150 years of connecting Wildcats: K-State Alumni Association historical timeline
1874
A meeting of Kansas State Agricultural College graduates takes place June 24 at Manhattan’s First Presbyterian Church to form what will become the K-State Alumni Association.
1915
K-State hosts its first Homecoming Oct. 23, pitting KSAC against the University of Kansas.
1916
First Alumni Association dues established at $1 annually or $20 for a life membership.
1951
The publication of K-Stater magazine begins as a supplement to The Industrialist, the official newspaper of Kansas State University at the time.
1969
The first Alumni Medallion was awarded to A.D. “Dad” Weber ’22, ’26.
The Tradition Founders fund was established as the Association’s annual giving fund.
The Traveling Wildcats program is established.
1970
The Alumni Association moves from offices in Anderson Hall to Hollis House, which was located on the site of Throckmorton Hall.
1977
The first Student Ambassadors are elected to represent the student body at Association and university events. Stan Watt ’78 and Shari Morford Hildebrand ’79 are the first ambassadors.
1981
Student Alumni Board is formed to involve students in Association activities and recruit prospective students to K-State.
1982
The Alumni Association helps coordinate K-Staters’ travel to the Independence Bowl, K-State’s first bowl game.
1983
The Alumni Fellows program is implemented, bringing back alumni to campus to give presentations and reconnect with the university.
1986
The Alumni Association signs a contract with Intrust Bank to establish a credit card program.
1991
The Alumni Association relocates from Hollis House to the KSU Foundation Center, now
known as the Unger Complex.
The Alumni Association takes over formal planning of all All-University Homecoming
activities and establishes the Homecoming Committee.
1992
The Alumni Association hires a staff member dedicated to diversity and inclusion efforts.
1995
The Alumni Association establishes its Internet presence with a web page: www.ksu.edu/alumni and a Compuserve forum.
1996
The K-State License Plate program is established.
1998
The Alumni Association begins a fundraising campaign for the K-State Alumni Center. Conceptual drawings of the space are created and a general contractor hired.
1998
The Alumni Association establishes the Anderson Senior Awards recognizing four outstanding graduating seniors.
The Alumni Association establishes the Multicultural Student Awards. The award would later be endowed by Sylvia ’71 and Roy ’70 Robinson in 2017 and
renamed the Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Awards.
2002
Construction of the K-State Alumni Center is completed. The $12.7 million center is
located on the southwest corner of campus.
The Alumni Association unveils a new logo, the K-Block.
The Alumni Association launches At K-State enewsletter. The newsletter is distributed to K-State alumni and friends monthly.
2007
The Alumni Association celebrates the first Wabash CannonBall gala in Kansas City. The event has expanded to include Colorado; Houston, Texas; and the North Texas-area. Through the years, the black tie galas have raised more than $3.7 million for student scholarships.
2008
The Dr. Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Awards were established. Each year two awards are presented: one for outstanding teaching
and one for outstanding research.
The Alumni Association enters the world of social media, creating a Facebook account.
2009
The K-State Alumni Association Legacy Scholarships program is established. The scholarship is awarded to K-State students who have a parent, guardian and/or grandparent who graduated from K-State and meet the additional requirements. The initial scholarships were $1,000 per year.
2010
The Graduate Student Awards are launched. This award recognizes two graduate students for their careers at K-State.
2011
The Wildcat Pride Award is established, honoring a current or emeritus K-State faculty or staff member for advocacy of alumni relations, with a special emphasis on support and participation in alumni programs that engage members of the Wildcat family. The award would later be endowed as the Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award.
2013
Student Alumni Board and the K-State Alumni Association established the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. The award honors two K-State graduates under the age of 35 who are excelling in their professions and contributing to their communities.
2014
The Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Student Awards were established by Olivia Collins ’90 and recognize two graduating students who have demonstrated a commitment to community leadership and service through Jurich’s Core Leadership Tenets, in honor of her late husband, Tony Jurich.
2015
K-State and the Alumni Association celebrate 100 years of Homecoming.
The Alumni Association launches the International Leadership Award, which recognizes four outstanding international graduating students who have made
an impact within the international community through their service and leadership.
2017
Curt ’73 and Sherry ’73 Frasier established the Alumni Excellence Award. The award recognizes a graduate of Kansas State University whose career, service and achievements exemplify the spirit, values and excellence of the university.
2022
The Alumni Association established the LGBTQ+ Leadership Award, which honors two graduating students: one undergraduate and one graduate student, who have shown outstanding leadership qualities and who actively promote and advocate for engagement within or with the LGBTQ+ community at K-State.
2023
The Alumni Association raises more than $7 million through the K-State License Plate program for student scholarships and recognition.
2024
The Alumni Association celebrates 150 years. You're invited to join us Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, for a purple party with the K-State band, Willie the Wildcat, food, beer, activities and more!
