K-State Keepsakes have been a regular feature of our Talking in the Library blog since 2006.
While the topics are selected at random, all are chosen with the hopes that readers will learn more about K-State’s impressive history and traditions and, along the way, find the content interesting and entertaining! Some K-State Keepsakes are chosen for their timeliness, such as our profile of the founding of K-State on Founders' Day or our celebration of the Kansas Sesquicentennial on its 150th birthday.
All of the information, including the photographs (with a few exceptions), was taken from sources in the Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections.
K-State Keepsakes in order of publication
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In September 1894, Julia Roselle Pearce was appointed the first full-time librarian at K-State, which included an appointment to the college faculty. |
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Here's a glimpse of the rich basketball tradition at Kansas State University. |
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The college opened in 1863 with 52 students, 26 men and 26 women. The first graduating class, in 1867, consisted of 5 students, three women and two men. |
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Completed in 1901, the Union Pacific train depot in Manhattan remained open to passenger trains until 1971 and freight trains quit stopping in 1984. The station deteriorated until government officials, preservation and historical organizations, and individuals raised funds to have the structure restored. |
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Despite criticism of its design and the interruption of World War II, K-State finally built its long-awaited Student Union in 1956. |
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Truman Capote spent time at K-State before going to Holcolmb to write In Cold Blood. |
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This edition of the Keepsakes series is devoted to the fires that have changed the architectural landscape of K-State. |
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The College Bell stands as a visible reminder of the university’s rich heritage and honors those who kept it ringing for over 100 years. |
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With the help of the citizens of Manhattan and land granted by the Morrill Act, Kansas State University opened on September 2, 1863. |
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April is National Poetry Month and we recognize K-State's poets and poetry. |
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From The Industrialist to The Collegian, here's a brief history of K-State's print publications. |
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On October 5, 1997, Hale Library was officially dedicated, ending an 80-year architectural odyssey and ushering in a new world of library resources. |
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The Doris and Leona Velen Tuttle Creek Dam Collection, along with the papers of Doris H. Fenton, illuminate the controversial construction of Tuttle Creek Dam, profiled in the film, "The Tuttle Creek Story." |
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Jerry Wexler: Mr. “Rhythm & Blues” One needs not go any further than the K-State Libraries to learn more about K-Stater Jerry Wexler and his influence on America's music! |
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This edition of the Keepsakes series is devoted to the very impressive number of K-State athletes who have participated in the Olympics. |
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Meet twelve of K-State's thirteen marvelous First Ladies. |
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As the country mourns the death of Senator Edward Kennedy, here's a look back at his memorable visit to K-State to deliver the 61st Alfred M. Landon Lecture on Public Issues on January 30, 1983. |
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On January 19, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to a crowd of over 7,000 in Ahearn Field House on the campus of Kansas State University. |
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K-State's men's basketball moved to Bramlage Coliseum on Nov. 26, 1988, leaving some fans from Ahearn Field House a little disappointed. |
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Inspired by the Ides of March, the senior class of 1916 instituted Roughneck Day, a day students came to campus dressed in the most outlandish clothing possible. |
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Celebrate National Women's History Month with a look at the impressive women who have played a significant roles in K-State's history since its establishment in 1863. |
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This edition of the Keepsakes series is devoted to memorable moments from Wildcat Baseball. |
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Take a look at this timely snapshot of our university's remarkable commencement traditions. |
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Did you know K-State held a university-wide competition in 1902 to find the university's official song, "Alma Matter"? |
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The history K-Hill is full of school pride, heated debate, demands for removal, and even murder. |
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Kansas State University has been an integral part of the State of Kansas's 150-year history. |
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Pieces of K-State basketball history find their way back to the university. |
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Check out this impressive list of the musical acts that have graced the stages of K-State's performance venues, including the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Def Leppard, and many others. |
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The Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, renamed the Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) in 2000, was created through the joint efforts of The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University as a field research station operated by the Division of Biology. |
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Read a brief overview of World War II's effects on K-Staters. |
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Julius Willard has had the longest official association with K-State than anyone in the history of the university. |
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The lives and accomplishments of K-State's first Black graduates, George Washington Owens, Class of 1899, and Minnie Howell, Class of 1901. |
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February 16, 2013 marks the beginning of K-State's Sesquicentennial! |
Julia R. Pearce: K-State’s First Librarian
Basketball Madness
The Manhattan Train Depot, Teddy Roosevelt, and K-State
K-State Student Union: Celebration and Controversy!
Meet Anderson Hall
“Fire!”
The College Bell
Extra! Extra! Campus Newspapers
Hale Library, 1997-2007: “Happy Birthday to you…”
“The Tuttle Creek Story” and the Velen Sisters 
Wildcat Olympians
First Ladies of K-State 1863-2009
K-State's Sesquicentennial Celebrating 150 Years!
