President's Report

February 26, 2026

Preserving the Spirit of Ricks at BYU-Idaho

As a new semester began, President Alvin F. Meredith III and Sister Jennifer E. Meredith
stood before a packed BYU-Idaho Center and delivered a message woven with history
and hope. The devotional, “Preserving the Spirit of Ricks at BYU-Idaho,” marked two
milestones—the university’s largest incoming class and the 25th anniversary of President
Gordon B. Hinckley’s prophetic announcement that Ricks College would become
BYU-Idaho.

“Together these milestones remind us that we are part of a sacred and unfolding legacy,
alive with prophetic promise and consecrated by vision and sacrifice,” Sister Meredith said.
She expressed gratitude for the students and employees who now carry that legacy forward.

President Meredith traced the university’s roots back to Thomas E. Ricks—a pioneer of
resilience and faith whose small academy became BYU-Idaho. Drawing on Elder David A.
Bednar’s teachings, President Meredith reminded the campus that the “Spirit of Ricks” is not
a nostalgic phrase but a living influence—as Sister Meredith put it, “the influence of the Holy
Ghost, manifested through consecrated discipleship.” That spirit shines through spiritual
devotion, humility, modesty, frugality, kindness, and a cheerful hello on the sidewalk.

“The surest way to honor those who have gone before is to perpetuate the Spirit of Ricks
in all you do,” Sister Meredith said. “As we stand on the shoulders of those anchored to Jesus
Christ, let us likewise anchor ourselves to Him to become the strong shoulders for those who
will follow.”

The Merediths closed by recalling President Henry B. Eyring’s prophecy that BYUIdaho
graduates will become “legendary for their capacity to build the people around them.”
President Meredith invited the campus community to continue to live by the Spirit of Ricks
and to be faithful to that prophecy—one student, one act of kindness, and one bright smile
at a time.

Celebrating 25 Years Since the Announcement of BYU-Idaho

On June 21, 2000, President Gordon B. Hinckley made a pivotal announcement: Ricks College would become BYU-Idaho.

“We had been told over and over that becoming a university would never happen,” says English instructor Jack Harrell. “When President Hinckley made the announcement, the whole gym erupted in cheers.”

Tammie Bagley, a staff member, recalls a sacred feeling in the room: “I felt a deep spiritual confirmation— chills, even—that this was a divinely inspired transition.”

While the name changed, the heart of the institution stayed the same. The school continued to nurture students in a Christ-centered environment full of love and purpose. Faculty and staff maintained the mentoring that had long defined Ricks, even as enrollment grew.

“BYU-Idaho is the fulfillment of prophecy and a miracle,” says John Ivers, a faculty member. “We have been led well and have seen great things happen.”