Memories of the late Sen. Craig Thomas dominated the opening of Grand Teton National Park’s new visitor center Saturday as Vice President Dick Cheney and the interior secretary joined Thomas’ widow in dedicating the $18.5 million building.

“I was fortunate indeed to know Senator Craig Thomas for many years,” Cheney said. “This obviously was a man of rare commitment and character. He believed deeply in the Park Service mission.”

Thomas, who often advocated for national parks, helped get $8 million in federal funding for the visitor center. After Thomas’ death June 4, Congress voted to rename the building in his honor.

Cheney said the conservation ethic of people who helped preserve the park was reflected in the building.

“Gathered in this incredible corner of the world, we cannot help but be thankful for their foresight and good sense,” he said. “Today, we can say with confidence that we did something good for our nation.”

Several people in the audience jeered when Cheney took the stage, and a small group of war protesters set up signs at the old visitor center across the street from the dedication ceremony.

Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming also spoke at the dedication, which was attended by hundreds in the new visitor center’s parking lot.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said naming the center after Thomas is fitting.

“Today we celebrate the memory of a remarkable man,” he said. “We must pass down his passion for national parks to the next generation.”

Thomas’ widow, Susan, said her husband would have been honored but humbled by the ceremony.

“He would lean over and whisper, ‘Susie, they’re making too big a deal out of this,’” she said.

Susan Thomas said her husband wished for a balance between conservation and use.

“He believed strongly that some areas should be set aside for our children and our grandchildren,” she said.

The dedication comes as Kempthorne, Bomar and President George Bush try to raise $1 billion in federal funds to fix up national parks for the Park Service’s 2016 centennial. Those federal funds would be matched dollar for dollar by private philanthropists.

Bomar said the new visitor center, which was built with private funds raised by the Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the Grand Teton Association, serves as a model for future projects in the national park system.

“The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center symbolizes a long tradition of stewardship and partnership between national parks and concerned citizens,” she said. “Grand Teton preserves more than just spectacular scenery. It also preserves a rich history of philanthropy in the vein of Mr. [John D.] Rockefeller. Today, every American can help carry on the tradition of stewardship and generous support that has shaped our parks.”