Western Kentucky University
Encyclopedia
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky
, USA
. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky
in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier.
WKU has a student body of nearly 21,000 students. Its main campus, College Heights, is in the midst of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of construction and renovation. Since 1997, dormitories have been renovated, new academic and athletic buildings have been finished, with more construction under way. The university also has placed a premium on creating a parklike atmosphere, with parking lots on the interior of the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) campus replaced with greenspace, trees and other landscaping known as Centennial Mall.
WKU sits atop the highest point in south-central Kentucky, a hill called College Heights with a commanding view of the Barren River
valley. The campus flows from the top of College Heights, also known as The Hill, down its north, south and west faces.
The university's mottos are "The Spirit Makes the Master" and "Life, More Life!"—both phrases coined by WKU's founder, Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry.
WKU is in the midst of its second major capital campaign, the $200 million New Century of Spirit, which ends in 2012. It follows the university's first campaign, Investing in the Spirit, which had a goal of $75 million but raised more than $100 million.
Besides the main campus at College Heights, WKU operates a satellite campus in Bowling Green and regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox and in Owensboro with its Western Kentucky University-Owensboro
campus.
. This institution moved to Bowling Green in 1884 and became the Southern Normal School and Business College. The student body and building were transferred to the Western Kentucky State Normal School, when it was created by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly
in 1906. The owner of the Southern Normal School, Henry Hardin Cherry, became the first president of the new school. Classes began on January 22, 1907. The school moved to its present location in 1911 on property that had been purchased in 1909 when the Pleasant J. Potter College closed.
In 1922, the school was authorized by the state to grant four-year degrees and was renamed as Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College. The first four-year degrees were awarded in 1924. In 1927, the school merged with Ogden College, which occupied an adjacent campus. The name changed again in 1930 to Western Kentucky State Teachers College. The school was authorized to offer the Master of Arts
degree in 1931. Another name change took place in 1948, when the school became simply Western Kentucky State College.
WKSC merged with the Bowling Green College of Commerce, formerly the Bowling Green Business University, in 1963. Bowling Green Business University had originally been a part of the Southern Normal School and had been sold off by Henry Hardin Cherry when Southern Normal School was transferred to the state. The structure of the institution changed at this time, dividing into separate colleges. Bowling Green College of Commerce maintained its identity in this way. The Graduate School also became a constituent college. In 1965, three additional colleges were created. In 1966, Western Kentucky State College became Western Kentucky University.
Lowell H. Harrison
, professor emeritus, serves as the official university historian.
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WKU is divided into six undergraduate colleges:
An academic range of eighty majors and seventy minors are offered, toward the following degrees
:
WKU also offers seventeen associate degree programs and five certificate programs.
The Graduate School is now the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, which offers:
WKU's Journalism and Photojournalism
programs rank among the best in the country. The photojournalism department has won numerous awards. As of 2007, more than 25 alumni of WKU's photo and print journalism programs have been honored with the Pulitzer Prize
. The school's twice-weekly newspaper, the College Heights Herald
, regularly wins awards placing it among the top college newspapers in the nation, and even competes against commercial newspapers in the state's Associated Press
competition.
Western Kentucky University’s forensics (speech and debate) team is consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the country. The team has won the American Forensic Association (AFA) and National Forensic Association (NFA) national championships multiple times since 2003. It has also won the International Forensic Association’s (IFA) international championship every year it has attended. The team remains the only team in the nation ever to win the AFA, NFA, IFA, and NFA debate championship in the same year, a feat it has accomplished multiple times. The team hosts several tournaments for junior high and senior high students each fall, as well as a large speech and debate summer camp each July.
WKU is also home to the largest American master's degree program in folklore; it is contained within the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology. It is unique among American folklore programs for its public folklore program and is one of the few schools in Kentucky to offer a focus in historic preservation.
In the fall of 2009, WKU will begin its bachelor's degree program in popular culture studies
, being only the second university in America to offer such a program (the other being Bowling Green State University
).
Starting in the fall of 2009, an independent Doctor of Education (EdD) program in educational leadership will be offered at WKU.
In the rankings of "America's Best Colleges 2009," WKU is No. 10 among public master's universities in the South, up from No. 12 in the 2008 rankings. According to Forbes 2009 rankings of America's top 600 colleges, Western Kentucky University is ranked No. 434, making it the second highest ranked public college in the state of Kentucky.
Extended campuses are operated in Glasgow
, Elizabethtown
/Fort Knox
and Owensboro
.
Western Kentucky University offers Distance Learning Degrees:http://www.wku.edu/reachu/
's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
. The school accepts 60 juniors each year. As an incoming junior, students are given the opportunity to earn at least 60 college credit hours during their stint at the school. The Gatton Academy has been named as one of Newsweek's "public elite" American high schools and in 2011 was named among Newsweek's Top 5 High Schools.
The men's athletic teams are known as the Hilltoppers and the women's teams as the Lady Toppers. Their mascot is known as Big Red
. The mascot itself has become one of the most popular characters in collegiate sports, even appearing in a series of ESPN promotions. In most sports, WKU has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference
since 1982. From 1948 to 1982, it was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference
.
The men's basketball program, led by former Hilltopper and Texas assistant Ken McDonald, has the 14th most victories in the history of the NCAA
. The school has been to the NCAA Tournament 21 times; in addition, it has made one appearance in the NCAA Final Four
, in 1971. WKU also made three appearances in the NIT Final Four while it was the premier post-season tournament. It is extremely competitive in the Sun Belt Conference, usually finishing near the top of the conference and regularly competing for the conference championship. In fact, in Street & Smith's publications, "100 Greatest Programs", WKU ranked #31. WKU also has the 3rd most conference titles in NCAA history with 41 trailing only the University of Kentucky and Kansas University, 6th in NCAA history with 40 twenty win seasons, 8th in NCAA history in winning percentage at 67.2%, and recorded the first 30 win season in NCAA history in the 1937-1938 season with a record of 30-3.
The men's basketball team defeated Middle Tennessee State in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game to get a bid into the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Hilltoppers won their first-round contest against Drake University on a last-second three-pointer, and won their second round game against the University of San Diego, before losing by 10 points against UCLA in the Sweet 16. It was the Toppers' third appearance in the Sweet 16 but their first since 1993. In 2009, the men's basketball team defeated the University of Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the second round game against Gonzaga. Unfortunately, the Toppers were beaten by a last second shot, failing to advance to their second straight Sweet 16.
The women's basketball team, coached by former player Mary Taylor Cowles, is a storied program with a bright future ahead. The team has made three NCAA
Final Four appearances. In 1992, coach Paul Sanderford's Lady Toppers advanced to the national championship game before bowing out to Stanford. The Lady Toppers are known for their post-season prowess, appearing in a post-season tournament in 19 of the last 20 seasons. Their last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2008.
The Hilltopper football team belonged to what was then known as the Gateway Football Conference until 2006. In 2002, WKU won the NCAA Division I FCS National Football championship. In 2006, the school voted to move the team to the Division I Bowl Subdivision
(formerly I-A). After two years of provisional status, they began to compete in 2009 as a member of the Sun Belt conference. An extensive rivalry with Eastern Kentucky University
, known as the Battle of the Bluegrass, ended in 2008 as WKU moved into FBS football. The Hilltoppers' biggest Sun Belt rivals are the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, who are located less than two hours away from WKU. The Hilltoppers are currently coached by Willie Taggart
.
The Western Kentucky swim team consistently places in the top 5 in the Mid-Major National Rankings. In 2006 their men were undefeated in dual meets and were Sun Belt Conference Champions. The women won five consecutive championships from 2001–2005.In 2005, after 37 years as head coach, Coach Bill Powell became the assistant coach, and holds record for being the second winningest coach in men's swimming in NCAA dual meet history. The baseball team has enjoyed some success recently as well, winning a conference championship in 2009. In April 2010, the WKU baseball team defeated the University of Kentucky
24-8 in a game at Bowling Green Ballpark
. The crowd of 6,183 set the record for largest crowd to ever attend a college baseball game in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
. Ethnic and racial minority enrollment was 16% at 3,285 students. About 3 of every five students are female.
Forty-seven of the 50 states were represented at WKU in the fall of 2009. Regarding students from around the globe, 55 foreign countries were represented at WKU in 2009.
The average high school grade point average for entering freshmen
in 2008 was 3.15 and 30.3% had an ACT
score of 24 or above.
Reference: WKU Fact Book 2010
Active fraternities include: Alpha Gamma Rho
, Alpha Phi Alpha
, Alpha Tau Omega
, Delta Tau Delta
, FarmHouse
, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Order
, Kappa Sigma
, Kappa Alpha Psi
, Lambda Chi Alpha
, Omega Psi Phi
, Phi Beta Sigma
, Phi Delta Theta
, Phi Gamma Delta
, Pi Kappa Alpha
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Sigma Chi
, Sigma Nu
, Sigma Phi Epsilon
.
Active sororities include: Alpha Delta Pi
, Alpha Gamma Delta
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
, Alpha Omicron Pi
, Alpha Xi Delta
, Ceres, Chi Omega
, Delta Sigma Theta
, Kappa Delta
, Omega Phi Alpha
, Phi Mu
, Sigma Gamma Rho
, Sigma Kappa
, Zeta Phi Beta
.
Predating the national fraternities, there were local fraternities reaching back to the 1930s. The two leading men's social organizations were Phi Phi Kappa (also known as the Thirteeners), founded in 1939; and the Barons, founded the same year. When national Greek organizations were admitted to WKU, Phi Phi Kappa became Delta Tau Delta and the Barons became Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
WKU Student Publications (Herald and Talisman) moved into a state-of-the-art new facility, the Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Center, in December 2007. The $1.6 million complex was built through a partnership between alumni, who raised more than $1 million, and the university. The 6500 square feet (603.9 m²) building, across Normal Drive from the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, is named for Robert Adams and the late David B. Whitaker.
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier.
WKU sits atop the highest point in south-central Kentucky, a hill called College Heights with a commanding view of the Barren River
Barren River
The Barren River is a river in western Kentucky, USA. It is the largest tributary of the Green River, which drains more of Kentucky than any other river. The Barren River rises in Monroe County and flows into the Green in northeast Warren County....
valley. The campus flows from the top of College Heights, also known as The Hill, down its north, south and west faces.
The university's mottos are "The Spirit Makes the Master" and "Life, More Life!"—both phrases coined by WKU's founder, Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry.
WKU is in the midst of its second major capital campaign, the $200 million New Century of Spirit, which ends in 2012. It follows the university's first campaign, Investing in the Spirit, which had a goal of $75 million but raised more than $100 million.
Besides the main campus at College Heights, WKU operates a satellite campus in Bowling Green and regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox and in Owensboro with its Western Kentucky University-Owensboro
Western Kentucky University-Owensboro
Western Kentucky University-Owensboro is a regional campus of Western Kentucky University offering public,post-secondary education. WKU-O offers 23 undergraduate degrees, partnering with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in a +2 program...
campus.
History
The roots of Western Kentucky University go back to 1875 with the founding of the privately owned Glasgow Normal School in Glasgow, KentuckyGlasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
. This institution moved to Bowling Green in 1884 and became the Southern Normal School and Business College. The student body and building were transferred to the Western Kentucky State Normal School, when it was created by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
in 1906. The owner of the Southern Normal School, Henry Hardin Cherry, became the first president of the new school. Classes began on January 22, 1907. The school moved to its present location in 1911 on property that had been purchased in 1909 when the Pleasant J. Potter College closed.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in 1931. Another name change took place in 1948, when the school became simply Western Kentucky State College.
WKSC merged with the Bowling Green College of Commerce, formerly the Bowling Green Business University, in 1963. Bowling Green Business University had originally been a part of the Southern Normal School and had been sold off by Henry Hardin Cherry when Southern Normal School was transferred to the state. The structure of the institution changed at this time, dividing into separate colleges. Bowling Green College of Commerce maintained its identity in this way. The Graduate School also became a constituent college. In 1965, three additional colleges were created. In 1966, Western Kentucky State College became Western Kentucky University.
Lowell H. Harrison
Lowell H. Harrison
Lowell Hayes Harrison was an American historian specializing in Kentucky. Harrison graduated from College High . He received a B.A. from Western Kentucky University in 1946, then enrolled at New York University where he earned an M.A. in 1947 and a PhD in 1951, both in history...
, professor emeritus, serves as the official university historian.
Academics
- The Bowling Green Community College of Western Kentucky University
- The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
- The Gordon Ford College of Business
- Ogden College of Science And Engineering
- Potter College of Arts and Letters
- University College
- College of Health and Human Services
An academic range of eighty majors and seventy minors are offered, toward the following degrees
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
:
- Bachelor of Engineering
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Bachelor of General Studies
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Music
WKU also offers seventeen associate degree programs and five certificate programs.
The Graduate School is now the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, which offers:
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts in Education
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Science
- Master of Public Administration
- Master of Health Administration
- Master of Public Health
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
programs rank among the best in the country. The photojournalism department has won numerous awards. As of 2007, more than 25 alumni of WKU's photo and print journalism programs have been honored with the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. The school's twice-weekly newspaper, the College Heights Herald
College Heights Herald
The College Heights Herald is the student newspaper of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is published on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the fall and spring semesters of the school year. The school provides staff support and facilities for the newspaper but does not...
, regularly wins awards placing it among the top college newspapers in the nation, and even competes against commercial newspapers in the state's Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
competition.
Western Kentucky University’s forensics (speech and debate) team is consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the country. The team has won the American Forensic Association (AFA) and National Forensic Association (NFA) national championships multiple times since 2003. It has also won the International Forensic Association’s (IFA) international championship every year it has attended. The team remains the only team in the nation ever to win the AFA, NFA, IFA, and NFA debate championship in the same year, a feat it has accomplished multiple times. The team hosts several tournaments for junior high and senior high students each fall, as well as a large speech and debate summer camp each July.
WKU is also home to the largest American master's degree program in folklore; it is contained within the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology. It is unique among American folklore programs for its public folklore program and is one of the few schools in Kentucky to offer a focus in historic preservation.
In the fall of 2009, WKU will begin its bachelor's degree program in popular culture studies
Popular culture studies
Popular culture studies is the academic discipline studying popular culture from a critical theory perspective. It is generally considered as a combination of communication studies and cultural studies....
, being only the second university in America to offer such a program (the other being Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
).
Starting in the fall of 2009, an independent Doctor of Education (EdD) program in educational leadership will be offered at WKU.
In the rankings of "America's Best Colleges 2009," WKU is No. 10 among public master's universities in the South, up from No. 12 in the 2008 rankings. According to Forbes 2009 rankings of America's top 600 colleges, Western Kentucky University is ranked No. 434, making it the second highest ranked public college in the state of Kentucky.
Extended campuses are operated in Glasgow
Glasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
, Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state...
/Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
and Owensboro
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
.
Western Kentucky University offers Distance Learning Degrees:http://www.wku.edu/reachu/
Honors College
The WKU Honors College became the first and only Honors College in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on July 1, 2007. The Honors College serves over 1,000 active Honors students with the 2009 incoming freshman class ACT/SAT average ranking among the top 6% in the nation.The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky
The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky opened in the Fall of 2007. The project is based on the University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science is a two-year residential early college entrance program serving approximately 380 Texans at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas...
. The school accepts 60 juniors each year. As an incoming junior, students are given the opportunity to earn at least 60 college credit hours during their stint at the school. The Gatton Academy has been named as one of Newsweek's "public elite" American high schools and in 2011 was named among Newsweek's Top 5 High Schools.
Athletics
The men's athletic teams are known as the Hilltoppers and the women's teams as the Lady Toppers. Their mascot is known as Big Red
Big Red (Western Kentucky University)
Big Red is the name given to Western Kentucky University's mascot, a red, furry blob created by WKU student Ralph Carey in 1979. Big Red is meant to symbolize the spirit of WKU students and alumni as well as the sports teams' nickname, the "Hilltoppers," a name chosen because the school's campus...
. The mascot itself has become one of the most popular characters in collegiate sports, even appearing in a series of ESPN promotions. In most sports, WKU has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
since 1982. From 1948 to 1982, it was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. The school has been to the NCAA Tournament 21 times; in addition, it has made one appearance in the NCAA Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
, in 1971. WKU also made three appearances in the NIT Final Four while it was the premier post-season tournament. It is extremely competitive in the Sun Belt Conference, usually finishing near the top of the conference and regularly competing for the conference championship. In fact, in Street & Smith's publications, "100 Greatest Programs", WKU ranked #31. WKU also has the 3rd most conference titles in NCAA history with 41 trailing only the University of Kentucky and Kansas University, 6th in NCAA history with 40 twenty win seasons, 8th in NCAA history in winning percentage at 67.2%, and recorded the first 30 win season in NCAA history in the 1937-1938 season with a record of 30-3.
The men's basketball team defeated Middle Tennessee State in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game to get a bid into the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Hilltoppers won their first-round contest against Drake University on a last-second three-pointer, and won their second round game against the University of San Diego, before losing by 10 points against UCLA in the Sweet 16. It was the Toppers' third appearance in the Sweet 16 but their first since 1993. In 2009, the men's basketball team defeated the University of Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the second round game against Gonzaga. Unfortunately, the Toppers were beaten by a last second shot, failing to advance to their second straight Sweet 16.
The women's basketball team, coached by former player Mary Taylor Cowles, is a storied program with a bright future ahead. The team has made three NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Final Four appearances. In 1992, coach Paul Sanderford's Lady Toppers advanced to the national championship game before bowing out to Stanford. The Lady Toppers are known for their post-season prowess, appearing in a post-season tournament in 19 of the last 20 seasons. Their last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2008.
The Hilltopper football team belonged to what was then known as the Gateway Football Conference until 2006. In 2002, WKU won the NCAA Division I FCS National Football championship. In 2006, the school voted to move the team to the Division I Bowl Subdivision
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
(formerly I-A). After two years of provisional status, they began to compete in 2009 as a member of the Sun Belt conference. An extensive rivalry with Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, known as the Battle of the Bluegrass, ended in 2008 as WKU moved into FBS football. The Hilltoppers' biggest Sun Belt rivals are the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, who are located less than two hours away from WKU. The Hilltoppers are currently coached by Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart
-References:...
.
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
24-8 in a game at Bowling Green Ballpark
Bowling Green Ballpark
Bowling Green Ballpark is a 4,500-seat stadium in Downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is home to the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League of minor league baseball. This state-of-the-art stadium opened with Citizens First Opening Night on April 17, 2009...
. The crowd of 6,183 set the record for largest crowd to ever attend a college baseball game in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Student body profile
WKU had a total enrollment in the Fall Semester of 2009 of 20,712 students. Out of Fall 2009's enrollment figure of 20,712, 16,861 were full-time and 17,645 were undergraduates. WKU now has the second largest under-graduate population in the commonwealth of Kentucky, behind the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. Ethnic and racial minority enrollment was 16% at 3,285 students. About 3 of every five students are female.
Forty-seven of the 50 states were represented at WKU in the fall of 2009. Regarding students from around the globe, 55 foreign countries were represented at WKU in 2009.
The average high school grade point average for entering freshmen
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
in 2008 was 3.15 and 30.3% had an ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 24 or above.
Reference: WKU Fact Book 2010
Greek organizations
In 1961 the Western Kentucky University Board of Regents allowed national fraternities and sororities to form local chapters. Currently there are 31 active organizations with approximately 1500 members per year.Active fraternities include: Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Gamma Rho is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 75 university chapters including chapter in Mindanao State University, Philippines...
, Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
, Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
, FarmHouse
FarmHouse
FarmHouse Fraternity International, Inc. is an all-male international social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a nationally recognized fraternity in 1921. FarmHouse is one of only three fraternities not to adopt Greek letters...
, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
, Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
, Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
, Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
, Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
, Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
, Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
.
Active sororities include: Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
, Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and...
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
, Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus...
, Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
, Ceres, Chi Omega
Chi Omega
Chi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
, Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
, Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
, Omega Phi Alpha
Omega Phi Alpha
Omega Phi Alpha is an American national service sorority. It was founded in 1967 at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio...
, Phi Mu
Phi Mu
Phi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year...
, Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
, Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
.
Predating the national fraternities, there were local fraternities reaching back to the 1930s. The two leading men's social organizations were Phi Phi Kappa (also known as the Thirteeners), founded in 1939; and the Barons, founded the same year. When national Greek organizations were admitted to WKU, Phi Phi Kappa became Delta Tau Delta and the Barons became Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Media and publications
- College Heights HeraldCollege Heights HeraldThe College Heights Herald is the student newspaper of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is published on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the fall and spring semesters of the school year. The school provides staff support and facilities for the newspaper but does not...
, Since 1924,WKU's student-run newspaper, routinely named one of the best in the nation - Talisman, WKU's award-winning yearbook
- Rise Over Run Magazine, WKU's online magazine for independent culture
- WKU SPIRIT, WKU's Alumni Magazine, published three times each year
- WWHRWWHRWWHR is a radio station licensed to Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the Bowling Green, Kentucky area. The station is currently owned by Western Kentucky University.-History:...
, Revolution 91.7 - WKU's College Radio Station - WKU NewsChannel 12 - Student Run Television Newscast. On campus cable channel 12 on Wednesday's and Thursdays. Re-broadcast on PBS affiliate WKYU at 11:30pm.
WKU Student Publications (Herald and Talisman) moved into a state-of-the-art new facility, the Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Center, in December 2007. The $1.6 million complex was built through a partnership between alumni, who raised more than $1 million, and the university. The 6500 square feet (603.9 m²) building, across Normal Drive from the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, is named for Robert Adams and the late David B. Whitaker.
Academia
- Herman Lee DonovanHerman Lee DonovanHerman Lee Donovan was an American educator and college administrator who served as the fourth president of the University of Kentucky from 1941-1956. During this period, the University of Kentucky faced many challenges including the desegregation of both the graduate and undergraduate divisions,...
, president of Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky
Business
- Julian GoodmanJulian GoodmanJulian Goodman is a former president of the National Broadcasting Company . His hometown was Glasgow, Kentucky.His work landed him on the master list of Nixon political opponents.-References:...
, former president of NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... - Chester Hurdle, President of Baltimore Ravens
Film and television
- K.C. Armstrong, former assistant producer of The Howard Stern Show
- John CarpenterJohn CarpenterJohn Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
, film director - Clint FordClint FordClint Ford redirects to this page. For those of a similar name, see Clinton Ford .Clint Ford is an American actor and voice-over artist...
, voice actor - Charmaine HuntCharmaine HuntCharmaine Hunt is a Woman of the Year for the year 2007 and is notable for being a contestant on season 5 of the Reality TV series The Apprentice....
, one of 18 contestants on the fifth seasonThe Apprentice (U.S. season 5)The Apprentice 5 is the fifth series of The Apprentice, with Donald Trump as the Executive Producer and Host. Applications were available online and filming occurred in the fall of 2005. Sean Yazbeck was named the winner and hired by Donald Trump as the new Apprentice during the season finale...
of NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's "The Apprentice" - Matt LongMatt LongMatthew Clayton "Matt" Long is an American actor. He played the teenaged Jack McCallister on Jack & Bobby, the younger Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, and Tyler Prince in Sydney White....
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
(Jack McCallister on WB's Jack & BobbyJack & BobbyJack & Bobby is an American television series that aired on The WB network. It featured two brothers, one of whom would become President of the United States, serving from 2041 to 2049...
) - Charles NapierCharles Napier (actor)Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:...
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - Michael RosenbaumMichael RosenbaumMichael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
(Lex Luthor on WB's SmallvilleSmallville (TV series)Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
) - David SchrammDavid Schramm (Actor)David Schramm is an American actor. He is best known for playing Roy Biggins, the portly, curmudgeonly rival airline owner in the TV series Wings. He portrayed J.J. Peachum in the Westchester production of The Threepenny Opera and starred as Mr. Mister in the John Houseman directed revival of The...
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
(Roy Biggins on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Wings) - Jay WilkisonJay WilkisonJay Wilkison is an American movie, television and stage actor.Wilkison was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He played Riley Colson on the ABC soap One Life to Live from February 24, 2003 through June 8, 2005....
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
(Riley Colson on soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
One Life to LiveOne Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
)
History
- Betty Jane Gorin-SmithBetty Jane Gorin-SmithBetty Jane Mitchell Gorin-Smith, known as Betty Jane Gorin-Smith , is an independent historian from Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky, best known for her book Morgan Is Coming!': Confederate Raiders in the Heartland of Kentucky, a study of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's...
, author, Taylor CountyTaylor County, KentuckyTaylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,927. Its county seat is Campbellsville. The county is named for President Zachary Taylor, who served from 1849 to 1850. Taylor is a moist county...
historian - Lowell H. HarrisonLowell H. HarrisonLowell Hayes Harrison was an American historian specializing in Kentucky. Harrison graduated from College High . He received a B.A. from Western Kentucky University in 1946, then enrolled at New York University where he earned an M.A. in 1947 and a PhD in 1951, both in history...
, author, WKU university historian
Music
- Michael CardMichael CardMichael Card is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in Contemporary Christian Music, which couple folk-style melodies and instrumentation with lyrics that stem from intensive study of the Bible...
, Contemporary Christian music artist - Steve GormanSteve GormanSteve Gorman is a musician best known as the drummer of the American hard rock band The Black Crowes. He also spent some time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics.- Early career :...
, rock drummer, The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the... - Larnelle HarrisLarnelle HarrisLarnelle Steward Harris is a gospel singer and songwriter. During his 30-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 18 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.-Early life:A native of Danville, Kentucky, Harris...
, gospel singer - The Hilltoppers, 1950s popular singing group composed of WKU students including Billy VaughnBilly VaughnRichard "Billy" Vaughn was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader, and A&R man for Dot Records....
- Bill Lloyd, country/pop/rock musician and composer, half of Foster & LloydFoster & LloydFoster & Lloyd is an American country music duo consisting of singer-songwriters Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd . Founded in 1986, the duo recorded three albums for RCA Records, in addition to charting nine singles on the Billboard country charts. The highest-peaking of these was their debut single...
with Radney FosterRadney FosterRadney Foster is an American Texas Country artist. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his debut in 1986 alongside Bill Lloyd in the duo Foster & Lloyd... - The MuckrakersThe Muckrakers (band)The Muckrakers were a rock band from Louisville, Kentucky that formed in 1997.-Early days:The band started as a duo, with current lead singer/songwriter Rob Carpenter and singer/guitarist John Ruby. The two met at Western Kentucky University . Shortly after meeting the two began playing all over...
, rock and roll band - Nappy RootsNappy RootsNappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quintet that originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 and is best known for its hit single "Awnaw."...
, rap group - Chris KnightChris Knight (musician)Chris Knight is a singer and songwriter from Kentucky. He only recently came to national attention, but has written songs for Confederate Railroad, John Anderson, and Randy Travis among others...
, country music singer/songwriter - Chris CarmichaelChris Carmichael (musician)Chris Carmichael is a musician and arranger born in San Antonio, Texas on July 6, 1962. The son of an Air Force fighter pilot, Chris moved extensively before taking up the violin while living in Hampton, Virginia...
- Brandon HarrodBrandon HarrodBrandon Harrod is an American Folk-punk musician who fuses punk and folk influences with subversive story telling that melds into a package reminiscent of the Violent Femmes, Dead Milkmen and the Moldy Peaches...
, musician and songwriter - Will HogeWill HogeWill Hoge is an American singer, songwriter and musician from Nashville, Tennessee.-Early life:Will Hoge grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, a rural suburb south of Nashville...
, Nashville-based musician (attended, but did not graduate) - Stephen CochranStephen CochranStephen Cochran is an American Country music singer and songwriter. In 2009 Stephen was named as a spokesman for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Research and Development...
, Country music singer/songwriter and face of the US Veterans Affairs (VA) R&D Department - Tommy WomackTommy WomackTommy Womack is an American Singer-songwriter, musician and author.Womack has a long history as a songwriter and as a musician with many bands and recording artists/acts, both defunct and active. His recordings span multiple genres: folk, rock, country, alt-country, and indie music all being...
, musician and songwriter
Politics
- Cordell HullCordell HullCordell Hull was an American politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. He is best known as the longest-serving Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during much of World War II...
, Secretary of State under FDR, Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner - Vernie McGahaVernie McGahaVernie D. McGaha is an American politician and state senator from Kentucky's south central 15th district, which includes the counties of Adair, Casey, Pulaski, and Russell.-Biography:...
, member of the Kentucky State Senate from Russell CountyRussell County, KentuckyRussell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 17,565 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Jamestown. The county is named for William Russell... - Doug MoseleyDoug MoseleyDouglas Dewayne Moseley, known as Doug Moseley , is a retired United Methodist minister and author who served as a Republican member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1974 to 1986...
, former member of the Kentucky State Senate - William Natcher, U.S. Representative
- Dr. Janey Thornton Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture in the Obama Administration
Science
- Harry Barkus GrayHarry B. GrayHarry Barkus Gray is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology. He won the Priestley Medal in 1991, Harvey Prize in 2000, The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry in 2004, and the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2004.-Career:Gray received his B.S...
American chemist - Terrence W. WilcuttTerrence W. WilcuttTerrence Wade Wilcutt is an United States Marine Corps officer and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of four space shuttle missions...
, United States astronaut
Sports
- Virgil LiversVirgil LiversVirgil Chester Livers, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played college football at Western Kentucky.Livers has been an assistant principal at Bowling Green High School...
, NFL player - Courtney LeeCourtney LeeCourtney Lee is an American basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd pick overall in the 2008 NBA Draft...
, NBA player - Darryl DrakeDarryl DrakeDarryl Drake is the current wide receivers coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.-College career:Drake played wide receiver for Western Kentucky University from 1975 to 1978.-Professional career:...
, NFL coach - Joe BugelJoe BugelJoseph John 'Buges' Bugel was the Offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1989 and from 2004 to 2009...
, NFL coach - Romeo CrennelRomeo CrennelRomeo Crennel is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and current defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Before becoming the head coach of the Browns, Crennel won three Super Bowls in four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the New England...
, NFL coach - Tellis FrankTellis FrankTellis Joseph Frank Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. Frank is a 1983 graduate of Lew Wallace High School....
, NBA player - Clarence GloverClarence GloverClarence Glover is a retired American NBA basketball player from 1971-1973. Glover was listed at 6'8" and 210 lb....
, NBA player - Clem HaskinsClem HaskinsClem Smith Haskins is a retired American college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. He and star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program in the fall of 1963. This put Western Kentucky at the...
, NBA player, NCAA basketball coach - Crystal KellyCrystal Kelly-External links:*...
, WNBA player - Jeremi JohnsonJeremi JohnsonJeremi Ray Johnson is currently a free agent American football fullback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, NFL player - Jim McDanielsJim McDanielsJames Ronald McDaniels is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'11" power forward/center, McDaniels averaged nearly 40 points per game as a senior at Allen County High School in Kentucky. From 1968 to 1971, he played at Western Kentucky University, leading his team to a third place...
, ABA and NBA player - Keith PaskettKeith Paskett-Career:Paskett played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1987 NFL season. He played at the collegiate level at Western Kentucky University.-References:...
, NFL player - Kenny PerryKenny PerryJames Kenneth Perry is an American professional golfer who currently plays on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, for which he became eligible following his 50th birthday.-Early years:...
, professional golfer - Bobby SippioBobby SippioRobert Lee "Bobby" Sippio, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates in 2002...
, football player - Rod SmartRod SmartRod Smart is a former professional American football player. He played college football for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers, and began his professional career in the short-lived XFL league, where he played running back for the Las Vegas Outlaws and was known by the nickname "He Hate Me"...
, XFL player - Chris TurnerChris Turner (baseball player)Christopher Wan Turner is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He is an alumnus of Western Kentucky University.- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim :...
, MLB player - Ken WallerKen WallerKen Waller is an American former bodybuilder featured in the 1977 movie Pumping Iron, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Waller also won the 1975 International Federation of Bodybuilders Mr. Universe contest in Pretoria, South Africa...
, bodybuilder - Kicker VencillKicker VencillKicker Vencill is an American swimmer who won a lawsuit against a dietary supplement company for having contaminated multi-vitamins which caused him to be suspended from swimming for two years from 2003, even though they were prescribed to him by his doctor. The court awarded him over US$500,000....
, swimmer - Steve CrockerSteve CrockerStephen D. Crocker is the inventor of the Request for Comments series, authoring the very first RFC and many more. He received his bachelor's degree and PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Crocker is chair of the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,...
, Former SCM 50 Freestyle World Record Holder
Other notables
- Damon W. Cooper, U.S. Navy Vice AdmiralVice admiral (United States)In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
and the first Chief of U.S. Naval Reserve. - Nancy CoxNancy Cox (TV news anchor)Nancy Jane Cox, is Miss Kentucky 1990, a television journalist and news anchor for WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky.-Biography:Nancy Cox anchors LEX 18 News at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and 11:00. She joined LEX 18 in July 1992...
, Miss KentuckyMiss KentuckyThe Miss Kentucky competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss America pageant. Kentucky has once won the Miss America crown.- Winners :...
1990; Evening news anchor for WLEX-TVWLEX-TVWLEX-TV, channel 18, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Lexington, Kentucky and the East-Central Kentucky region. Its transmitter is located in Southern Lexington near Hamburg Pavilion on WTVQ-DT's tower. WLEX-TV's studio is on Russell Cave Road in northern Fayette County.-Digital...
in LexingtonLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... - Larry ElmoreLarry ElmoreLarry Elmore is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance, and the comic strip series SnarfQuest...
, American fantasy artist - Duncan HinesDuncan HinesDuncan Hines was an American pioneer of restaurant ratings for travelers. He is best known today for the brand of food products that bears his name.-History:...
, journalist, namesake of the bakery products company - Robert C. SnyderRobert C. SnyderRobert Craven Snyder, Sr. , was a professor and professor emeritus of English at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish in north Louisiana...
, professor of English at Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
from 1947 to 1989
Notable faculty
- Thomas NicholsonThomas NicholsonThomas Nicholson is a health educator and drug policy specialist. He was reportedly included on President Obama's shortlist of candidates for the appointment as the nation's "drug czar" and was endorsed for the position by numerous public health groups. He has coordinated the DRUGNET Study, an...
, drug policy expert - Garnie W. McGintyGarnie W. McGintyGarnie William McGinty was an historian whose career was principally based for thirty-five years at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.-Biography:...
, Louisiana historian