Category Archives: University Archives

by | March 24, 2010 · 7:00 am

Zephyrus

In Greek mythology, the Anemoi were the wind gods. Zephyrus was the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes.

1969 Cover

1969 Cover

At WKU, Zephyrus is the fine arts magazine published annually by the English department. It features art, poetry and short stories created and written by students. University Archives holds the full run of this magazine which first appeared in 1969. We are in the process of digitizing every issue for publication on TopScholar.  Originals are available for researchers in University Archives UA68/6/1.

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by | March 18, 2010 · 7:20 am

Going Up? The Elevator

Elevator

Elevator


The Elevator was the first student publication at Western Kentucky State Normal School. It was published “monthly” during the school year from 1909 through 1916. Volume II has been posted on TopScholar using optical character recognition software to make the issues full-text searchable. In this first volume are accounts of the first baseball team: “we have hopes of securing a professional coach;” faculty activities: “Prof. Webb went fishing and swimming in a creek in east Tenn,” lists of graduates; news from alumni: “Miss Lillian Moore is teaching English and History in the Natchez Miss. High School;” student compositions; advertisements for local merchants and general news of the school. Check it out on TopScholar.

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by | March 4, 2010 · 9:26 am

Elizabeth Tucker Scrapbook

etsb011Elizabeth Curd Tucker was born February 9, 1863 near Glasgow, Kentucky. She attended Glasgow Normal School graduating in 1880 when she delivered the valedictory speech at commencement. The Glasgow Normal School was the first incarnation of what has become Western Kentucky University.  In 1975 her daughters donated Mrs. Tucker’s scrapbook to University Archives.

The bulk of the scrapbook is made up of newspaper clippings of poetry and articles regarding education and sermons. There are Glasgow Normal School commencement programs and drawings by her son Charles and an unidentified artist in the scrapbook as well. The following articles are of particular interest regarding the Glasgow Normal School:

    “Glasgow Normal Senate,” Friday May 28, 1880 which mentions Ms. Curd, p. 49.”Glasgow Commencement Exercises,” June 30, 1880 which mentions Ms. Curd giving the
    valedictory, p. 50.”Graduates of Glasgow Normal School,” p. 58.

    Glasgow Normal School commencement programs

The scrapbook has been digitized and is now available on TopScholar.

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by | February 23, 2010 · 8:27 am

Beulah Collins Ellis Autograph Books

Edgar Cayce Autograph
Beulah Collins Ellis attended the Southern Normal School and kept two autograph books.  The first book has a padded cover of brown cloth and is in fragile condition. The majority of the autographs date to 1902 and 1903. Mrs. Ellis’ daughter Lena wrote in the book in 1922. Of special note is an inscription by Edgar Cayce:

“To thine own self be true and it must follow as the night the day. That you will be true to others. Your friend, Edgar Cayce, BG, September 17, 1902”

The Kentucky Library & Museum also holds papers regarding Edgar Cayce and his activities in Bowling Green.

The second autograph album dates from 1904-1907 and is autographed by natives of Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Tennessee.

Both books have been scanned and are available on TopScholar.  These and other records are available for researchers in the Kentucky Library & Museum.

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by | February 17, 2010 · 8:02 am

Anna Murl Fisher Scrapbook

Homecoming Poster

Homecoming Poster

Anna Fisher of McHenry, Kentucky attended WKU and graduated in the Class of 1932. This scrapbook includes unique items not found elsewhere in the University Archives collections including a homecoming poster for WKU vs University of Louisville football game and game program for WKU vs Cumberland College, 1928.

Anna Fisher went on to teach at Bunker Hill in Equality, Kentucky. A scrapbook she kept during those years “Memories of Bunker Hill School, 1929-1930” is also available in the Kentucky Library Call # SBK166.  Ask to see it in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room of the Kentucky Building.

Check out this and similar student/alumni collections in TopScholar.

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by | February 9, 2010 · 3:04 pm

Amelia Smith Autograph Book

Amelia Smith Autograph Book

Amelia Smith attended the Southern Normal School in the mid-1880’s. During her time at the school, she kept an autograph book which has been donated to WKU University Archives.  This small book has been scanned and posted in TopScholar.  This and other student and alumni papers can be viewed in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room of the Kentucky Library Monday – Saturday 9 – 4.  Come visit.

Amelia Smith Autograph Book

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by | February 2, 2010 · 8:52 pm

Donnie Love Autograph Book

Donnie Love's Autograph Book

Donnie Love's Autograph Book

Miss Donnie Love, a native of Horse Cave, Kentucky attended Southern Normal School about 1890. She received a teaching certificate and began teaching in Edmonson County by the age of 16. Her autograph book is now in University Archives and has been scanned for viewing online. There are 53 pages of autographs including this notation by Donnie Love herself inviting friends to write in her book.

The book is available online through TopScholar.

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by | January 26, 2010 · 2:41 pm

Rodes Myers Scrapbook

Ogden College Orchestra

Rodes Kirby Myers son of W.H. and Helen (Kirby) Myers was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky on June 29, 1900.  He attended Ogden College from 1916-1919 and taught there in 1920 and at Morganfield High School in 1921. Myers went on to study law at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Kentucky where he obtained his LLB in 1925. 

Rodes Myers followed his father into politics and served in many capacities including state representative 1934-1939 and 1945; state senator 1948-1950 and lieutenant governor 1939-1943. He died March 10, 1960.

He appears in this photo with other members of the Ogden College Orchestra in 1917.  They are sitting l to r: Joseph Jones, Horace Huddle and Thomas Wright. Standing l to r: Douglas Potter, Thomas Rogers, Foreman Gibson, Raymond Gilliam, Rodes Myers and Joseph Tobin.
 
The University Archives holds a partial scrapbook created by Rodes Myers during his time at Ogden College.  Items are pasted over pages of a State Board of Health Report for 1908-1909.  There are many articles about Myers’ participation on the Ogden debate team and other activities.   The scrapbook has been scanned and is now available for researchers through TopScholar.

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by | January 11, 2010 · 8:59 pm

Juanita Hood Stockton Scrapbooks

Juanita Hood Stockton, class of 1954, attended WKU between 1950 and 1954.  During her time here she created two scrapbooks which were donated to University Archives.  In late 2009 the scrapbooks consisting mainly of photographs were scanned and then taken apart in order to better preserve the images.  Ms. Stockton included images of herself and friends such as Rosemary Scholl, Reed Johnson, Barbara Marsh and Nancy Slocum.  There are images of couples preparing for Military Balls, Valentine’s Day dances, Beech Bend Park, Fountain Square Park, Hilltoppers Lunch, the Senators Club and in the dorms. 

This week pdf files of those scrapbooks have been made available through TopScholar: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_alum_papers/.  Individual images which have yet to be identified are also available through KenCat – search using Juanita Hood Stockton.  Check out these sources to see a slice of campus life from the early 1950’s and help us identify some people.

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by | December 16, 2009 · 9:28 pm

Registrar’s Office Records

The Registrar’s Office was created in 1909 and served the dual purpose of admissions/registrar and bookkeeping for the school early on.  The University Archives holds a complete run of undergraduate catalogs and commencement programs from the office.  Commencement programs list the names of all graduates.  The first graduate catalog in the collection is from 1941, the next is 1962.  Please contact us if you have graduate catalogs published between 1942 and 1961. 

Other less, well-known records include a short run of baccalaureate programs 1911-1918 and 1932-1965 and commencement schedules.  In the early days, commencement activities included baccalaureate service, graduating exercises, alumni symposium, concerts, receptions, chapel services for alumni and an excursion to Mammoth Cave.

Student registers include student name, date enrolled, address, county and in some cases religious affiliation and parents’ names.  They can also contain the number of course hours taken.  The archives does not currently house student grades.  These records are extant for the years 1907-1949; and 1956-1960.  There is also a statistical file which gives information regarding enrollment numbers.

The records of the Registrar’s Office have been processed and finding aids posted in TopScholar.  These records are available for researchers to use in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room.

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