The final chapter of David DiLaura’s 80th birthday celebration brought reflections on teaching, friendship and building a career. Class photographs and a spirited auction supporting lighting education at CU Boulder followed.
“Before we do the birthday toast, can we have a round of applause for the food?”
With that, David DiLaura began his closing comments at his 80th birthday celebration. The event took place at the Koenig Alumni Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.
After the audience applauded the evening’s meal, David turned to the more than 90 people gathered beneath the tent.
Recognizing a Remarkable Room*
“We have some really remarkable people here tonight,” he said.
David Recognizes IES Medal Recipients: Bob Davis, Naomi Miller, Kevin Houser, and Ron Gibbons
Four recipients of the Illuminating Engineering Society Medal joined the celebration: Bob Davis, Kevin Houser, Naomi Miller and Ron Gibbons. David asked each of them to stand for recognition.
David also recognized Keith Molenaar, Dean of CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. Keith had once studied under David. “This talented, powerful, influential dean of the entire College of Engineering on the Boulder campus of the University of Colorado was a student of mine,” David said proudly.
Then, with his familiar dry humor, he added, “He went over to the dark side and took up college administration.”
The Rest of the Red Pajamas Story
Earlier in the evening, Dean Brockob had recalled the day David reprimanded Bob Hawkins. Bob regularly wore gray or red sweatpants to class.“And one more thing,” David had declared. “No more damn pajamas!” During his closing comments, David supplied the rest of the story.
The incident occurred one day before the students planned to gather at his home for tortellini. David’s complaint about the sweatpants convinced the students that their professor had begun telling them how to dress.
The next evening, Scott Wagner arrived wearing a tuxedo.
The audience erupted in laughter.
Teaching Means Helping People Learn
David then reflected on what teaching had taught him.
“When I first started teaching, I’m absolutely certain I knew what I needed to do,” he said. “And that first year, I walked into that room with confidence.” The result, he admitted, was “a disaster.” David learned that experience must teach the most important aspects of education.
“I finally figured out that my role is not to teach,” he said. “My role is to help people learn.”
“I Have Pictures”
David also issued a playful warning to former students who thought time had erased evidence of their adventures. “For those of you who are thinking that you can get away with something, you have to remember: I have pictures from all of our retreats.”
The audience laughed, though a few people at my table appeared slightly nervous.
David also revealed that he had spent part of what he called his “dotage” writing a science-fiction book. An audience member called out, “I just bought it today!” “It’s on Kindle,” David replied. He also gave everyone in attendance a signed copy.
A Career Is Constructed
As his comments drew toward a close, David returned to one of the evening’s central themes. Relationships and opportunities shape both a life and a career.
“The friends that we make, the acquaintances, I think, are our greatest treasures—our greatest gifts,” he said.
David recalled teaching Introduction to Engineering. Many students in the course viewed choosing a career as an act of discovery. They imagined finding the perfect calling like a gold nugget lying in the road. David believed they had chosen the wrong analogy.
You do not discover a career. You construct it. “We go through life and things happen to us,” he explained. “There are opportunities, and we build our career.”
He encouraged the audience to recognize the people who had helped them build those careers. He also urged them to tell those people what their support meant. David then thanked everyone for attending and reminded them to sign the guest book.
The Red Volvo was auctioned off for $5000
Teal Takes the Mic
After David spoke, his former students joined him for photographs by graduating class. Each group provided another visual measure of his influence on generations of lighting professionals.
Then Teal Brogden took the microphone.
Teal reminded guests about the QR code for the David L. DiLaura Faculty Fellowship in Architectural Engineering Endowment Fund. She then announced one final fundraising opportunity: an auction for the red Volvo pin. The pin referred to one of the evening’s most memorable alumni stories. Jeff Quinlan had once borrowed David’s red Volvo and wrecked it. The red car had become an unofficial symbol of the celebration by the end of the evening.
Teal opened the bidding at $1,500. Several additional bids followed. Don Kinderdick of BEGA Lighting ultimately won the pin with a $5,000 bid.
The auction provided a lively ending to the celebration, but it also served a serious purpose. “We raised $40,000, and we are halfway to our goal of $80,000 to honor David’s 80 years around the sun,” Teal explained. “Even more impressive is that we have had donations from over 50 people, with their generosity ranging from $250 to $7,500.”
Sandra L. Vásconez sent the following information: We are also pleased to have an opportunity to further David’s legacy through contributions to the David L. DiLaura Fellowship in Architectural Engineering Endowment Fund.
Why the Fellowship Matters
After the event, Teal explained why the fellowship matters to the future of lighting education at CU Boulder.
“As an aside, lighting-dedicated faculty at CU Boulder is not a given and has been a longstanding focus for many alumni from the program,” she emailed. “Since it is viewed as a niche specialty, there is no permanently funded tenured position, and the program relies on the good faith of the Dean and Department Chair, as well as very active supporters from the broader community to continue.”
One of my career regrets is that I did not have the opportunity to know David better. Yet the evening’s laughter, classroom stories and expressions of gratitude brought his character into focus. By the end of the celebration, I felt as though I had known him for years.
David built his career through more than his discoveries and accomplishments. He built it through the people he taught, the careers he shaped and the lighting community that gathered to celebrate him.
The fellowship bearing his name can carry that work forward. It can give future students the same opportunity to construct careers of their own—with dedicated lighting educators helping them learn along the way.
Donate Here
Sandra L. Vásconez sent the following information: We are also pleased to have an opportunity to further David’s legacy through contributions to the David L. DiLaura Fellowship in Architectural Engineering Endowment Fund.
David’s Personal Guests and the Rocky Mountain Lighting Academy Board Members
Photo from the Classes of 2000’s
Picture from Class of 1990’s
Photo from Classes from the 1980’s
*David noted that the gathering included many remarkable people—a true who’s who of the lighting industry. Unfortunately, I knew or recognized only a fraction of those in attendance. The names below represent a very partial list, and I recognize that it leaves out more 2/3 of the audience: Lisa Bartlett, Dean Brockob, Teal Brogden, Nancy Clanton, Shirley Coyle, Bob Davis, David DiLaura, Cheryl English, Sean Gatos, Ron and Cindy Gibbons, Matt Hartley, Kevin Houser, Chip Israel, Don Kinderdick, Sam Koerbel, Rick Leeds, Gregg Mackell, Cory Madeson, Naomi Miller, Ron Mistrick, Jeff Quinlan, Leora Radetsky, Dane Sanders, Bryon Strait, Megan Tepo, Gary Trott, Sandra Vásconez, and Chris Wolgamott.
Go Deeper: Bamboozle, Red Pajamas and a Volvo: Celebrating David DiLaura