Author Archives: Suellyn Lathrop

by | May 18, 2011 · 10:16 am

Kentucky Library is Well Guarded, Word

That was the headline of an article in the Students Weekly, October 31, 1935.  The reporter goes on to say:

“Shades of the two-headed dog, Cerebus guarding the gates of Hades an the dragon that guarded the golden fleece are recalled when one seeks to enter the treasure house of the Kentucky Library at Western.  Just above the door is an old muzzle-loader and swinging in the doorway is one of the largest hornets’ nest that has been one’s fortune to see.”

This and other articles about the WKU Libraries’ history are now available online in the first two library scrapbooks covering the period 1911 through 1959.  In addition to newspaper clippings, there are photographs of the library, faculty and staff members along with some biographical sketches of early librarians and staff. 

WKU Libraries Scrapbook 1 – http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/295/

WKU Libraries Scrapbook 2 – http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/296/

These and other records regarding the history of Western are available in the University Archives and online through KenCat.

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by | May 11, 2011 · 4:54 pm

Potter College Class of 1903

These twenty ladies comprised the Potter College for Young Ladies Class of 1903. To date we have identified Mamie Johnston, Maud Cole, Celeste Cuthbertson and Hallie Brite.  As with many photographs in the WKU University Archives, we need your help to identify the remaining members of the class.  A larger version of this image is available online at:  http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/293. So take a closer look and let us know if you can identify anyone else. 

Check KenCat for other “unidentified” images and see if you recognize anyone.  It may just be you!

We have also digitized the extant Green & Gold Potter College student magazine published between 1902 and 1909.  We are missing the Vol. 3, No. 3 issue.  Please contact us if you have a copy to donate to the archives.

The Potter College yearbooks called Golden Rod and Talisman are also available online.

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by | May 2, 2011 · 12:10 pm

Theses Digitization Phase I Completed

In 2010 a project was initiated to  digitize WKU theses and dissertations for the period 1994-2009. These theses were stored in University Archives awaiting microfilming, however with the changes in technology, the decision was made to secure funding for digitization instead.   In June 2010 the funding was secured.  The theses were checked against the microfilm and a few additional theses going back to 1935 were found that had not been microfilmed.  Each theses was checked for student permissions and a page count was compiled.  28 boxes containing 759 theses were shipped to North Carolina to be digitized.  A jpg file was created of each page and a pdf file was created of each theses.  The originals and a hard drive returned to WKU in late March 2011.  From April 5 – 26, 2011 the theses were uploaded onto TopScholar and links were created from the library catalog TopCat to assist researchers in accessing them.  They are available by department and also at Masters Theses & Specialists Projects.

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by | April 8, 2011 · 3:56 pm

Student’s Weekly

Students Weekly

The University Archives has completed digitization of the Students Weekly a publication that catered to the students of WKU, Bowling Green Business University and College High in the 1930’s.  We have an incomplete run for the period 1936-1939.  Items of interest beside school news are the ads for clothing, movies and interesting news tidbits.  The collection is available through TopScholar.  The originals are extremely fragile.  Researchers visiting the Kentucky Library and Museum will be asked to use the microfilm or digital copies.

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by | March 24, 2011 · 1:57 pm

Founders Day Addresses

In doing research related to the opening of Ransdell Hall we’ve come across several Founders Day speeches.  These are primarily from the 1960’s, but there is an especially interesting one that highlights the earliest years of WKU.  A.L. Crabb’s Founders Day Address “It Sounds So Lovely What Our Fathers Did,”  reprinted in April 1943 was delivered the previous November 16th.  In it he relates his earliest memories as a student in the Southern Normal School in 1904.  He introduces the listeners to a host of early faculty including J.S. Dickey, the Cherry Brothers, J.M. Guilliams, J.H. Clagett, M.A. Leiper and Laura Frazee to name a few.  It is a great eyewitness account of the  early years of WKU.

This and additonal records are available for researchers through our online catalog, KenCat and in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room of the Kentucky Library & Museum Monday – Saturday, 9 – 4.  Selected digitized records can be found on TopScholar as well.

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by | March 18, 2011 · 10:13 am

What is it?

F2219-2A

Can you identify the object that these Geography students have gathered around?

Can you identify any of these students from 1931?

Note the birdhouse in the top of the skinned tree and the radio antennae in the background.

Check back next week for answer.

F2219-2

And the answer is:  Sullivan Gibson with Geography students and weather station.  Consider this an early mesonet site.

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by | March 11, 2011 · 12:22 pm

Domestic Science & Domestic Arts

Home Economics

Home Economics

The Department of Domestic Science & Domestic Arts is turning 100 this year! Never heard of it? That’s because the department has had several names and moved about on the organizational chart a few times:

Domestic Science & Domestic Arts 1911-1913
Domestic Economy 1914-1923
Home Economics 1924-1969
Home Economics & Family Living 1969-1995
Consumer & Family Sciences 1995-2010
Family & Consumer Sciences 2011-present

 

A contract signed January 3, 1911 between the Peabody Foundation and the WKU Board of Regents formalized a grant of $2000 to create the department by April 4 of the same year.  Since then the department has been housed in the College of Education (1911-1969; 1981-2000), the now defunct College of Applied Arts & Health (1969-1981) and the College of Health & Human Services (2001-present).  The departmental records have been processed and three finding aids created reflecting the administrative changes over the last 100 years.

Some of the treasures housed in University Archives created by the department include the Book of Instructions in Domestic Science in Warren County Schools, 1912; Linkages, newsletter and photographs such as the one shown here of Evadine Parker and an unidentified student.  Let us know if you can identify her.

These and additonal records are available for researchers through our online catalog, KenCat and in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room of the Kentucky Library & Museum Monday – Saturday, 9 – 4.

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by | January 25, 2011 · 10:48 am

BUWKY

BUWKY Oct. 1938Editor-in-Chief & business manager Lawrence Stone launched the BUKY in March 1936.  The publication statement indicates that it was to be a student magazine published monthly “during the college year except for July and August in the interests of the students of the Bowling Green Business University and Western Kentucky Teachers College.”  It cost $.75 for a year’s subscription and $.10 per single issue. 

The next extant issue May 1936 indicates a change in the title to BUWKY due to a misunderstanding in the pronunciation.  Although published at the BU, there were more Western students on the rolls of reporters in the early issues each with pseudonyms such as Rusty Rhythm and Norothy Nix.  The magazine covers WKU sporting events, alumni of both schools, and highlights BU students and faculty.  The ads are also an interesting component highlighting local businesses of the period as well as national trends.

The University Archives does not hold a full run of the magazine.  Those that are extant 1936 and 1938-1943 have been digitized and are now available on TopScholar.  They are a wonderful view into student life at both schools.  Please contact the University Archivist at archives@wku.edu if you have more issues of this publication to donate.  Also, check out the University Archives wish list. 

These magazines and other records regarding the Bowling Green Business University are available to researchers in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room of the Kentucky Library & Museum Monday – Saturday, 9 – 4.

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by | January 21, 2011 · 4:43 pm

T ‘n’ T

T 'n' TThe Bowling Green Business University split off in 1906 as WKU was formed. It functioned as an independent business college until 1963 when it merged into WKU and formed the basis of what is now the Gordon Ford College of Business.  In 1948 the students of the BU as it was known, created a monthly student magazine named Towers and Toppers or T ‘n’ T.  Student reporters highlighted faculty and students, tracked alumni whereabouts,  dished the latest gossip and talked WKU sports.

The University Archives holds several issues of the magazine for the 1948-1951 period and these have been indexed, digitized and posted on TopScholar.  Originals are available in University Archives.  We are interested in finding additional issues to make our holdings complete.  Please contact the University Archivist at archives@wku.edu if you have these or other items to donate.

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by | January 10, 2011 · 10:10 am

SGA Records

SGA Elections 1968

SGA Elections 1968

The Student Advisory Council of 1956 was the first incarnation of WKU’s Student Government Association. A constitution was written in 1963 and a student council was active in February and of March 1965.   In 1966 things finally got underway with a newly written constitution and approval of the Kelly Thompson administration.  Since then the group has been active on campus taking on the issues of the day from discrimination to tuition hikes, ice machines to visitation policies.

University Archives holds the existing records of the SGA and these are being digitized.  The constitution and amendments; meeting minutes 1969; 1976-1979; 1986-1990; 1994-1999; 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 ; legislation and documents are now available for researchers on TopScholar.   These records are also available to researchers in the Kentucky Building’s Harrison-Baird Reading Room, Monday – Saturday 9 – 4.

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