The Hilltoppers, 1952
Jimmy Sacca, Billy Vaughn, Don McGuire and Seymour Spiegelman were students at Western Kentucky State College (now WKU). In 1952 they hit the big time as the Hilltoppers quartet with their song “Trying.” The group had several more hits including “P.S. I Love You” and performed together through 1963. Billy Vaughn went on to have a successful musical career with his orchestra. The group was honored at WKU’s homecoming in 1972. Check out the University Archives website: http://www.wku.edu/library/archive/ex1.php for more information regarding the group.
Carlton Jackson came to the WKU History department in 1960 where he served with distinction through 2001. He is the author of nearly 20 books and innumerable articles which earned him the title Distinguished Professor of History.
In 2003, he began researching the Hilltoppers. Dr. Jackson met and corresponded with surviving members of the group and fans, including fan club president Bobbie Ann Mason. The result was his book P.S. I Love You: The Story of the Singing Hilltoppers. The research notes and correspondence he compiled along with the drafts of the book are now a part of the University Archives Faculty/Staff Personal Papers Collection. Just processed, these papers are now available for researchers and fans interested in the back story of the Hilltoppers. The finding aid is now available through TopScholar at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_fin_aid/79/
If you have Hilltopper records, photographs or memorabilia that don’t appear in the finding aids, please contact the University Archives at 270-745-4793 or via email at archives@wku.edu.
Check out KenCat to get information on other University Archives collections: http://wku.pastperfect-online.com/35749cgi/mweb.exe?request=ks
Clara 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.
