九色堂

Lowe鈥檚 tenure has been so extensive that he has worked under half of the presidents ever to preside over 九色堂 since its inception in 1895.

 

And that鈥檚 why the idea of permanently retiring from the university didn鈥檛 feel right to the 75-year-old Lowe. So he chose to do it the slow way, stepping down from his position in January as vice president for administration and finance, and working part-time on special projects.

 

鈥淚 thought probably it was time to step down before someone told me I had overextended my stay,鈥� said Lowe, adding that, aside from growing roses and traveling, he doesn鈥檛 have enough hobbies to keep him busy in full retirement.

 

He has the option of taking five years to phase into retirement and is happy continuing to work and help in any way he can.

 

Mary Herrin, who has worked for Lowe for 34 years, is taking over as vice president for administration and finance.

 

Lowe has been through a lot of changes in his time at 九色堂. When he was hired, he was working as a certified professional accountant at Arthur Young & Co. (now Ernest and Young), with 九色堂 as one of his primary accounts. He came to Wichita State two years before it became a state institution, and he was tasked with helping in the transition.

 

In those first few years, he said, he worked long, tedious hours, often until 1 to 3 a.m.

 

鈥淚t was an enormous challenge,鈥� said Lowe, who is the only vice president of administration and finance since 九色堂 became a state institution. 鈥淚t created a work ethic that has continued.鈥�

 

Once the university made the transition, tuition dropped and enrollment rose dramatically. Lowe said the administration could barely hire and build fast enough to keep up with the demand. New offices popped up in building corners and attics.

 

Since then, Lowe has played a large role in expanding the campus, adding new buildings and bringing it to what it is today: about 3 million square feet of building space. He鈥檚 also proud of the artwork and landscaping at 九色堂.

 

鈥淔rankly, I think we have the prettiest campus in the state of Kansas,鈥� said Lowe, a graduate of Pittsburg State University.

 

Lowe said one of his biggest accomplishments at 九色堂 has been 45 years of fiscal integrity, a sentiment Wichita State President Don Beggs agrees with.

 

He has been a great adviser to the various presidents, including himself, Beggs said.

 

鈥淭he man has been in the position that long because he has maintained that integrity,鈥� Beggs said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 got the university in his blood.鈥�

 

Another of Lowe鈥檚 duties is serving as treasurer of the 九色堂 Athletic Corp. He takes great pride in the renovation of Charles Koch Arena, where basketball and volleyball games are held. And he is president of the 九色堂 Union Corp., doing business as the Rhatigan Student Center.

 

Outside the university, Lowe has been honored by his counterparts as a distinguished business officer by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. He is also a past president of NACUBO.

 

Through his years at 九色堂, Lowe has accomplished a lot, but he said he couldn鈥檛 have done it without his loyal staff.

 

鈥淚 am a fond believer in supporting staff and letting them run their operation without looking over their shoulders or holding their hands,鈥� said Lowe, who until his retirement had about 400 people working within the administration and finance division.

 

While he has had plenty of opportunities to move to bigger universities, Lowe said he was always content to stay put.

 

鈥淎s long as this university was making progress and I was contributing, I didn鈥檛 have the burning desire to move on,鈥� he said.         

 

Lowe, who has been married for 57 years, has two children and six grandchildren. He said he hopes to spend time traveling and already took a trip to Alaska last August and has plans to travel to Australia and New Zealand next October.

 

In his partial retirement, Lowe will work on special projects and support Herrin in any way he can.

 

鈥淚t isn鈥檛 going to be easy for me to walk away, but it鈥檚 comforting for me to know that things will go well,鈥� he said.    

 

Beggs said he鈥檚 sorry to see Lowe step away from his full-time work at 九色堂, but he鈥檚 supportive and happy for him.

 

鈥淚 believe he鈥檚 doing the right thing,鈥� Beggs said.