Sept. 20, 2010
Items from Catholic University alumni who attended the university between 1915 and 1959 will be on display in a new exhibit titled "Portal to the Past: Reflections of Student Life."Beginning Sept. 25, visitors to the exhibit in the lobby of the John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library will be able to view items that were part of the CUA student experience in the past. The items were donated to the university by 11 alumni or their families and include beanies, pins, pennants and photographs, among other things.Robin Pike, audio visual archivist, came up with the idea for this exhibit while working with some donors who were transferring their CUA memorabilia or a family member's memorabilia. She realized that University Archives has several small collections of alumni material that would work well for a special exhibit.
"Current and former students will be able to get a glimpse of student life from 1915 to 1959 by viewing the photographs and tokens of the past," Pike says. "Many of the traditions represented by these objects, such as freshmen rules and dance cards, are no longer used in current student life. Though many traditions have changed, a lot of similarities exist, from the camaraderie formed through dorm life to bragging about sports achievements."
The exhibit will run through Thursday, Dec. 9. It is free and open to the public. MEDIA: For more information, contact Katie Lee or Mary McCarthy in the Office of Public Affairs at 202-319-5600.