and Martin Rice, MS '90, of Zionsville, Ind., agree that the Fish Fry has become a family affair. They attended the Fish fry for the first time in several years, and they brought along their son and daughter.

“We were thrilled to have the Fish Fry at the State Fairgrounds,” Jolene said. “The best part about it was that kids were welcome. My husband and I want to introduce our children to Purdue through functions like this and raise little Boilermakers.”

The Rice children were able to meet Jolene and Martin's classmates and their Purdue professors, such as Earl Butz, who recruited Martin to come to Purdue. The kids also had their photos taken on the Boilermaker Express.

Next year, alumni and guests can expect the same type of Purdue Agriculture family affair at the Fish Fry, and they can plan on gathering again at the Marsh Pavilion. Lester said she hopes that the fairgrounds will be the home of the event for many years to come.

Planning and selecting a guest speaker have already begun for the 2005 event, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 12. Lester said that nothing major will change, but a few things will be tweaked. The biggest challenge the day of the Fish Fry was parking, since several other events were going on at the same time. Therefore, next year Lester plans to pre-sell parking permits for the lot in front of the Marsh Blue Ribbon Pavilion so guests can be guaranteed a close parking space.