NAU Honors Frank Besnette with Sculpture and Commemorative Plaque[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEznCR0zRh0[/embed]

A Lasting Tribute: How Frank Besnette’s Vision Transformed NAU’s Campus

The Northern Arizona University (NAU) campus boasts a unique landscape feature that stands not only as art but as a testament to a visionary’s dedication to aesthetics. This feature, known as “French Fries,” symbolizes Frank Besnette’s commitment to a beautiful campus environment.

Instead of opting for a mundane vent pipe for an underground shooting range, Besnette, who was then the executive vice president, envisioned something more. He collaborated with renowned art faculty member Jim O’Hara and his students to create a sculpture that would enhance the university’s landscape.

This fall, the impact of Frank Besnette and his wife Linda is being celebrated with a commemorative plaque at the “French Fries” sculpture. At a ceremony in early October, President José Luis Cruz Rivera and the Besnettes’ daughter, Carrie Besnette Hauser, unveiled the plaque in honor of the couple’s contributions. Frank and Linda witnessed this event via FaceTime from their home in Colorado.

For three decades, the NAU campus was at the heart of the Besnettes’ endeavors. Frank’s journey at NAU began in the College of Business, eventually rising to the role of executive vice president. His career in education culminated with his position as executive director of the Arizona Board of Regents. Linda, meanwhile, was a distinguished public school teacher and an active community member in Flagstaff. She played pivotal roles in founding Theatrikos and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff, even serving as the latter’s first board president.

A year prior, Frank and Linda revisited the campus, where they were drawn to the iconic sculpture. Carrie Hauser recounted how her father humorously referred to the structure as “Frank’s French fries” among his colleagues. This playful nickname has become part of the sculpture’s legacy, signifying the enduring mark the Besnettes left on NAU.

President Cruz Rivera acknowledged the importance of the Besnettes’ efforts, attributing much of NAU’s current beauty to Frank’s focus on aesthetics. Linda added that a campus’s appearance acts as its primary marketing tool, remarking, “The families have to see a beautiful campus.”

Although they couldn’t attend in person, the Besnettes were surrounded by friends and former colleagues at the ribbon-cutting. Among the attendees were Carrie’s high school classmate Gibson McKay and former Alumni Board President Jana (Gardner) Harper, both with family ties to the Besnettes. Additionally, close friends Marj and Sam McClanahan represented them at the ceremony, marking a poignant celebration of community and legacy.