This is an original piece of art that is installed in Morgan Hall and made possible through the generosity of the Washburn University Board of Trustees in celebration of Washburn University’s Sesquicenentennial celebration.

  1. First Congregational Church in Topeka, circa 1861. Washburn was founded as a private Congregational school.
  2. Kansas Territory Map, 1859.
  3. John Ritchie. Ritchie was an organizer of the first Congregational Church, and a founder and trustee of Lincoln College. He donated land on the corner of 10th and Jackson Streets for the first college building and the 160 acres of the present campus.
  4. Letter by Samuel D. Bowker, dedicating Lincoln College in memory of Abraham Lincoln, 1865.
  5. Harvey Rice, a founder of Lincoln College, builder and Board of Trustee member until 1903. The first building on the present campus, Rice Hall, was named after him.
  6. Wire symbolizing benefactor Ichabod Washburn's successful Washburn and Moen Wire Works factory in Worchester, Massachusetts.
  7. Ichabod Washburn donated $25,000 to Lincoln College in 1868. The school was renamed Washburn College in his honor. A devout Congregationalist, Washburn believed all people, including women and minorities, had the right to an education.
  8. Washburn College class schedule, Jan. 1869.
  9. Samuel Bowker was the first financial agent of the college and traveled east in 1865 to seek donations. He met with President Lincoln during this trip. Bowker brought enough financial backing to construct the first building for the college. He was first principal of the Lincoln Preparatory School, later known as the Academy, and a professor of History and English literature, circa 1865.
  10. Peter McVicar was Washburn's second president, 1871-96. He was an original member of the Lincoln College Board of Trustees. McVicar is credited with recruiting and retaining capable faculty. He led successful fundraising efforts to construct buildings and planted hundreds of trees on campus. MacVicar Chapel built in 1890 was named in his honor in 1902.
  11. Lincoln College building at 10th and Jackson Streets in downtown Topeka, late 1860s.
  12. Faculty listing in the 1865-1866 Lincoln College catalog.
  13. Quote from Peter McVicar's report to the General Association of Congregational Ministers and Churches, 1866.
  14. Washburn University Seal adopted in 1952.
  15. Announcement from the 1867-68 catalog indicating the name change from Lincoln College to Washburn College.
  16. Horatio Q. Butterfield served as first president, 1869-70. As financial agent, he traveled east to raise funds and secured $25,000 from Ichabod Washburn in 1868. He was professor of Greek and Latin at the college.
  17. Boswell Hall. Home of the library, 1886-1905.
  18. The 1886-87 Washburn Baseball Team. Baseball was the first organized sport at the college in 1879.
  19. 1897 graduating class including both men and women.
  20. Rice Hall fire, Dec. 6, 1907. Rice was rebuilt after the fire, but did not include the bell tower.
  21. Frances Storrs, ba 1892, as a student, wrote the lyrics for what was then called the Washburn Song at the request of Professor Frederic Phelps who taught Greek. This piece later became known as the Washburn Alma Mater in the 1930s.
  22. Alma Mater sheet music, 1930, as published in the Washburn College Song Book. At first it was called the Washburn Song when it was written in 1892.
  23. MacVicar Chapel was completed in 1890 and destroyed by the tornado in 1966. In 1902, it was named in honor of Peter McVicar.
  24. Rice Hall before the bell tower was installed, circa 1876. Rice was the first building on the present campus, then called the Main Building. It became the Science Building and later Old Science until after the turn of the 20th century when it was formally named Rice Hall after Harvey Rice. The bell tower was added in 1880/1881.
  25. Lucy Platt Harshbarger arranged the music for the Washburn Alma Mater, at the request of Professor Frederic Phelps in 1892 because of her prior music training. She was later a music student at Washburn, 1894-95 and 1897-99, then served as an instructor of Harmony at the college, 1899-1900.
  26. Articles of Association in the Incorporation of Lincoln College, Feb. 6, 1865.
  27. Quote from the Nov. 19, 1868, Trustees' resolution to accept Ichabod Washburn's donation and change the name of Lincoln College to Washburn College.
  28. Kansas State flag.
  29. The Washburn Argo cover, 1887. This first student newspaper was published Dec. 1885-91. Succeeding papers included The Washburn Reporter (a rival of the Argo), The Argo-Reporter and The Washburn Mid-Continent.
  30. The Washburn Mid-Continent cover, 1895. This student newspaper was published 1893-97 and was the forerunner of the Washburn Review, still being published.
  31. Boswell Hall library reading room with students, 1895. The stained glass window on the left survived the 1966 tornado and presently hangs in the White Concert Hall lobby.
  32. Quote from a 1878-79 Washburn catalog touting Washburn's affordability and opportunities to students who were dedicated to earning an education.
  33. Holbrook Hall, circa 1890, was a women's dormitory, 1886-1922. It opened in 1886, supported by a gift from Mary Holbrook of Massachusetts.
  34. Walter Caldwell was an outstanding halfback on the 1903 Washburn football team that won the Kansas Conference championship. Some opponents refused to play Washburn because its team included black players. Caldwell was enrolled in the medical school.
  35. Article from a 1903 Washburn Review detailing the K.C. Medics football team's refusal to play against Washburn if Walter Caldwell, a man of color, was in the game.
  36. 1895-96 staff on The Washburn Mid Continent, an early student newspaper.
  37. College Avenue entrance with red stone wall, circa 1910. The stone gate at the College Avenue entrance to campus was made possible in 1906, by funds from the Dramatic Club. The gate was built of native red boulders and mortar. The wall and gates were extended throughout the years by additional donations from the club, faculty and various graduating classes. The wall continues to stand today.
  38. Postcard of the Rice Hall Bell Tower, circa 1907. Charles Boswell donated the bell in 1880, and it was added to Rice Hall.
  39. The college orchestra, 1903.
  40. Washburn's 1898 football team.
  41. Quote from the Washburn Review regarding Zenas Crane's anonymous donation of $56,000.
  42. Vintage Washburn football poster promoting the game against the University of Kansas in the early 1900s.
  43. "Washburn's Debt To Yale", Washburn College Bulletin cover, Nov. 1917. The issue explained Washburn's many connections to Yale through its faculty and alumni.
  44. Kansas Medical College at 5th and Quincy Streets. The college was part of Washburn from 1902 to 1913.
  45. 50th Anniversary Historical and Symbolical Pageant, June 9, 1915.
  46. A portion of the red stone wall and gate at 17th and Mulvane Streets was the gift of the Class of 1914. The wall remains on campus today.
  47. Washburn College motto "non nobis solum" or "not for ourselves alone." The motto was suggested by Charlotte Mendell Leavitt, dean of women and head of the English department, who joined the faculty in 1899 and served for 41 years. The motto remains today.
  48. First men's basketball team, 1905-06.
  49. Women's basketball team, 1907. Women fielded teams beginning in 1901 but were forbidden by the faculty to travel to out-of-town games in 1906. Attempts were made to revive the intercollegiate play over the next several years but with limited success.
  50. Class of 1902 with Rice Hall in the background.
  51. Charlotte Mendell Leavitt joined the Washburn faculty in 1899 and taught for 41 years. She served as dean of women and head of the English department. Leavitt suggested the motto "non nobis solum."
  52. The reading room of Carnegie Library, circa 1920s.
  53. Washburn Family Coat of Arms. Washburn College trustees adopted the family coat of arms as the official crest in 1917. The motto, purificatus non consumptus, translates to "purified, but not consumed."
  54. Students holding an indoor picnic, circa 1910.
  55. Washburn Academy students, 1913. The Academy (high school) was a part of the college until 1918 when it separated and became Washburn Rural High School. It operated on campus until its new building at 19th and Hope Street was completed in 1940.
  56. Faculty at graduation, early 1900s.
  57. Kansas Medical College Catalog, 1903.
  58. Washburn Law School, at 211 W. 6th Street, with the freshman class, circa 1914-15. The Law School was established in 1903, and this location was the third downtown site for the law school from 1913-18. The Law School then moved to campus and into temporary quarters in Crane Observatory so students could participate in the Student Army Training Corps during WWI.
  59. Quote from Norman Plass, Washburn's fourth president, 1902-08, regarding the new Washburn Law School.
  60. Washburn marching band, 1938.
  61. Hobo Day Parade, 1930s. Hobo Day began in 1916 to generate pep for the football game against the University of Kansas. Hobo Day later combined with homecoming and continued in various forms until the 1980s.
  62. Article detailing the beginnings of "Hobo Day," which began in 1916 for the University of Kansas vs Washburn football game. Students dressed in ragged clothes and paraded downtown. Hobo Day continued in various forms as part of Homecoming into the 1980s.
  63. The United States entered World War I in 1917, and Washburn's male population was noticeably reduced. Not all enlisted; some entered the work force to fill jobs left vacant by those who did go to war.
  64. Parley Womer, Washburn's sixth president, 1915-31, was described by trustees as a "tireless, constant and undiscouraged worker. He is a real president." He resigned to return to teaching and chaired the American Citizenship program (currently History and Political Science departments) until 1939. He and his wife built and lived in what is now the International House until their deaths.
  65. Semi-Centennial pin, 1915.
  66. National AAU Basketball champions, 1925. This was before NAIA or NCAA national tournaments.
  67. Engineering students surveying the football stadium site for a class project, 1920s.
  68. Fraternity and sorority house decorations for the first annual Homecoming. Kappa Sigma (pictured in the oval) won the prize, 1928.
  69. Air Force ROTC patch worn by Washburn cadets. AFROTC began at Washburn in 1948.
  70. Quote from Washburn University 150 Years regarding the financial problems Washburn faced in the early 1940s.
  71. Washburn patch.
  72. The Blue Peppers, an all-female pep group organized in the 1920s to show school spirit at games, 1933.
  73. Quote from the Chairman of the Board of Regents celebrating the change from Washburn College to Washburn Municipal University of Topeka.
  74. The first Ichabod graphic. Created by alumnus and graphic designer, Bradbury Thompson, ba 1934, the first Ichabod graphic was published in the Kaw yearbook in 1938. "The Ichabod has courage and enthusiasm, as shown by his brisk walk. He is democratic and courteous, for he tips his hat as he passes. Sincere in his search for truth and knowledge, he studiously carries a book under his arm. His friendly smile makes you like him. He is neatly dressed, and fits well into his generation of the 1860s, but adapts himself to any age."
  75. This photo from the 1930s shows students using the Warner & Swasey telescope that was acquired in 1901, as part of the donation for Crane Observatory. The telescope won an award at a Paris exposition and was considered among the finest telescopes of the early 20th century and is still in use today.
  76. Advertisement from Topeka Daily Capital advocating for the college to become a municipal University, March 30, 1941.
  77. Law School Class of 1940 in front of Boswell Hall, home of the Law School, 1939-56.
  78. Senator Robert "Bob" Dole, ba., jd, 1952, developed a worldwide reputation for public service, holding elected positions in the Kansas House of Representatives, as a Russell County (Kan.) attorney and as a U.S. congressman before spending nearly 30 years as a U.S. senator. He was the republican presidential candidate in 1988 and 1996.
  79. Arthur Allen Fletcher, ba 1950, played football for Washburn. He played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams and was the first African-American to play for the Baltimore Colts. Fletcher went on to become executive director of the United Negro College Fund and chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
  80. Brown v. Board of Education 50th anniversary article - Washburn Alumni Spring 2004. The article featured Washburn alumni who participated in the 1954 landmark case. Washburn law graduates played important roles on both sides of the issue. Three Washburn Law graduates, Elisha Scott, jd 1916, John Scott, jd 1947, and Charles Scott, jd 1948, along with Charles Bledsoe, attendee 1931-37, filed the original case in 1951.
  81. Cover of the Washburn College Bulletin, June 1940, highlighted opportunities for women to excel in careers and as leaders.
  82. Pin with Washburn University of Topeka seal.
  83. The Washburn Review, front page, April 4, 1941, declaring Topeka voters approved of Washburn becoming a municipal University.
  84. Navy V12 cadets in class. In 1942, Washburn's Civilian Pilot Training program was made a full-time operation as a Navy V-5 unit. In July 1943, the Navy instituted a V-12 officer training unit at Washburn. Navy Cadets were housed in Benton Hall and all sorority and fraternity houses on campus.
  85. Moore Bowl football stadium, 1930. In 1923, Washburn engineering professor, Cleveland Loper, and his engineering classes devised the plan for the new football stadium. After fundraising, in the spring of 1928 excavation was under way. Washburn played its first game on the new field against William Jewell College of Liberty, Sept. 29, 1928.
  86. Kaw yearbook cover, wartime edition, 1944.
  87. Washburn Review article about the first ROTC unit on campus, Sept. 17, 1948.
  88. Aerial view of Washburn, looking southwest, showing the path of the devastating tornado on June 8, 1966.
  89. After the tornado, Washburn's resilient spirit soars and rises from the rubble to rebuild, better than ever.
  90. The 1966 tornado crossing Burnett's Mound, in southwest Topeka, heading for campus.
  91. Carnegie Hall was chosen for restoration after the tornado. It was wrapped with tarps to reduce any further damage, 1966.
  92. Phillip King, Washburn's seventh president, 1931-41, watches as Governor Payne Ratner signs the municipal bill on Feb. 7, 1941. This bill authorizes Topeka to operate Washburn as a municipal university. It also allows the college to keep Washburn as part of its name.
  93. Track team with Washburn Municipal University (WMU) sweatshirts, circa 1950.
  94. Iconic photo of Thomas Gymnasium, packed to the rafters during a basketball game in the early 1920s. A large number of spectators are standing on the suspended cork track, considered cutting-edge technology when it was built in 1908. Jonathan Thomas, a Washburn trustee, donated $43,000 in 1908. The gymnasium was dedicated in 1909 and named in memory of Thomas's son, the late Charles Brooks Thomas.
  95. Quote from Harold Sponberg's inauguration address, discussing the future of Washburn. Sponberg was the ninth Washburn president, 1962-65.
  96. Math professor Terry McAdam with students, 1950s.
  97. Louis Armstrong performs at the All-School Party, held at Meadow Acres, March 11, 1960.
  98. 1949 Homecoming bonfire pictured in the 1950 KAW yearbook.
  99. Law School cane rack in Boswell Hall (1951), home to the Law School, 1939-56. In 1924, senior law students decided to carry canes to distinguish themselves from others but had to leave them in racks during class. This tradition remained until after the tornado when the tradition slowly died.
  100. Elisha Scott, jd '16, was a prominent Topeka attorney, practicing for more than 40 years. His law firm, Scott, Scott and Scott (a firm with his two sons who were also Washburn Law grads), was the catalyst behind the Brown v Board case in Topeka. The firm served as counsel for the plaintiffs.
  101. Students playing cards in the Trails End snack bar in the Union, 1960.
  102. 1966-67 Washburn Belles, a female vocal ensemble, organized in 1961 to promote the university at Topeka and regional events.
  103. 1958 Homecoming candidates and Queen Mitzi Hayes with flowers from Hawaii, compliments of Hawaiian alumnus Meyer Ueoka.
  104. Aerial view of campus, circa 1985.
  105. 1987 NAIA Champion basketball team on the cover of the Sports Plus section Commemorative Issue of the Topeka Capital-Journal, March 24, 1987.
  106. 1977 Commencement, School of Nursing Pinning ceremony.
  107. Washburn women gymnasts sweep all events against Kansas State University and Benedictine College at a triangular meet, Feb. 24, 1973.
  108. A campus computer lab in Morgan Hall, 1980s. In 1982, Washburn began offering majors in computer science and information systems.
  109. WUlf Pack coed student pep squad in Moore Bowl, 1967.
  110. Washburn beanie with the Ichabod patch, 1950s. Freshman were required to wear beanies on campus during fall semester until Homecoming.
  111. Washburn Review, Centennial Edition, Feb. 5, 1965.
  112. Washburn Class of 1961 freshman beanie.
  113. Cheerleader, Ann McIntosh, b ed 1967, during Homecoming 1965 wearing a traditional homecoming mum.
  114. Boot Hill Bowl, Dodge City, Kansas. Washburn played Benedictine College, Nov. 20, 1976.
  115. Red stone wall along 17th Street, 1930s.
  116. Famous warning from WIBW television announcer Bill Kurtis, jd 1966, during the June 8, 1966, tornado. Kurtis was a recent Washburn Law graduate studying for the bar exam at the time, who happened to be on air the night of the tornado.
  117. The ruins of MacVicar Chapel, 1966. A music recital was just beginning in the chapel when the tornado sirens sounded. The musicians and their audience took cover in the basement of the chapel and all survived with only minor injuries.
  118. Short history of the Washburn College Bible, published by the Washburn College Board of Trustees, 1979.
  119. Washburn College Bible - one-volume edition. Originally designed by Bradbury Thompson, ba 1934, for Field Enterprises as an elegant new version of the King James Bible. When Field Enterprises decided to forgo the project, Thompson approached Washburn University. In 1979, a three-volume limited edition was published for $2,500 a set, used as a fundraising tool for the University. A smaller one-volume version was published by Oxford University Press in 1982. This Bible would be called the most monumental makeover of the Bible's typography since Gutenberg's edition of 1455.
  120. Photo of central campus, looking southwest at Kuehne Bell Tower with banners celebrating Washburn's sesquicentennial, 2014.
  121. 3D replica of Kuehne Bell Tower. Built in 1971, the four bells saved from the Thomas Gymnasium clock tower that was destroyed by the 1966 tornado were placed in the Kuehne Bell Tower. The bells chime the hour, half-hour and quarter-hours.
  122. 1984-85 cheerleaders.
  123. Music Department Holiday Vespers concert at White Concert Hall, Dec. 2012. With the partnership of KTWU, Vespers, a 100-plus year tradition, was first broadcast in 2010 on KTWU, the public television station licensed to Washburn since 1965. The production has received several regional Emmy awards.
  124. Washburn's Kansas license plate, with the Ichabod, debuted in 2003. Proceeds from the purchase support the alumni association scholarship fund.
  125. 1979 Homecoming pin.
  126. Washburn pin with Ichabod.
  127. The 1987 NAIA Champion basketball team with Governor Hayden.
  128. Washburn University pin with Ichabod.
  129. Cover of Hemlock,1974. The Hemlock was a student literary magazine, 1959-75. This was the next to last issue.
  130. Inscape 40th anniversary cover, 2012. Inscape is a student literary magazine that began in 1972 and was edited and published by students taking the English department Publishing Lab course.
  131. Ichabod mascot statuette. This statuette was created as the first in a three-part series, celebrating Washburn's sesquicentennial and depicting various forms of the Ichabod mascot, 2015.
  132. The Living Learning Center. Located in the heart of campus, it opened in 2001 and is a 400-bed residential hall linked to the Memorial Union. It has eight different wings and includes a fireplace and a grand piano for students to enjoy.
  133. The Garvey Fine Arts Center and White Concert Hall. Made possible by the Garvey family who have significantly supported Washburn University through multiple generations. Other projects include the Washburn College Bible, the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center and student scholarships.
  134. Olive White Garvey, ba, 1914, a member of the influential Garvey family who supported many Washburn projects. Garvey offered support from the Garvey Foundation to build the Fine Arts Center and White Concert Hall, the latter of which was named after her brother, Elliott White, ba 1924.
  135. 2005 NCAA Division II Champion women's basketball team on the cover of the Washburn Review, March 2005.
  136. Washburn's 14th president, Jerry Farley, 1997-present, and his wife Susan, 2011.
  137. Washburn's 14th president Jerry Farley discussing Washburn's "open-admission" policy, whereby even underachieving high school students can enroll at Washburn.
  138. Ichabod mascot with the Bod Squad, 2011.
  139. Ichabod with President Jerry Farley.
  140. Washburn debaters capture national title, 2010.
  141. Washburn University football pin.
  142. Washburn Homecoming football game, with Blue Bods, 2010.
  143. Moore Bowl is renovated, with a $1 million anonymous donation and renamed Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl in 2013 in honor of Gary Yager, bba 1976, a former football player.
  144. Ichabod pin.
  145. Carnegie Hall, the oldest building still standing on campus. Carnegie opened in June 1905 as a library and was named after Andrew Carnegie who donated $40,000 to make the building possible. It housed the Law School, 1956-66.
  146. A Sept. 2011 evening football game, broadcast on ESPN, with the Bianchino Pavilion in the background. The Pavilion, home to the press box and luxury suites, is named after donors Bernie, ba 1970, jd 1974, and Marilyn, b ed 1972, Bianchino. Bernie is a former Washburn football player.
  147. Fireworks over the Kuehne Bell Tower. From 1982-96, Washburn University was the site for Topeka's Go 4th Independence Day Celebration and Concert in the Sky, which attracted thousands of spectators to campus.
  148. Ichabod mascot, 2013.
  149. Renovated lab in Stoffer Science Hall. In 2007, a $16 million state-of-the-art renovation and addition were completed to upgrade all labs, classrooms and equipment, providing lab space with a large amount of natural light.
  150. 2011 graduation photo of a mother and her son.
  151. Game day at Yager Stadium with cheerleaders carrying flags spelling BODS. The flags are carried up and down the sideline after a Washburn touchdown.
  152. Washburn Institute of Technology. In 2008, the school changed from being managed by Topeka Unified School District 501, to become part of Washburn University, governed by its Board of Regents. The school was founded in 1964 as Northeast Kansas Vocational Technical School. It was renamed Kaw Area Vocational Technical School in 1967 and Kaw Area Technical School in 1992.
  153. Lauren Knoth, bs 2012, and Josh Ramsey, ba 2012, Washburn's debate duo who won the national debate championship at the National Parliamentary Debate Association Tournament in 2012. They dominated the 64-team national tournament and took the national championship a few days later, undefeated in a total of 28 rounds during the two tournaments. Knoth was named top speaker among 128 competitors at the NPTE, and Ramsey was second in the speaker rankings.
  154. Washburn Institute of Technology Advanced Systems Technology students testing a motor control circuit, 2013.
  155. Washburn Institute of Technology Advanced Systems Technology. Students apply their knowledge and skills to troubleshoot, repair and maintain industrial machinery and equipment to keep production lines and distribution systems running, 2013.
  156. Washburn Institute of Technology welding program, 2013.
  157. A replica of the Washburn University 150 Years book by Monroe Dodd, published in 2015. This historical, full-color coffee table book was written and produced in conjunction with Washburn's sesquicentennial celebration.
  158. Washburn Sesquicentennial pin, 2015. A special limited edition lapel pin commemorating Washburn's sesquicentennial celebration given to Washburn faculty and staff at the 150th Birthday Bash, Feb. 6, 2015, and to graduating seniors in May and Dec. 2015.
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