Tag Archives: Cool Stuff

by | April 3, 2013 · 4:08 pm

Earth Awareness Festival

Student Awareness Earth Week

Student Awareness Earth Week

 In 1976 WKU students observed Earth Week April 11th – 17th.  A group sprang up calling themselves Energy for Student Awareness.  They were concerned and printed a 12 page newsletter.  The group screened films, had a food drive for Guatemalans and staged the Earth Awareness Festival outside Downing University Center.  The newsletter includes articles regarding The Farm a commune in Summerton, Tennessee, nuclear energy, alternative energy sources, healthy eating, Native American rights and ecological legislation.

Do you remember Earth Awareness Festival?  How did you participate?  What will you be doing for Earth Day, April 22nd?

This and many other 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 | March 15, 2013 · 12:21 pm

Kentucky Building Song

CHH Feb. 1929 Headline

CHH Feb. 1929 Headline

Set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, The Kentucky Building song composed by Mrs. H.R. Matthews during the fund raising campaign appeared in the March 1929 College Heights Herald.

Though we may wander from the Hill
In wider fields to roam
We’ll treasure o’er our college days
And call her portals “Home”

Chorus
Then may our hands and may our hearts
Be joined to build a great
Kentucky monument to save
The history of our state

The Indian lore and pioneer
Shall never pass away;
Our relics we shall now preserve
And in our state they’ll stay

Check out other College Heights Heralds in TopScholar.  1925-1929, Jan. 1930, 1961-1963, 1968-1969 are up.  More coming soon.

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by | February 5, 2013 · 6:46 pm

Military Broadsides

In 1943, World War II was in full swing. U-boats were sinking, London was being bombed, the Trident Conference was taking place, Italy was being liberated by the Allies—and military squadrons were heading to Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Why did so many squadrons come to town? They were using Bowling Green as a part of their troop training. We know that our airport was used for training beginning in 1943. The 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was deployed to the Bowling Green Airport for about four months in 1943 and 1944 and some of the other divisions were probably doing air training as well, though the reasons for a tank division to be deployed here is less clear.

Jim the Pilot

Jim the Pilot

Five military broadsides found in the WKU Archives were apparently made by different squadrons as thank you cards to the citizens of Bowling Green for their hospitality. These broadsides offer some interesting information about soldiers who were about to head off to war. They reveal a sense of humor that underscores the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky, charming, confident American soldier boy. Nicknames like “SNAFU,” “Tough Boy,” and “Toothless” pepper the signatures. Corporal Martin “Snooks” Schnall Jr. is called “Headquarters (Brains of the Outfit)” on one poster. Some posters include references to the battalion’s purpose, like a tank or the outfit’s insignia or a plane, piloted by “Jim,” whose picture has been cut out and pasted into the airplane’s window.  [Click on images to enlarge].

Ship

Ship

One broadside is a complete mystery, though. Why does it have two ships from different eras passing or a sketch of a dog? Instead of including the signatures of the men in the outfit, there is an illegible inscription at the top and a lot of shorthand at the bottom.

Dog

Dog

There are a few other unanswered questions. What brought the tank battalion to town? It was the only part of its division to see engagement; did their training here help them get there and get through? Were hand-drawn posters a typical thank you to towns they visited? And what on earth does this shorthand say?

Shorthand

Shorthand

If you have the answer to these questions or know someone who was attached to any of these squadrons, we would love to hear from you! Please contact archives@wku.edu or leave a comment. Use the links below to take a closer look at the broadsides in TopScholar.

These and other university records are available for researchers to use in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room of the Kentucky Building, Monday-Saturday, 9 to 4.

Blog post written by WKU Archives Assistant Katherine Chappell.

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by | October 1, 2012 · 3:31 pm

Archives Month – Athletics in Archives

WKU Soap Box Derby

October is Archives Month and in Kentucky the theme is Athletics in Archives in honor of the 2012 Olympics. This year’s poster features images of sports being played and enjoyed by Kentuckians of all ages.  The WKU photo shows children participating in a soap box derby race down College Heights Hill.

The WKU Archives website is featuring links to Hilltopper related items housed here in the Kentucky Building.  The collections are open to researchers most Mondays – Saturdays 9 to 4.  The online inventories and digital objects are available 24/7 through TopScholar.

Archives throughout the Commonwealth capture and preserve records of all types of athletic activities.  Check out collections near you in person and those available online year round.

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by | September 7, 2012 · 5:01 pm

A Century of Spirit PSA’s

The WKU Archives holds records in a variety of formats.  During the 2006 WKU Centennial celebration 26 public service announcements were created as MP4 files.  These announcements include ten decade by decade histories of WKU and special topics such as Henry Cherry’s legacy, Coach E.A. Diddle, Big Red, integration and student organizations.  The PSA’s and other documentation of A Century of Spirit are available online at: TopScholar, choose the year 2006.

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by | January 10, 2012 · 3:17 pm

Online Exhibits

A new section has been added to TopScholar:  Kentucky Museum / Library Special Collections Online Exhibits.  The site features images of objects, photographs and documents used in exhibits with more background information than is inclued in a typical museum label.  The site includes a blog widgets for user comments which will enhance our knowledge of objects and photographs.  The Google maps / Google Earth widget allows us place objects and photographs in geographical relation to others.

Currently there are two completed online exhibits.  The first is Get on the Bus: 40 Years of Political Activism.  Originally created in 2008 as a traveling exhibit to commemorate the Civil Rights movement, this online exhibit focuses on WKU students’ involvement in political causes through the years.

The second is Playing Our Song: Southern Kentucky Notes which highlights the Kentucky Library’s Southern Kentucky Music Collection as well as WKU faculty, staff, student and alumni musicians. 

Come and learn more about the Kentucky Museum and Library Special Collections collections.

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by | December 2, 2011 · 9:13 pm

Henry Cherry’s Interest Wide Ranging

President Henry Cherry was a man of many and varied interests and we know this by the scrapbooks he had created during his administration 1906-1937.  These are held in WKU Archives and we are about half way through processing them.  Most of the scrapbooks are in good condition.  While education and Western Kentucky University head the list of topics covered, religion, the Temperance Movement and World War I are well represented.  There are several scrapbooks dedicated to Cherry’s own personal political aspirations, his candidacy for Kentucky governor and his promotion of rural life through chautaquas held in Warren and the surrounding counties.

The collection inventory has been posted on TopScholar and gives more detail regarding these materials.  These and many other 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 | October 19, 2011 · 3:32 pm

Spirit Masters Turn 30!

The Spirit Masters have been around for awhile and will be celebrating their 30th anniversary this weekend.

WKU Archives holds several composite photographs of the group such as this one.  The 1991-92 photos are special as the Spirit Masters signed them with well wishes for Elizabeth Esters and WKU President Thomas Meredith.  This image and and notes are now available for viewing on TopScholar.

WKU Archives also hold UA12/2/16 Spirit Masters records.  Mentions of the group are also found in UA4/2 Academic Budgets & Administration and UA12/2/20 Phi Delta Theta records.  These records are available for researchers to use in the Harrison-Baird Research Room Monday – Saturday 9 – 4.

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by | October 1, 2011 · 11:13 am

Phi Delta Theta

Phi Delta ThetaFormed in 1848 at Miami University (Ohio) by six students Phi Delta Theta has grown to over 160 active chapters. The WKU chapter was formed May 7, 1966 when the Phi Delta Chi chapter won their petition to become a Phi Delta Theta chapter. 

Records and photos of both Phi Delta Chi and Phi Delta Theta were donated to WKU Archives this past week.  These records have been processed, described and a collection inventory is now available online at:

http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_fin_aid/281/

These and other records are available for researchers to use in the Harrison-Baird Reading Room.  Selected images have been digitized are now available through KenCat our online catalog. 

We are always looking for documentation of student organizations, fraternities and sororities.  There are gaps in the records regarding these groups.

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by | September 21, 2011 · 1:09 pm

NERTS

Jeanetta Bunch

Jeanetta Bunch

What is it?

A small homemade booklet written and illustrated by Mary Helena Callas about her class mates at the WKU Training School in 1936. It includes brief sketches of students Jeanetta Bunch, Junior Caldwell, Ruth Claypool, Florene Durham, Spencer D., Jake Evans, Norman Emmick, Julian Fitzpatrick, Jessie Fleenor, Mary Ford, Mary Graham, George Grise, Patricia Hollan, Willard Howell, Alma Jones, Leonard Kington, Kenneth Mason, David Mathews, Howard Mathews, Francis Mathews, Nancy Mathews, W.L. Mathews Jr., Elizabeth McChesney, Kenneth McChesney, Guilia McGinnis, Craig Middleton, Thelma Myers, Mary Oliver, Pattie Pemberton, Marie Pennington, Annie Phelps, Ray Purvis, Haydn Richards, Hilda Riggs, Alma Runner, Raldon Smith, Joanna Smith, Margaret Thomas, Winifred Wilson, William Whitney, Rodney Whobrey, Frank Yarbrough and Cecele York.

There is no explanation of what the title means, if anything. NERTS is just one of the many one of a kind items in WKU Archives. It is now available online at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/462 

Check out other unique items at KenCat.

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