The alumni association at Wichita State and its predecessors, the University of Wichita and Fairmount College, is fast approaching a mega-milestone: its 100th birthday.
Established in 1913, the association has championed scores of university and alumni causes, projects and events through the years – establishing a good number of original Shocker traditions along the way.
In the spring 2011 issue of The Shocker, we started in 2010 and took a Look Back at a few of the association’s best-loved projects, happenings and people.
In this and future magazines, we’re continuing this Look Back until we arrive at those earliest years of the association, which is today the largest and longest-running organization in support of higher education at Wichita State. Here’s Part II …
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1998
The alumni association, along with the rest of the Shocker community, celebrates WuShock at 50. “WSU’s Mighty Wu Struts into its Second Half-Century Sporting a New Look,” declares one article in the association’s Wichita State University Alumni News publication. The article goes on to quote WSU Athletic Director Bill Belknap, “We think the new design is an improvement because it gives Wu a larger figure in the upper body. We wanted to convey both a toughness and competitiveness and yet a warmth and friendliness with the athletic department and institution.”
Spring 1998
WSU Alumni Association President Eric Melgren ’79 pens his final president’s message, “A Proud Tradition: Celebrating our 100th Graduating Class,” in WSU Alumni News: “Although the city had been awakened by a violent thunderstorm, by the time the commencement processional left Morrison Hall that afternoon the day was beautiful. We marched to the east stands of Cessna Stadium, through the walkway, down the stadium steps and around the field to the platform. Behind us, each marching behind their respective college’s banner, came the 100th graduating class of Wichita State University. Our Centennial Commencement, and the first graduation ceremony ever to be held in Cessna Stadium, had begun. The 50-Year Reunion of the Class of 1948 was present. It was incredible to think of all that has happened since they matriculated.
Even more incredible was to think that there had been as many graduating classes before them as there have been after. Of course, those classes were smaller than we have today, but still 74,073 students have graduated since Fairmount College was first formed in 1895 as a Congregational college. … I am a proud graduate of Wichita State University. My WSU education had a profound impact on my life.
It has been a true privilege this past year to have served as your alumni president. I now turn the gavel over to that long-time Shocker enthusiast Max Hubbard ’57, confident that he will do wonderful things for this association and this university.”
Sept. 18-19, 1998
Shocker Football Reunion planning committee members Bill James fs ’48, Linwood Sexton ’48 (shown here in his 1948 individual team photo) and Ed Szczepanik ’50 invite all Shocker team members who played in the Raisin Bowl and Camellia Bowl to return to campus for festivities
at Cessna Stadium and the university’s Traditions Café.
Nov. 28, 1997
The Wichita Eagle takes note of the association’s Get Back to Where You Once Belonged membership drive-WSU Alumni News cover (pictured at top) in its article “Alumni get blast from WSU’s Past.” The cover image pays homage to the famous collage on the Beatles’ 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” replacing almost all of the original album images with 40 or so faces and symbols that are pure WSU. There’s award-winning stage actress and singer Karla Burns ’78, the university’s signature clock tower and WuShock, of course. There’s Shocker Sue and Shocker Sam, a homecoming royal couple from the 1950s. There’s WSU President Gene Hughes and alumna Sheryl Wohlford ’82 plus a bunch of other Shocker personalities from the 1940s through the 1990s. As the Eagle reports: “Alumni cover has fun with faces, with a Beatlesque twist.”
Summer 1997
The alumni association promotes the “Drive Your Pride” WSU Kansas License Plate Scholarship Program, which lets WSU fans sport WuShock on their Kansas tags while supporting student scholarships at the same time. The tags are to be made available at county treasurer offices as soon as the association secures an initial 500-plate order. The program becomes officially established in 1999, after George Fahnestock ’69 commits to purchase tags for his fleet of company vehicles, a commitment that tops the 500-plate mark. The association continues to administer the initiative, which to date has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship funds for deserving Wichita State students.
Feb. 9, 1996
For years now, the Shocker community has been busily planning Wichita State’s year-long 1995-96 Centennial Celebration, culminating with Centennial Commencement Exercises on May 18. The Feb. 9 WSU Alumni Awards banquet is one of scores of centennial activities, projects and events. The 1996 banquet honors 1995 honorees Bill Parcells ’64, achievement; Robert Berg, faculty recognition; Buck and Gladys ’75 Alley, alumni recognition; John Breazeale, service; and the first-ever Young Alumnus Award recipient, Ray Wills ’82, pictured here.
Oct. 10, 1995
Today is designated Focus on Our Roots day on campus, the day the alumni association’s Centennial Tree Project and its many sponsors, including John M. Hyde, are recognized.
One hundred trees were planted on campus along Alumni Drive and north of Wiedemann
Hall, and another 100 trees were donated to the city of Wichita, signifying the university’s
ties to the wider community.
Oct. 7, 1995
Back in 1905, Coleman lamps lit the way for Fairmount College’s football team to shut
out Cooper College in the first night football game west of the Missouri River. For WSU’s centennial, the game is reenacted at the playing field near Henry Levitt Arena.
The Special Edition WSU Commemorative Coleman Lantern joins the dozens of other
centennial items up for sale — think calendars and afghans, history books and art prints.
