HAPPY BIRTHDAY UK

February 22, 2020, the University of Kentucky celebrates its 155th birthday.  Over the years the celebration has included parades, dances, and in 1965 and 2015 year-long celebrations with special speakers, programs, and publications.

The 1949 Founders Day celebration focused around what would become one of UK's most iconic buildings, Memorial Coliseum, then under construction.

Memorial Coliseum

The 1949 Kentuckian highlighted the events noting that, "Following an address by Governor Earle C. Clements, a processional moved from the Armory to the fieldhouse where the cornerstone was laid."  University president Herman Lee Donovan spoke on "The Meaning of this Memorial."

Governor Clements wields a trowel in a ceremony at Lexington marking the laying of the cornerstone for the University of Kentucky's new field house.

The new fieldhouse was eagerly anticipated as the Kentuckian noted that, "On their present home court, Alumni Gym which has a seating capacity of only 3,200, the Wildcats were unbeaten in 74 consecutive games.  But seats were so precious, attendance had to be limited to all-student audiences, barring townspeople from ever seeing the Big Blue play."

During the ceremonies Coach Adolph Rupp even apologized to his current championship team noting that, "You were promised that you would play the dedication game in our new field house, and I would like nothing better than to have you play that game, but you'll all be graduated before its ready.  I'm sorry."  The Kentuckian added that, "[Cliff] Barker, [Ralph] Beard, [Wallace 'Wah Wah] Jones, [Alex] Groza and [Dale] Barnstable---will never wear Kentucky's Big Blue in the house they helped Rupp build."

Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, dedicated 10 years earlier, could seat nearly 9,000 fans and was known as the largest basketball arena in the south.  Memorial Coliseum, by comparison, boasted a capacity of over 11,000 for basketball. 

After only 26 seasons in Memorial Coliseum the men's basketball team would move to the downtown, 23,500 seat Rupp Arena.  The UK men have now played 43 seasons in Rupp but for some of us who attended that first game in Rupp it is still a little jarring when the television announcer welcomes everyone to "historic" Rupp Arena.

Duke stayed in the cozy on campus confines of Cameron Indoor while UK somewhat reluctantly left the fan friendly (for those who could get a ticket) Coliseum.  I often wonder what might have been if UK had continued to play in Memorial Coliseum until the present when every game is on HD television?  Might UK men have the best home court advantage in basketball? 

Fortunately, the UK women now benefit from that advantage and are carrying on the winning basketball tradition. In addition, UK Gymnastics and Women's Volleyball also benefit from competing in a fan-friendly, on campus arena.  Memorial Coliseum is scheduled for much needed renovation which for the first time will include air conditioning.

But any sentimental remembrance of Memorial Coliseum must also include the stark reality that it was built on the site of a vibrant African-American neighborhood, Adamstown.  Today an historic marker stands on the site to remind people that every history requires transparency regarding the good and bad that make up that history.  It was very appropriate this basketball season that both the men's and women's basketball teams honored the former Adamstown community and the people who lived there, many who spent their adult lives working for the University of Kentucky.

Adamstown

Perhaps, following the renovation, a Memorial Coliseum "rededication" might be held on an upcoming Founders Day when we can celebrate a UK that has become more diverse, more cognizant of the surrounding communities, and strives to embrace all Kentuckians while offering world-class public higher education to the Commonwealth.

SU-KY Circle and the Origins of UK Cheerleading

Organized cheerleading at UK began with the founding of the Su-Ky Circle in 1920-21.  SU-KY stood for State University of Kentucky.  The K-Book the following year offered a brief history of how the organization came to be.

  

K-Book, 1921-22

Women and men students tried out and participated in activities earning points to become a member of Su-Ky and over time it became one of the most important student organizations on the campus.  Steve Clark and Barbara Zweifel wrapped streamers around a goal post in 1959 to earn points towards SUKY membership.

SU-KY founder, Stanley A. "Daddy" Boles (1887-1961), grew up on a farm in Grant County, Kentucky and attended Kentucky Wesleyan College (located in Winchester, Ky. at that time).  He earned the nickname "Daddy" as a member of the Wesleyan football team because someone observed he was so much larger than the other players.

After earning his undergraduate degree Boles received an M.A. degree from Vanderbilt University.  His first coaching position was at Locust Grove Institute in Georgia..  He later coached at Polytechnic College, now Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University before coming to UK in as director of physical education and assistant with athletics teams .
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Stanley A. "Daddy" Boles

In 1917-18 Boles coached both the football team (3-5-1) and the basketball team (9-2-1).  The tie game in basketball resulted from an official scoring error discovered after the game ended.  He was appointed Athletics Director the following year and served in that position until 1933.  Boles is credited with hiring Adolph Rupp.

Boles founded the Kentucky State High School Basketball Tournament in 1919 and for many years the tournament was held in UK's Alumni Gym.

Modern UK cheerleaders have established a national reputation having won 21 National Championships including 17 of the last 23 national titles.  This year the UK cheerleaders will represent the United States at the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

A recent Kentucky Kernel story by Bailey Vandiver highlighted the history of one of the most popular cheers at UK men's basketball games, the Y.  Check it out!  http://www.kykernel.com/