Tag Archives: Cool Stuff

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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County Delegation Presidents Club

The County Delegation Presidents Club was formed in February 1932. It was an outgrowth of the older county clubs that students were placed in upon arrival at WKU. These county clubs were formed to help students connect with their peers. A county with a large number of students stood on its own. Counties with smaller populations were combined. There was also an “out of state” club.

A faculty sponsor was assigned to several counties. Their role was to encourage attendance at chapel, elect officers and find out the names of local county papers. The secretary-treasurer was to write up press releases to be reviewed by the faculty sponsor and sent to the local papers. In this way, Dr. Cherry kept county constituents in the loop and recruited new students.

The county clubs were also instrumental during summer sessions when county teachers institutes were held throughout the western part of the state. Students were recruited to help organize the institutes. Once the County Delegation Presidents Club was formed it acted as a de facto student government organization. The club spearheaded the 1932 clean up day, ran Senior High School Day events, and over Christmas break that year collected artifacts, books and manuscripts from their respective counties for the Kentucky Library & Museum which was being created.

The few documents related to the County Delegation Presidents Club are available for researchers to use in University Archives. For more information check out the collection inventory:

http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_fin_aid/85/

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WKU’s Red Towel

Oldham's Red Towel Sketch

Oldham's Red Towel Sketch

The red towel tradition began in the 1940’s.  According to Chip Royal, an AP feature writer “A towel came flying down out of the air at Madison Square Garden and landed on a spectator’s head  — and another basketball fan met Ed Diddle, the colorful Western Kentucky State coach.”  Royal’s article was printed in the Daily News on February 14, 1943.  The towels continued to appear and disappear as the athletics and physical education departments swiped towels back and forth.  Diddle decided to dye the athletic department towels red to differentiate from the physical education supply. 

Crume's Red Towel Sketch

Crume's Red Towel

Through the years the towel tradition has grown.  Now few fans appear at a game without a red  towel.  In 1970, athletics director John Oldham drew a sketch of an arm waving a towel on the back of an envelope which he gave to Dr. Chuck Crume to develop into a logo.  These original drawings are now housed in the University Archives along with personal papers of Ed Diddle, John Oldham, Chuck Crume and others involved with the athletic program.

Check out Hilltopper Heritage and KenCat for additional information on these and other University Archives collections.

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Clara Ramsey DeWilde Scrapbook

 

Clara Ramsey DeWildeClara Ramsey DeWilde was a pretty typical WKU student in 1945.  Born in Russellville, Kentucky in 1926, she was 19 when she came to Bowling Green.  She lived in West Hall and created a scrapbook of photographs of her time on the Hill.  These include friends on campus, Halloween in the dorm, a trip to Mammoth Cave and family.

This scrapbook was loaned to University Archives for digitization in 2007.  It is now available to researchers via KenCat by searching DeWilde [http://wku.pastperfect-online.com/35749cgi/mweb.exe?request=ks].  This is only one of many examples of Student/Alumni personal papers found in the University Archives.

If you have personal papers documenting life on the Hill please contact the University Archivist at klmref@wku.edu.

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Filed under Events, New Stuff, University Archives