sealPurdue News
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December 19, 1997

Purdue exhibit designer 'makes everybody else look good'

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The man behind Purdue University's presence at dozens of Indiana State Fairs, Farm Progress Shows, the Indianapolis Flower and Patio Shows, a handful of annual farm machinery expos and thousands of other events over the years has won the infrequently bestowed "Director's Award" from the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. The award was given Dec. 10 at the organization's annual conference.

Don Stichter, a master exhibit designer and builder with Purdue's Department of Agricultural Communication Service, was honored by Extension Director H.A. Wadsworth as the man "who makes the rest of us look good."

A 40-year veteran of the Extension Service, Stichter has created everything from a three-fold foam display on a long table at the county fair to the complex interactive educational displays in the Our Land Pavilion at the Indiana State Fair.

The most elaborate display was one of for the School of Consumer and Family Sciences that showed off the accomplishments of home economics specialists and others. The walk-through maze featured several complex exhibits and at least one slide projector. Today the plan hangs from a sign on his office wall with the notation "Learn to say no."

Described by Wadsworth as someone who likes to stay in the background and let the others take the bows, Stichter said he doesn't like to let his preferences get in the way of the educational message of the display -- no matter how big or small it may be.

"There's an old rule of thumb in my business that you have to have three messages per display. One that can be read in three seconds, another that can be picked up in 30 seconds, and one that can be read in three minutes," Stichter said. That doesn't leave any room for his ego, he said.

State fairgoers may remember Stichter's work such as a talking giant raindrop, a butterfly house and the popular quiz boards. Past attendees to the Purdue Ag Fish Fry may also remember a large eagle that defecated shaving cream onto the heads of state dignitaries and university leaders.

Graduating from Purdue with a degree in crop sciences in 1955, Stichter rejoined the School of Agriculture in 1958. He can remember spending whole summers at the state fairgrounds working on Purdue displays that would only be up for two weeks but would play to crowds of tens of thousands.

"It was a more targeted message back then. We were talking to farmers and farm wives, telling them how to do it all better," he said. Today, the audience may be more diverse, he said, but the objective's the same. "By the time they're finished with a display, I just want for them to have learned something and to feel good about Purdue."

Sources: H.A. Wadsworth, (765) 494-8489
Don Stichter, (765) 494-7081
Writer: Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; e-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

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