Arguably, one of the “big men on campus” in University of Idaho history was Terry Armstrong. Towering at 6’9”, he was a regular sight, greeting everyone he passed. The gregarious high school biology/art teacher came to the U of I to earn his master’s and doctorate in education and having found his home, stayed on.

He taught at the university from 1967-1978 and 1989 until his retirement in 1995 as an emeritus professor. From 1978-1989, he served as University President Gibb’s Executive Assistant. Some of his responsibilities included Student Counseling, Students Advisory Services, Student Financial Aid, University Housing, and Food Services. He also was a contact for high schools and community colleges. During the summer semester, he taught classes (AlLee). In an interview, he confided that his most challenging problems were counseling students who faced violence and suicidal thoughts (Whaley).

The gentle giant was remembered as a master storyteller and “jokester,” not to mention an incredible artist (Davis). The third generation Idahoan was described in an Argonaut interview as an avid painter and outdoorsman (1978). He was an inveterate doodler. His diverse personal interests ranged from prehistory to poisonous insects, arachnids and reptiles, to modern brain research. He was also voracious in his quest to learn.

“Every year I take something special and learn as much about it as I can,” Armstrong said.

Amongst his passion for learning and teaching, he held a strong love for the University of Idaho, proclaiming, “There is no place I would rather be” (AlLee).

“Terry was certainly at his core was a professor,” Dean of Students Bruce Pitman said. ‘…a very, very gifted faculty person. There are teachers and administrators all over the Northwest who were inspired by Terry and quite frankly owe their careers to Terry - because he was the mentor, he was the guide that they needed” (Wiley).

The Terry Armstrong papers in the U of I Library Special Collections and Archives, document his extensive work at the university. Most notable are the correspondence with students, children, and university peers as well as his class notes, overhead transparencies, and course materials. He brought in several grants for the university and was closely involved with the Idaho Space Grant program. He delivered high school commencement speeches and spoke at local schools (Register, 2010). Also, he collected trivia about the university and was a co-creator of the Found Money Fund.

Well known amongst the student body, the former basketball player received letters, wedding invitations, and birth announcements from graduates. In 1985, he was challenged by the Vandal women’s basketball team to assemble a team of university employees for a volleyball match (McCanlies).

His sense of humor shined in his doodling which appeared on notes as well as correspondence.

Trivia

Armstrong began stockpiling U of I Trivia simply enough. He wanted to give his speeches about the university a bit of zip. “I’m talking ‘gee whiz’ stuff–what it really takes to keep this old place going.” From there the list continued to grow and was featured in newspaper articles and in Idaho, the University. Armstrong enjoyed finding tidbits about everyday items that people didn’t think about often.

“It seems to me that people in all of education, but particularly higher education, are perceived as always whining about their budgets. Instead, I decided to point out the enormity of running a university. I talk about the guy who bids on 16 tons of hamburger a year. He’s crucial. He can make or break the food budget. But he’s been three years without a raise.”

Bits of university trivia on his list from 1983-1987 included:

• 4 million square feet of indoor space and 15 miles of walkways
• 1300 toilets to be cleaned
• Almost nine miles of underground tunnels
• 3000 meals a day prepared
• 102, 400 servings of soda pop consumed by students

He even gave Special Collections a shoutout, about our holdings which included mining records, early U of I and Idaho history, and oral histories (Scott, Devlin, “Trivia”).

We would be remiss if we did not return the favor and offer some trivia on Terry Armstrong:

• 3,750th formal presentation was delivered during the 1998-1999 school year
• 2.7 million dollars in grants written or co-developed
• 16 awards for teaching and service to the U of I
• 41 years of perfect attendance except for a period in 1964 when he was bitten by a rattler and had to go to the hospital.

Found Money Fund

At the start of the spring semester in 1981, Armstrong found three pennies on the sidewalk while walking to work (Wiley). These coins provided the beginning of the Found Money Fund.

“Times were tough on the University of Idaho campus. The taxpayers of the state had passed a one percent property tax limitation measure and higher education support had been eroded to pay public school bills. What might the decade hold for the University - and the State of Idaho? We found out later, when financial exigency forced the release of 241 UI employees” (Armstrong).

Armstrong put the pennies in a jar and wondered how many coins he could find in a year.

“It seemed to me that it would provide a good diversion, as well as supporting the admonition many state and federal officials were declaring then to save money for a rainy day” (Armstrong).

Armstrong told Carol Yenni, an administrative assistant in the President’s Office, about his small-scale experiment. She gave him a nickle she had found and joined him collecting coins. They decided to use the money to finance a party at the end for the year. Other staff members soon began contributing. Suzie Davis, supervisor for the Gary Strong Curriculum Center, remembered that her mother, Nancy McConnachie, was one of the first to donate a $10 bill she found. By the end of the year, the jar held about $45. Armstrong and Yenni decided it would make a poor party and instead created the Found Money Fund (Davis, Wiley). The fund will not be used until 2089, the University’s bicentennial. The endowment distributions will be used in perpetuity to support programs and enhance opportunities for students and faculty at the University (Foundation).

A 1982 Spokane Chronicle quoted Armstrong on the variety of donations: “…as you can see, the money in my little jar is growing exponentially. Students are starting to collect for us. We’ve even had a few finds by toddlers.” Yenni added that the University’s director “of high school relations found two $5 bills on a cafeteria floor in Twin Falls” (Devlin, “Penny”). There was a report of a dollar being found in a tree (Summers). Found Money Fund piggy banks sprung up all over campus and a few can even be spotted today. The University’s newsletter, the Register reported that retiree Alison Nowakowski donated over $50 in found money she’d saved during her time at the U of I.

Bruce Pitman, then the Dean of Students, remembered when found money was dropped off with Armstrong in the President’s Office. “It demystified the President’s Office. It made it more personal and accessible. Custodians would bring money in, students would bring money in, house mothers from sororities would bring in money…it really created a warm atmosphere on campus” (Wiley).

In 1981 an Idahonian article on the Fund went viral–was picked up by the AP wire– and money came in from all over the country (Summers).

“Most people think it’s a doggone good idea and send us money,” Armstrong announced (Summers).

In his own narrative of the Found Money Fund, Armstrong wrote: “I recall a dirty Velveeta cheese box from some mechanic in Indiana who willingly gave us $32.00 he had been accumulating for years.”

Then NBC Television called with an invitation to appear on a game show called “Fantasy.” This was how he ended up in California before a studio audience, stuck in a tube with paper money being blown about him. The Fund would receive all the money he could grab in one minute. He was not alone. Karin Sobotta, alumna and U of I women’s basketball star, also made the trip. The pair ended up netting $2100 (Stewart).

People continued to mail in found money. One letter from an alumnus read in part: “Dear Terry, Enclosed find miscellaneous change found on the Southern Oregon Coast so far this school year….How is the Found Money Fund? Reached a million yet?” (Armstrong papers).

Armstrong quipped the Found Money Fund also “promotes fitness, sharpens observation skills and develops laudable philanthropic qualities. But, mostly, it’s just funner than the dickens” (Devlin, “Penny”).

Writing for the Argonaut in 2014, Wiley reported: “Today, the account has reached over $330,000 and is expected to be in the billions before it can be opened.” The Found Money Fund page is currently predicting it will hold about 30 million dollars by 2089–a scant 64 years away. (Foundation).

At present, there is about $665, 000 in the Terry Armstrong Found Money Fund and it continues to grow.

Legacy

Along with the Found Money Fund, Armstrong has a Education Building classroom named in his honor. It is dedicated to science, teaching innovation and classroom excellence (Wiley).

There is also the Terry Armstrong Teacher Education Scholarship that “continues to make an impact” (Envision). Armstrong’s work and care for the University of Idaho continues to return on his investment and will continue to do so into the future.

Resources

AlLee, Paul. “The Godfather,” Argonaut, The Argonaut Archive, 1984-09-04.

“Armstrong’s Believe It or Not!” Idaho, the University, Office of University Communications, University of Idaho, 1986.

Armstrong, Terry. “Found Money Fund History”

Davis, Suzie. Email correspondence, 2025.

Devlin, Sherry. “Penny’s worth: at UI, found money’s going to fund someone’s future,” Spokane Chronicle,” 1982-11-09.

Devlin, Sherry. “The University of Idaho’s pursuit of trivia,” Spokesman-Review, 1987-04-12.

Envision, University of Idaho College of Education, 2015.

Item: Nowakowski retirement gift, University of Idaho Register, 2010-05-14.

McCanlies, Kathy. “B-ballers challenge Armstrong,” Argonaut, 1985-11-12

“Retired professor Terry Armstrong named 1996 commencement speaker” University of Idaho Register, 1996-04-19.

Scott, Margaret. “President’s aide known UI stats to the number,” Spokesman-Review, 1983-10-23.

Stewart, Mike. “Found Money is helping UI boost budget,” Argonaut, 1983-01-11.

Summers, Leila. “The Found Money Fund has grown to $167,962.67; Project started in 1981 at UI, Moscow-Pullman Daily News,” 2004-12-17.

“Taking care of problems is his job,” Argonaut, 1985-11-12.

Terry Armstrong papers, 1967-2009.

University of Idaho Foundation. “Found Money Fund”.

Whaley, Susan. “Armstrong solves problems tall and small,” Argonaut, 1982-02-23.

Wiley, Danielle. “Man behind found money - Terry Armstrong leaves memories, good feelings, found money,” Argonaut,” 2014-02-06.