PROVO, Utah — Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve was on BYU campus Sept. 28 to dedicate the newly named Royden G. Derrick Planetarium located in the Carl F. Eyring Science Center.
The planetarium will be an effective tool in helping students to appreciate "the numberless works of our Father in Heaven and His infinite capacity to bless His children," said Elder Scott.
The new structure, which was completed in March 2005, was named after ElderDerrick, a distinguished industrialist, engineer and Church leader, who, beginning in 1976, was a member of the Quorum of the Seventy and Presidency of the Seventy before being named an emeritus General Authority in 1989.
In attendance were Elder Derrick, his wife, Allie, and family members as well as Briant Summerhays, representing the Summerhays family, who endowed BYU's original planetarium when it opened in 1958.
Also in attendance were Elder W. Rolfe Kerr, Church Commissioner of Education; Elder Merrill J. Bateman and BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson of the Quorum of the Seventy; and Elder John K. Carmack, emeritus General Authority.
The naming of the planetarium, with its specialized 3-D star projector and state-of-the-art acoustics, was made possible by Elder Derrick's son, David, and his wife, Marsha, who have been long-time supporters of the BYU Department of Physics and Astronomy.
"We have been thrilled by the support of the Derrick family," said Scott D. Sommerfeldt, dean of the BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. "Their contributions have helped many gain a deeper understanding of our Heavenly Father's creations and appreciate their diversity."
While it is primarily a classroom for university students, the planetarium has a popular outreach program involving local school and community organizations. With a seating capacity of 119, compared to the former planetarium's 40, the facility educates some 10,000 students and visitors each year.
