Minutes Series - chronological

Subject Series - alphabetical then chronological in folders

The Eastern Kentucky Alumni Association was organized on July 12,1909 "when the 'diploma' class of that year met and formed the Eastern Kentucky State Normal School Alumni Association." The president of the class of 1909, Mr. H. Dudley Starns, became the first president of the Association. There were seven charter members. The Alumni Association's formal organization began in 1926 when its first constitution was written under the direction of college librarian and alumnus Miss Mary Floyd. This constitution was replaced in 1929 and 1935 due to the growth of the Association. The latter document has been amended several times. The first campus alumni secretary, Mrs. Melba W. Carter, was appointed also in 1926. Some of the early duties of the alumni secretary included: helping with the K.E.A. banquet, the Alumni banquet, and collecting the annual membership fee provided by the 1926 constitution.

Since 1926 the Alumni Association has sponsored an annual Alumni Day Dinner and related activities during the spring commencement weekend. Although discontinued during some of the war years, 1943-1945, this program has evolved through the years to be one of the major events of the Association. In 1956 the organization started presenting the outstanding Alumnus award. The award is made annually at the Alumni Day dinner program. Each recipient's name is added to a walnut plaque located in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in the Keen Johnson Building.

One of the Association's big programs which began in 1930 has been the organization of the fall Homecoming. Many homecoming activities are sponsored by the Alumni Association and include a dance, registration, barbecue, teas or coffees, and other activities. They also help coordinate the football game, the parade of floats sponsored by campus organizations, and do the promotion work.

A number of Alumni clubs have been organized under the leadership of the Eastern Alumni Association. The two oldest and most active are the Northern Kentucky Eastern Club and the Louisville Club. The Northern Kentucky Eastern Club was later reorganized as the Greater Cincinnati Club in 1963. That club along with the Tri-state club located in Ashland, became the first organizations to receive a formal charter from the Alumni Association. Many other Alumni Clubs have formed over the years including organizations in Ohio, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, and California Clubs that have at least 25 members and have been established for three years have a representative on the Alumni Association Executive Committee, the governing body of the Association.

The "Junior Alumni" club was started in 1942. Any child of an alumnus may join by sending the required information to the Association office. Membership cards are mailed out, but it is a club "without dues or duties."

In 1961, the Alumni Association started publishing The Eastern Alumnus. This magazine, containing news about the alumni, faculty, students, and the campus itself, is usually published twice a year.

The first Alumni scholarship was given in 1963. Various Alumni scholarships have been started by individuals. Along with these, the Association presents 26, 4-year scholarships each year. These are funded largely through donations and sales of Eastern souvenir items and art prints. In 1963 an Alumni Annual Giving Program began. With this program, alumni no longer paid dues, but gave an amount they felt they could afford. Membership dues were reinstated for a brief time in 1982 when the Alumni Association voted to stop receiving University funding. However, in 1985 a New Annual Fund, similar to the Giving Program, was reinstated.

The year 1968 brought a lot of excitement to the Alumni Association as they started the Alumni Century Fund and approved acquisition of a permanent Alumni Campus Center. The Century Fund, the institution's first major capital giving campaign, was organized to finance the construction of the Meditation Chapel. Donations amounting to several hundred thousand dollars were received from alumni, faculty, and students. The Alumni Campus Center, located on Lancaster Avenue, was acquired and named the Mary Francis Richards Alumni House in honor of Mrs. Richards who served as Alumni Secretary for many years.

In 1971 the Alumni Association helped in the planning of a bell tower located in the Powell Student Center Complex to honor alumni and students who had lost their lives while serving as members of the U.S. Armed Forces in combat. The Association also commissioned famous sculptor Felix de Weldon to create the Centennial Year Statue. A gift to the campus, the statue represents man's accomplishments in space. The presentation of the statue was part of the many activities held during the Centennial Year celebration in 1974.

In an effort to help alumni communicate better, the Alumni Association decided to publish a comprehensive Alumni Directory in 1978 which would update earlier directories. Information cards were sent out in an effort to get the current addresses and phone numbers of all 40,000 plus alumni. Those returned were then sent to a publisher who compiled the information into a directory which was sold through the Alumni Association.

As the University grew, the Alumni Association became more involved in working with the students. In 1984 the Association started the Alumni Career Network to work with the Career, Development, and Placement center on campus. Through the network, alumni serve as career contacts, information conduits, and employee recruiters for students. Another tie with University students began in 1985 with the creation of the Student Alumni Association. The organization has assisted the Alumni Association in promoting many events and serves as an important link between students and alumni.

Like any other organization the Alumni Association's growth and development can be directly attributed to its leaders. Through the years the Association has had a group of hard working and dedicated secretaries and directors. They include Melba W. Carter (1926-1929), R.R. Richards (1930-1932), Lucille Derrick (1932-1933), R.R. Richards (1933-1936), Sam Beckley (1936-1942), Mary Francis Richards (1942-1961), Clarence Harmon (1961-1962), J.W "Spider" Thurman (1962-1983), Ron Wolfe (1983-1986), Larry Bailey (1986- ) .*

*Resources used in writing this description:

Dorris, J. T. (ed.) Five Decades of Progress, Eastern Kentucky State College, 1906-1957, pp.251-2S9

The Eastern Alumnus vols. I-XXV