Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University kicked off its Centennial celebration on Saturday by dedicating two new campus landmarks that honor “A Century of Spirit.”

The events began at the Guthrie Family Overlook and Arboretum and concluded with the unveiling of a statue of legendary coach E.A. Diddle.

"What a special moment to be part of something so important to the life of the University," WKU President Gary Ransdell said.

At the overlook, Dr. Ransdell thanked members of the Lowell Guthrie family for their support of the University and for committing $1.1 million for the two-phase project to rebuild the overlook at Van Meter Hall and to add the arboretum.

The Guthrie Family Overlook is “a special place on a special campus,” he said.

Sen. Brett Guthrie, who delivered remarks on behalf of the family, noted that great universities are known not only for great academic programs but for great architecture. “This will be a great place for people to spend time and look at the beauty of Bowling Green,” he said of the stone overlook and fountain.

As part of the dedication, WKU English professor Joe Survant, a former Kentucky poet laureate, read his poem “At the Overlook,” and the WKU Chamber Singers performed.

Dr. David Lee, chair of the Centennial committee and dean of the Potter College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said it was appropriate to begin the Centennial celebration at the overlook, the highest part of the Hill and the oldest part of the campus.

"There is no better place for us to celebrate our heritage while we stride toward our future," Dr. Lee said.

The Guthrie Family Overlook and Arboretum was made possible thanks to a lead gift from Lowell Guthrie and with support from Alliance Corporation and Tommy and Tish Gumm.

The celebration then moved to Centennial Plaza, in front of the new parking structure on the Avenue of Champions. As part of the dedication, WKU raised a new University flag beside the U.S. and Kentucky flags.

The plaza includes WKU’s motto “The Spirit Makes the Master” and has granite stones with six words that help define that spirit – character, respect, wisdom, responsibility, loyalty and leadership.

The plaza dedication included an announcement from PepsiAmericas that 4 million commemorative WKU Centennial Pepsi products would soon be on the market.

From there, a crowd of several hundred, including former Hilltopper players and coaches, made a short walk to nearby Diddle Arena where Russ Faxon’s sculpture of Coach Diddle was unveiled by the Diddle family. The statue honors WKU’s first basketball coach and one of the most successful coaches in college basketball.

In WKU’s first 100 years, “people have defined the place,” Dr. Ransdell said. “We have been blessed to have people like E.A. Diddle.”

The University recognized and thanked the Diddle family and others who made the statue possible.

The statue was made possible with a lead gift from the Diddle family (Jim and Mary Jo Diddle Phillips and Eddie and Lucille Diddle Jr.), Don and Irene Dizney, Russ and Dianna Faxon, Raymon A. “Rip” and Helen L. Gish, Gene Haskett, George and Jane Warren and an anonymous former player.

Coach Diddle “was and is the epitome of the Western spirit,” said Faxon, a 1974 WKU graduate. “It’s been an honor and privilege to do this work.”

As part of Saturday’s kickoff, the U.S. Postal Service offered commemorative Centennial postal cancellations.

WKU launched its celebration on Nov. 19 because Founder’s Day for the University is Nov. 16, which is Henry Hardin Cherry’s birthday.

In January, officials from WKU and Eastern Kentucky University will hold a joint event in Frankfort to thank the General Assembly and the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the creation of both schools, which stemmed from the same legislation.

Other activities will include the publication of a pictorial history of WKU, a Kentucky Museum exhibit on “100 Years of Student Life,” the premiere performances of five pieces of music commissioned for the Centennial, a series of speakers discussing the future of higher education, the installation of a Centennial mosaic around the fountain between the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center and the Helm Library, and a joint production of “Ragtime” by the music and theater departments.

During 2006, the University also will mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Student Government Association and the 50th anniversary of the integration of WKU. The Centennial celebration is expected to continue through January 2007 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first classes at Western.

For the latest information on activities, visit the WKU Centennial website at www.wku.edu/centennial.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Jayne Pelaski at (270) 745-5016.