UA77/1 a Century of Spirit - Impact & Education Western Kentucky University
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Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® WKU Archives Records WKU Archives 2006 UA77/1 A Century of Spirit - Impact & Education Western Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records Recommended Citation Western Kentucky University, "UA77/1 A Century of Spirit - Impact & Education" (2006). WKU Archives Records. Paper 157. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/157 This Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wl3!l SP1RlT COMMEMORATIVE EDITION Covprnor Speaker of and speech pragrams are among Ernie Fletcher the House of the best notionally and internation Representatives ally as well. The popularity of the Gov. Ernie Fletcher earned his Jody Richards new degree pragrams in mechani BS in Engineering from the cal, electrical and civil engineering is University of Kentucky and later Speaker Jody Richards of evidence of the need for this out_ graduated from the UK College of Bowling Green earned his BA standing pragram Medicine. His public service from Kentucky Wesleyan and his to produce work career began with his election to MA from the University of ing engineers in the Kentucky House of Missouri and was a member of Kentucky. The Representatives in 1995 and was the WKU faculty from 1963 to Center for followed by his election to the U.s. 1973. He was first elected to the Research and Congress in 1998. He was elected Kentucky House of Development, Governor of Kentucky in 2003 . Representatives in 1975. and he located in a for I commend Western Kentucky was selected by his colleagues to mer shopping mall University (or its contributions to our serve as Democratic Caucus Chair in Bowling Green, Commonwealth, our nation and our in 1987 and Kentucky House clearly demon world in the past 100 years. From Speaker in 1995. Speaker Richards strates Western's its humble beginnings in 1906, is the longest serving House commitment to Western Kentucky University has Speaker in Kentucky history. research and to the "New grown into on educational leader Western Kentucky University is Economy," high-tech business com with more than 106,000 alumni. the largest educational and cultural munity. In addition, the beauty of the Western Kentucky University and innuence in southern and western campus offers students a most invit the region it serves instill the unbri Kentucky. It has been the mother ing culture in which [0 pursue their dled spirit o( learning that we strive institution (or a significant percent dreams. (or all o( Kentucky to achieve. age of our teachers, principals. WKU's future is without bound superintendents and coaches, as aries. Its broad curriculum and the well as the undergraduate educator excellent marks it has received in its of many of Kentucky's profession programs of instruction make the als. ManyWKU graduates have dis future a bright and positive one (or tinguished themselves admirably in Western and (or our region of local and state government service, America. and many others have dedicated their careers at the highest levels of Senat~ the federal government, the military Brett Guthrie and within the notional and interna tional business community. Sen. Brett Guthrie of Bowling Today Western is one of the Green earned his BS from the US most respected higher-education Military Academy at West Po in t. institutions in the Upper South and New York, and received his Midwest and is highly regarded Maners of Public Management nationally. WKU's journalism and from Yale UniverSity. First elected photojournalism pragroms have to the Kentucky State Senate in been recognized as among the 1998, Sen. Guthrie represents nation's best, and Western's (orensic Warren and Butler counties. He is chair of the Senate Senator Grayson. Hardin and Transportation Committee and Richie Sanders Warren counties until serves on the Education and 1996 when he was Economic Development, Tourism Sen. Richie Sanders of elected to the and LAbor committees. Chalybeate Springs earned his BA Kentucky State from Western Kentucky Senate. Sen. Sanders University. He was fi rst elected to represents Allen. the House of Representatives in Barren. Edmonson. 1990 and served Edmonson. Green, Metcalfe and Senator Brett Guthrie WKU has been a viral part of south central Kentucky's economic development success. Human capi tol is a scorce resource and Western's ovoilability and service to our community has ensured thot we hove an educated workforce in this region of the Commonwealth. I always enjoy meeting with Western students and speaking to classes. I particularly enjoy speaking to political scie nce classes and hope that by sha ring my real life experi ences in the legislature I can help to enhance their academic endeavors. WKU has a great future, and Kentucky will benefit from Western's success. The economy of th e future will have on even greater reliance on learning, and I will certainly be look ing to WKU to improve the lives of OUf citizens by providing access to great learning experiences. r.;'.llmsPI RIT COMMEMORATIVE EDITION Simpson counties. He is Majority ing quality o( li(e, and I believe campus often to speak to classes Caucus Chairman and serves on Western's continued growth and and it always seems the campus is the Agriculture and Natural (ocus on meeting the needs o( busi entering another phose of expan Resources: Economic ness and industry in south central sion. WKU is the role model for the Development. Tourism and Labor: Kentucky will guarantee a bright stare in two critical areas: Alumni Rules: and Transportation com future (or Kentuckians. Relations and Fundraising. WKU is mittees. by far the most attended university The Western experience Representative in my (our county legislative district encourages young people to think James Comer I am proud to be a Hilltopper and big and to achieve their dreams. am confident that WKU will contin_ exposes them fO real world experi Rep. James Comer of ue to be one o( the South's finest ences and pravides them with the Tompkinsville earned his BS universities. tools to succeed. In recurn, thou from WKU and was elected to the Kentucky House of sands o( WKU alumni are giving Rcprcscn!~~i"ve Representatives in 200 I. He back to their University and are Jim DeCesare active and engaged citizens 'tVherev represents Cumberland. Green. er they live in the state. the nation Metcalfe and Monroe counties Rep. Jim DeCesare of and the world. and serves on the Appropriations Bowling Green holds a SA in As / prepored (or my first run Mass Communications from the (or office I recalled the valuable les University of South Florida. sons I learned (rom long-time Elected in 2004 to represent Government Deportment head, Dr. Warren County. he serves on john Porker. I remember one a( Dr. the Transportation: Education; Porl<er's lectures on campaigning and Economic Development where he talked about the value o( committees. campaigning in the rain. He said I remember my first visit to that it was a good way to show that WKU;n the late 1970s when I was a candidafe is really committed fO a seventh grader at Hopkinsville Repre~entative Jame~ Comer the race. Well, I learned that Dr. Middle School. I was taking part in Parker was right - I won by just 27 and Revenue: Agriculture and a concert band competition and votes in 1990 and I believe it was Small Business: Banking and remember how impressed I was to Insurance; Health and Welfare: campaigning in the rain that made be on a university campus. Ten and Rules committees. the difference! years later I was back on the cam WKU is a major reason for As I look at the campus today. I pus to attend my first Bowling Green and Warren am impressed with the phenomenal Western vs. Easfern growth and the renovation effort County's economic development football game, and that has transformed old btJi/dings success both because of the huge that's when my love into stafe-o(-the-ort (adlities that are growth of the student population affair with Bowling as nice as any university in the coun on campus and because of the Green and Warren try. I appreciofe that WKU is offer many partnerships WKU has devel County began. ing more opportunities (or non-tradi oped between the public and pri The changes at tional students by providing educa vate sectors. WKU in the last 10 tional programs outside the bound My wire, Tamara jo, and /, as years hove been excit aries of the Bowling Green campus. well as my (ather. Dr.J.R. Comer, all ing. The administrative Jim Education is the key to improv- graduated (ram Western. I visit the leadership and the Boord o( Regents have hod tremen has enhanced their individual lives in the 1997 Special dous vision and have been aggres as well as the quality o( li(e (or the Session whereby the sive with capitol improvements and state at large. legislature changed expa nsion o( the curriculum to As a state legislator, the oppor the (ace o( higher edu assure that WKU is a state-{)(-the tunity to work on building projects cation in Kentucky and art university that attracts top stu and budget policy, to interact with challenged our region dents. The constant that remains Western officials and to support the al universities to devel and that has been handed down institution's growth has been op areas o( distinction th rough the generations is the spirit extremely satisfying. and to grow their o(Western - the true legacy o( its The WKU legacy has been glo endowments through (ounders that will carry Western rious, and just as the present contin the "Bucks (or Brains" through the next 100 years and ues on the poth o( human enrich initia tive.