It has the look of a well-planned museum, but it's open
only one weekend a year. It's the story of Shippensburg University told through
memorabilia. It's a hands-on look at campus life dating back to its early days
as the Cumberland Valley State Normal School. It's a collection started
twenty-three years ago by Associate Dean of students, Robert Smith.
"Every day new things come in. I probably get 4 to 5
pieces every week," said Smith.
The collection now includes more than three-thousand
items gathered from flea markets, yard sales, e-bay and alumni. It's a
nostalgia treasure for past and present students.
"It's just like memory lane," said Smith. When
some of them walk in here they say 'Oh my God. I had that. I remember that.'
Or, if they were in a fraternity or sorority. They love looking at the old
pictures, reminiscing about friends. If they were on one of the sports teams,
it's kind of nice to come back to look at the pictures and look at the
artifacts that we have."
Famous alumni are featured all throughout the display,
including best selling author Dean Koontz, U-S Army General Tommy Franks, and
pro football stars John Kuhn, Rob Davis and Brent Grimes. Pittsburgh Pirates
infielder, Clyde "Pooch" Barnhart, who played in the 1925 World
Series, is also highlighted. Many visitors, like Shippensburg Senior Marquita
Johnson, say they'd like to see the homecoming weekend display become a
permanent part of the campus.
"That would be a good idea," said Johnson.
Because I like going into a library and you see the old pictures. It gives you
this feeling that, oh, there's history here."
Senior Jonathan Ballard-Baker agrees. "I think the
collection is amazing. I just looked through it briefly between classes and
there's a lot of history here."
And new to the display this year is a memorial to long
time Associate Director of Athletics, Jane Goss, who guided the 1979 field
hockey team to a national championship.
