40 Years, Millions of Memories

40 Years, Millions of Memories. Own an Incredible Piece of Hilltopper History, E.A. Diddle Arena Basketball Floor is available to all WKU Fans! THE COACH THE ARENA This limited edition piece is A 14” x 18” plaque featuring 14” x 18” and features a classic TOPPER TERRITORY THE HILLTOPPER a color photo from Historic photograph of Coach Diddle This 11” x 15” plaque features E.A. Diddle Arena. Mounted as well as photographs and sig- This crystal clear 3/4” thick a classic photograph of E.A. on the plaques is a 16” sec- natures of coaches Oldham beveled acrylic is crafted into Diddle Arena. It includes an tion of the Arena floor. and Sanderford. It includes a a 5” x 7” desk piece and fea- 8” section of the Arena floor 16” section of the Arena floor. tures the WKU logo and is for your display. $125 +$12 s&h This piece is limited and backed in silver metal. A 5” $75 +$9 s&h numbered. Only 500 of these section of the Arena floor is plaques will be sold! included. $35 Limited Edition! $195 +$7 s&h Numbered +$12 s&h and Signed Order on the web at Toll Free WWW.HISTORICFLOOR.COM 1-800-630-8300 Proceeds Benefit the Western Kentucky University Athletic Department Vice President of Institutional Advancement Tom Hiles Office of Alumni Relations Fall 2003 & Annual Giving Staff FEATURES Executive Director Donald Smith (’94) Office Assistant 4 Josh Hawkins (‘03) On the Cover People Communications Coordinator Investing in the Andrea Haynes (‘00) Spirit Campaign rograms Assistant Director Highlights lacesP Ginny Hensley (‘97) P Assistant Director Amy Miller (‘01) Assistant Director Tracy Morrison (’85) 19 Assistant Director Honor Roll William Skaggs (’95) Western honors its donors Office Coordinator: Beth Stamps Phonathon Coordinator Amanda Trabue (‘02) Office Associate: 62 Doris Vance Hall of Distinguished Alumni Three new members will comprise the 12th class of noted alumni © Copyright 2003 Western Kentucky University ALUMNI is published three times a year by the WKU Alumni Association. Unless otherwise noted, articles may be reprinted without permission with appropriate credit to ALUMNI, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY. Change of address and class notes information should be sent via mail to WKU Alumni Association, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101 or via e-mail to [email protected]. Editorial policy: Letters to ALUMNI are wel- comed and encouraged. Submission does not 66 guarantee publication, and those letters that Homecoming 2003 are published may be edited for style and Don’t miss your chance to length. Please include the writer’s signature, the year of graduation if an alumnus, a daytime experience Big Red’s Haunted Hill phone number and a return address. Letters may be sent by fax to 270-745-5017, e-mail to [email protected] or mail to WKU Alumni Association DEPARTMENTS Tracy Morrison, ALUMNI Editor, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101. 1Table of Contents 61 Alumni Association Cover photo by Marshall Ray / Ray Images 2Presidents Letter 65 Western History Contributing photographers: Sheryl Hagan- 3 Campus News 72 In Memoriam Booth, Bob Skipper, Joe Imel and Stuart Burrill. Class notes will resume in the Winter issue Fellow Alumni: THANK YOU! This special issue of the ALUMNI magazine marks a significant moment in the history of Western Kentucky University – the successful completion of the university’s first comprehensive fund raising campaign. Conceived from discussion with the Board of Regents upon my appointment as President in 1997, the Investing in the Spirit campaign has served as a critical cornerstone of the Challenging the Spirit Strategic Plan in the spring of 1998. The five-year campaign was launched on July 1, 1998, with a goal of raising $78 million for the people, places, and programs which define the core elements of the university’s strategic plan. The primary purpose of the campaign was to build the university’s endowment – specifically to endow at least 25 faculty positions and raise $25 million in new academic scholarships. In so doing, the WKU endowment was tar- geted to grow from $16 million to $50 million by the campaign’s end on June 30, 2003. The campaign resulted in more than $102 million raised. The endowment has reached $56 million.Twenty-five individual gifts of $1 million or more were secured. Twenty-seven new professorships or chairs are now in place. Thirty million dollars in new scholarship support is at work. Seven million dollars was raised for specific academic programs. Nearly $12 million was raised for athletic enhancements. The annual cash flow in gift deposits has reached $12 million per year, an increase of 300 percent. Membership in the President’s Circle, those who give $1,000 or more each year has grown to 1,438 members, an increase of 482 percent. These are the measurable, tangible outcomes. Equally important in the life of our university are the intangible results. The campaign has given us the confidence that we can be ambitious and be successful.With every new gift announcement, the public – and our campus family – became more aware of and assured by our pursuit of national prominence. With the passing of each milestone in this campaign, the passion and commitment of individuals in the Western family drove the university toward the achievement of its strategic objectives. As each goal was achieved and each round of state matching funds was collected, we further distinguished ourselves among other universities in Kentucky and beyond. This campaign is helping Western to achieve its vision to be the best comprehensive university in Kentucky and among the best in the nation. It is no coincidence that during the five-year Investing in the Spirit campaign,Western’s applicant pool nearly doubled to more than 11,000 candidates for the class entering in the fall of 2003; the university’s enrollment swelled from 14,543 to 18,438 during this period of time; the university’s budget during this period of time has grown from $130 million to $211 million, a 60 percent increase; support of the university’s sponsored programs and activity has gone from $11.5 million when the campaign began to $29,786,235 at the campaign’s end;and needed construction has transformed the physical campus with $146 million in projects during this five-year period. Success feeds on success. A university seeking to transform itself must have multiple initiatives replete with innovation, bold intentions and consistently strong performance. The capital campaign described in this magazine has set the pace for Western Kentucky University over the last five years. I want to personally thank each and every member of the Western family for your per- sonal financial support of Western during this exciting era. Together we have achieved much, but our ambitions for Western are only beginning to take shape. National prominence will not be achieved in a five-year period, but can be achieved with sustained pursuit and performance over many years. That is our commitment. That is what this campaign has launched for our university. I look forward to sharing with you an exciting adventure at Western for many years to come. Thank you! Sincerely, Gary A. Ransdell CAMPUS NEWS 3 New Regents Join WKU Board Campus Safety Western’s Board of Regents has Pat Jordan, an academic adviser Task Force three new members. in the Gordon Ford College of Early Sunday morning, May 4, Forrest Roberts, an Owensboro Business, was elected staff regent in 2003, 18-year-old WKU freshman attorney, was appointed to a six-year June. She defeated Howard Bailey, Melissa (Katie) Autry was assaulted term by Gov. Paul Patton this sum- dean of Student Life, and will serve a and severely burned in her Poland Hall mer. She replaces Beverly Wathen of three-year term. room. Ms.Autry died as a result of her Owensboro. Roberts has practiced John Bradley, a Paducah junior, is injuries at Vanderbilt University law in Owensboro since 1985 and has the student representative after being Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., on served on civic organizations, includ- elected president of the Student Wednesday, May 7, 2003. ing the Citizens Committee on Government Association for 2003-04. There was an immediate investi- Education. gation of this incident, led by Chief Forensic Team Makes Unprecedented Sweep Robert Deane of the WKU Police Western’s William E. Bivin Department and assisted by the Forensic Society made history this Bowling Green Police Department, spring by completing an unprecedent- Bowling Green Fire Department, the ed sweep of major speech and debate State Fire Marshal’s Office, the championships – the National Kentucky State Police, the Bureau of Forensic Association tournament, the Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms, and the American Forensic Association the most significant evidence yet of Federal Bureau of Investigation. Two National Individual Events Western’s push to become a univer- suspects were arrested within nine Tournament, the International sity of national prominence.” days of the assault and have been Forensic Association tournament and “We did something that no indicted by a grand jury. the Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha other school has done before us,” In the wake of this crime, the National Tournament. said Judy Woodring, forensic director. Campus Safety Task Force, an inde- “To achieve an unparalleled and “We are only the second team in the pendent advisory group, was commis- unprecedented sweep of all three nation to have won both NFA and sioned to review University policies national forensic tournaments and AFA in the same year. Bradley was and procedures, and make recommen- the international championship in a first. No other team has won dations for possible improvement as single year is truly amazing,” Western Internationals, DSR, AFA and NFA in appropriate.

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