BETWEEN THE LINES

Where Ideas Abound–And Come Together

By Steve Daniel, Editor

Idea Fusion.
President John Broderick unveiled the university’s new tagline during the annual State of the University address to faculty at the start of the fall semester. The two-word message was highlighted as part of a new video that touts ODU’s innovative research and researchers who are working to solve real-world problems.

As Broderick noted, “Idea Fusion encapsulates the heart and soul of Old Dominion University. In just two words, it conveys the university’s partnerships, cross-disciplinary collaborations, entrepreneurial spirit and multicultural community, and the way these many facets of ODU fuse together to create knowledge, solutions, understanding and, ultimately, a better world.” (The video can be seen at: www.youtube.com/odu.)

The tagline is the latest element in Old Dominion’s branding initiative, which began in 2006. It will be used as a closing thought or idea in marketing materials, along with the university’s logo, according to Jennifer Mullen, assistant vice president for marketing and communications.

“At its best, a tagline is an intriguing shorthand of the university’s message and its personality,” she explains. “This tagline tells our audiences that we are youthful, entrepreneurial, collaborative and different. It is a fresh way of talking about our innovative character.”

“Idea Fusion” was selected by a creative group consisting of members of the university’s marketing office, Vice President for Development Alonzo Brandon ’85, College of Business and Public Administration Dean Nancy Bagranoff, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Alice McAdory, and consultants from Educational Marketing Group. The team considered more than 500 possibilities. Each potential tagline was screened for its brand compatibility, memorability and uniqueness, ability to support the university’s strategic plan, and ability to motivate and resonate with all of ODU’s many constituents.

The university is in the process of trademarking the words and hopes to combine the tagline with a refreshed logo later in the fall semester.

The return of football to Old Dominion, after a 69-year absence, has prompted the recent publication of two books that take a look at the school’s short-lived history in the sport. Associate Professor Emeritus Peter Stewart and Thomas R. Garrett ’72 (M.S.Ed. ’81) teamed up to write “The Legacy Renewed: Football and Foreman Field: Norfolk Division - Old Dominion University.”

A member of one of the last two teams to play football for the Norfolk Division, Johnny W. Brown Jr. ’39 has penned his memoirs in “Before They Were Monarchs: A Personal History of the Norfolk Division Braves.”

With co-author Gary Ruegesegger, Brown, of Virginia Beach, recounts the program’s early history under legendary coach Tommy Scott. Known by the nicknames “Jackrabbit” and “Norfolk’s Jim Thorpe,” Brown, now 90, was a tailback for the Braves from 1937-39. He also played baseball and ran track for Scott, and is a member of the ODU Sports Hall of Fame. His 55-page self-published book includes profiles of Scott and nearly 30 Braves football players. Vintage photos are included throughout. Brown, who was on hand for the ODU opening game ceremonies on Sept. 5, also shares personal memories of his playing days.

Quoted on the book’s back cover, he notes: “Although I’ve slowed down a step or two since I used to carry the rock for Tommy Scott’s Norfolk Division Braves, I’m excited about the return of football to the University.”