Faculty, staff, students and community members joined together Friday, November 14, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Kentucky Building. President Ransdell spoke of the significance of the Kentucky Building over the years and the direction the board plans to take the Museum in the future. Library Special Collections Department Head Jonathan Jeffrey gave a brief history of the building, including original intentions in design, funding sources, and time frame to completion as well as Dr. Cherry’s sentiments. Professor Jeffrey concluded with naming several recent acquisitions that were donated to the Special Collections, including (getting info from Jonathan). Cake, punch, and tours of the building were given at the end of the program.
Some recent acquisitions:
These speeches by Dr. Gary Ransdell are representative of the one and a half cubic feet of speeches that were transferred to WKU Archives in 2014. WKU Archives holds approximately 350 cubic feet of WKU President’s Office papers dating from 1906-present. WKU Archives
This model bayonet was issued to US soldiers fighting in World War I and was based on a bayonet first produced by the British. It is one of three weapons recently donated to the Kentucky Museum by Thomas Redford, a 1951 graduate of WKU. Today, the weapons collection includes 200 plus firearms, edged weapons, and accessory items. Donated by Thomas Redford. Kentucky Museum
The Sears Family papers contain a large copy book (1850-1870) used by Chauncey Sears, a Shaker from Mt. Lebanon, New York. Opened is a manuscript hymnal commenced by Polly Ann Smith in 1848; she and Chauncey later married and moved to Ohio. This collection also includes several loose hymns that Polly intended to enter into the hymnal. The papers also include genealogy related to the Sears family and some correspondence. Donated by Drs. Karl & Beth Laves. Manuscripts & Folklife Archives
Josephus, Flavius. Phlabiou Iōsēpou Hierosolymitou hiereōs Ta euriskomena… Coloniae: Sumptibus Mauritii Georgii Weidmanni, 1691. Anonmyous donation. Kentucky Library Research Collections
(A history of the Jewish nation after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD by Flavius Josephus; parallel texts in Latin and Greek)