Editor's Note: The following story is the 18th installment of the Stories That Live Forever series. The series originated in 2007 to commemorate Memorial Day and honor the names listed on the Washington State University Veterans Memorial on the WSU campus. Beginning Veterans Day 2008, the scope of the series was expanded to include Washington State student-athletes who have served, or are serving, the United States in the military. To access the entire series, please click HERE.
By Jason Krump
Washington State University is always with Fred Hogg.
"Everything, from the time I was a Coug going forward, was affected by being a Coug.
"The school prepares you for life."
It is a life that includes being a member of the Cougar Football team from 1962 to 1963, earning two degrees at WSU, and serving his country during the Vietnam War.
In August 2013, Hogg joined his teammates from the 1962 and 1963 teams for a reunion.
"We were impressed," said Hogg, regarding his reaction, and the reaction of his fellow teammates, after visiting campus and seeing firsthand the facility developments in the athletic department.
So impressed that all those who attended the reunion made the decision to join the Cougar Athletic Fund; and Hogg, a Cougar Athletic Fund member since 1977, and his wife Diane, whom he met at WSU, decided to create the Hogg Family Endowed Football Scholarship.
A year after the reunion, Hogg returned to campus and delivered the keynote address at September's Cougar Athletic Fund endowment brunch.
"What I want to do is tell you a story about a student I know very well," Hogg said to start his speech.
"A big kid about my size," he added with a chuckle, referring to himself. "When he came out of high school he had no idea what to do with his life."
After high school, Hogg said he "walked across the street" to his local junior college. He played football at Fullerton (California) Junior College for two years.
His performance on the field attracted the attention of larger schools.
"That was the first idea I had that I could go to a four-year college," Hogg explained.
Fred Hogg played tackle for the Cougars from 1962 to 1963.
Hogg narrowed his choice of schools down with WSU being one of those choices.
Hogg did not know much about Washington State, but he did know a Cougar legend on the team.
"I saw a game between Washington State and Washington on television and I can remember Hugh Campbell," said Hogg.
"One of the greatest players the Cougars ever had," he remembered of Campbell, who played for Washington State from 1960 to 1962. "That was one of the reasons I came up here."
There were other reasons, too.
Sometime between Christmas and New Year's Day, Hogg said he and his father flew north to Spokane and drove to Pullman.
It was an unannounced trip.
"Basically, I just walked in and introduced myself to the head coach (Jim Sutherland)," Hogg remembered.
"He dropped everything," Hogg tells the audience of Sutherland's reaction when he arrived. "He gave me the whole tour.
"An assistant coach stayed with me all day and made sure I had everything I wanted and what I needed to know," he continued. "My dad and I were both impressed."
And it wasn't only thing that Hogg was impressed with.
"Probably the most impressive thing about the whole trip was the snow," he said. "It does not snow in Southern California.
"I loved it"
Hogg played for two seasons, 1962 and 1963, as a tackle. He received his B.A. in Communication in 1966 and then earned his M.A. in speech in 1968.
After football, Hogg remained active at WSU beyond his academic pursuits. He worked at the campus station (KWSC) earning the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding male student in radio and television in 1966.
He also acted, appearing in several plays including as a doctor in Mr. Roberts, which an Evergreen reviewer said was "played well" by Hogg, who provides "wry commentary."
The Army ROTC page from the Chinook Yearbook. Fred Hogg is in the bottom photo, fifth row, third from the left.
He also was in the ROTC program and became a commissioned officer.
After receiving his master's degree, "Uncle Sam called me," as he told the audience, to serve his country. He was stationed at Fort Knox Army base and then to Vietnam as an Army officer.
After returning to the United States, Hogg entered the family business of manufacturing.
And though he acknowledged he didn't use his college degrees directly, the time spent at WSU influenced how he lived his life after leaving Pullman.
He told the student-athletes to complete what you started.
"One thing I want the young people to know is that no matter the number of years you spend here is to finish," he said. "That is the most important thing.
"Whatever you do from now on, this school, and the time you're here and the things you do, will influence everything that happens to you."
And he remembered back to his reunion as an example of that influence.
"You're friends from college will be solid forever," he said. "This place will be an anchor for you. You can always come back and you can always talk to people who've been here. They will know exactly how you feel and they will be of help.
"Don't ever forget that."
Fred Hogg delivers the keynote address during September's Cougar Athletic Fund Athletic Endowment Recognition Brunch.
