Cadets practice target shooting in the basement of the Gymnasium and Armory Building
that opened in 1904. (S.H. Knight Papers, AHC)
Illustrated with more than 200 photos dating from the late 19th century to this year, a new book provides a fascinating glimpse of the 125-year history of the University of Wyoming.
The book “University of Wyoming” is part of Arcadia Publishing’s “Campus History Series.” The authors are Tamsen Hert, head of Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections at the UW Libraries, and Rick Ewig, associate director of the UW American Heritage Center.
“This is not a comprehensive history of the university, it is a pictorial history.
Readers will find some wonderful images, along with some really interesting facts
that we were able to find,” Ewig says. “Tami and I had discussed this project for
several years; we felt it was important to move forward as we celebrate the university’s
125th anniversary.”
The vintage photographs provide vivid images of the university’s progression as the state’s only four-year public institution of higher education. Outreach activities, athletic teams and players, agriculture and 4-H, ROTC and military science, research, teaching, architecture, and student groups and activities are among topics covered in the 128-page soft-cover book.
“It was a wonderful experience to look through old photographs and newspapers, such as the old Branding Iron student newspapers,” says Hert. “The resources at the American Heritage Center gave us a real flavor for some of the early history of the university. Writing this book was an enjoyable experience.”
Ewig is certain that others will enjoy reading it, too.
“We hope that people who went to school here will smile at some of the things we were able to find,” he says. “They will enjoy some of the anecdotes that we have included along with the stories about the different buildings and how the campus has changed over the years.”
“Campus History Series: The University of Wyoming” is available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888) 313-2665 or online at http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738595993/University-of-Wyoming.
