Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University will kick off its Centennial with a day of celebration and dedication on Nov. 19.

"We will use the Centennial as a point to create momentum and commitment to a bold vision for the future,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “However, the Centennial is mostly about saluting our heritage -- recognizing the things that make Western distinctive and the people who have defined our character.”

The Western Spirit will be on prominent display throughout “A Century of Spirit” activities. “When I say spirit, I don’t just mean enthusiasm. I mean an attitude, an institutional self-confidence, all the variables that create leadership and cause success. That’s what the Western Spirit is about,” Dr. Ransdell said.

The Nov. 19 Centennial kick-off begins at the new Guthrie Family Overlook and Arboretum in front of Van Meter Hall.

“It seems like the Centennial should start at the highest part of the hill and oldest part of the campus,” said Dr. David Lee, dean of Potter College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and chair of the Centennial committee.

The celebration will then move down the Hill where a new University flag will be raised at dedication of Centennial Plaza (near the new parking structure) and where a statue of legendary Hilltopper coach Ed Diddle will be unveiled outside Diddle Arena.

The date of Nov. 19 was selected because historically, Founder’s Day for the University is Nov. 16, which is Henry Hardin Cherry’s birthday. Members of the Centennial committee felt it was important to begin festivities near that date. The celebration is expected to continue through January 2007 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first classes at Western.

“We feel like we are the heirs of a valuable legacy, and it’s important that we also leave a legacy of value,” Dr. Lee said. “It needs to be a Centennial that celebrates the institution and what it’s done, but we also want it to be a celebration that reinforces the basic values of the institution.”

Dr. Lee said the Centennial was crafted as an “academic festival,” and stressed the importance of both terms. “We want it to be a festival. We want people to feel festive and celebratory, but it’s an academic institution and we think it needs to reflect the values of an academic institution. There needs to be a teaching/learning component of it.”

In January, officials from WKU and from 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.

During 2006, the Kentucky Museum will feature an exhibit on “100 Years of Student Life.” Additionally, a pictorial history of WKU is in progress with the help of Carol Crowe-Carraco, Nancy Baird and Sue Lynn McDaniel.

Other activities will include the premiere performances of five pieces of music commissioned for the centennial celebration, 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, a joint production of “Ragtime” by the music and theater departments, and many more.

“We’ve also tried as part of our celebration to mark other milestones in the University’s history.” Dr. Lee cited the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Student Government Association and the 50th anniversary of the integration of WKU as examples. He said that activities are planned to mark these and other events in the history of WKU and the history of the United States.

“We want to present a loose narrative of the institution over the last 100 years, but inevitably, we look through the prism of Western at some larger issues in America’s history,” Dr. Lee said.

Dr. Ransdell said that he wants people to take away from the Centennial a sense of the unique nature of WKU. “You can go through a long list of people who have brought a special personality to Western that makes it unique in American higher education, not just in Kentucky but in the nation.

"There’s nothing like your 100th birthday salute to cause people to pause and acknowledge your history," he said. “What a great time to rededicate ourselves to a bold future, to resolve to change in ways that further define and strengthen the University."

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 Dr. David Lee at (270) 745-5204.