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April 2, 1999

Alumni association ready for Gala Week activities

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue Alumni Association has planned reunions, entertainment and activities for alumni who return for the university's Gala Week, April 23-25.

Registration and activities information will be available at Gala Week headquarters in Room 118, Purdue Memorial Union. The office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24. For registration and ticket information, call the headquarters office at (800) 414-1541 or (765) 494-5175. Events are listed on the Alumni Gala Week site.

The annual class parade to John Purdue's grave will step off at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, April 24, from the area between the Purdue Memorial Union and Stewart Center. The parade is traditionally led by the oldest attending alumnus. Other parade participants will include the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band, Purdue Pete and the Boilermaker Special.

The Alumni Association will sponsor the annual Gala Week Lecture Series on April 24. Three sessions are scheduled in Room 206, Stewart Center: Dave Sattler, editorial cartoonist for the Lafayette Journal and Courier, at 2 p.m.; Randy Woodson, associate dean of research for the School of Agriculture, at 2:45 p.m.; and Ernest Agee, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, at 3:30 p.m.

The featured events are the Founders Day Reception and Banquet. The hour-long reception will start at 4:45 p.m. April 24 in the main lounges of the Purdue Memorial Union. The 6 p.m. banquet in the North and South Ballrooms of the Union will feature comments by Purdue President Steven C. Beering, entertainment by the Purdue Varsity Glee Club, and special alumni awards. Tickets are $17 and may be purchased in Room 118 of the Union on April 23 and 24. A big-band song and dance program will follow the banquet.

Ceremonies marking the unveiling of the Purdue University Book of Great Teachers and the 50th anniversary gift from the Class of 1949 have been scheduled.

The Book of Great Teachers dedication is set for 3 p.m. Friday, April 23, at Academy Park near the park's commemorative marker just northwest of the Purdue Memorial Union. Remarks by faculty, student and administrative representatives will focus on the impact Purdue's faculty members have had over the years.

Academy Park, dedicated two years ago in honor of the university's faculty members, was created in the spirit of The Academy, the fabled outdoor learning and teaching garden of ancient Greece. The Book of Great Teachers, actually a permanent wall display that will be installed in the nearby west foyer of the Purdue Memorial Union, is a new component of the concept of Academy Park.

The 225 names on the display represent faculty members past and present. They include past winners of universitywide teaching excellence awards, and those nominated by students, alumni and colleagues. The nomination process for inclusion in the book will be repeated every five years.

Officers from the Class of 1949 and Purdue administrators will convene a brief ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 24, at the base of the Purdue Bell Tower to share details of the two-pronged Class of 1949 gift project. The class has been raising funds for its Purdue Bell Tower Gardens project, which calls for an eventual redesign of the entire landscaping around the bell tower and nearby green space. In addition, the class also has been raising funds for a merit-based scholarship for undergraduate students. The Class of 1949 ceremony will begin after the conclusion of the traditional Gala Week program at the grave of John Purdue on Memorial Mall.

Many schools have scheduled activities for alumni between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. April 24. Also, various class reunions and coffee hours have been scheduled for Sunday, April 25.

Other Gala Week activities:

  • Friday, April 23. Purdue Forever Banquet. 6 p.m. South Ballroom, Purdue Memorial Union. Dinner honoring the Classes of 1919, 1924, 1929, 1934, 1939 and 1944. Tickets are $15.

  • Saturday, April 24. PAA Business Luncheon. 12:15 p.m. South Ballroom, Purdue Memorial Union. Tickets are $15.

  • Saturday, April 24. Continuing Education Administration Lifetime Learning Expo. 9-11 a.m. Room 218, Stewart Center. Exhibits on new summer alumni program, custom-tailored training, distance learning master's degrees in engineering and business, educational travel, and using Purdue for educational programs.

  • Saturday, April 24. Army ROTC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reception. 10 a.m. Purdue Armory. Induction of selected Army ROTC alumni.

  • Sunday, April 25. Loyalty Brunch. 10:30 a.m. North Ballroom, Purdue Memorial Union. Presentation of Loyalty Certificates by Purdue President Steven C. Beering to members of the 1919, 1924, 1929, 1934, 1939 and 1944 classes. Golden Anniversary Certificates awarded to members of the Class of 1949. Tickets: $15. Reservations required. Tickets may be purchased at the Gala Week Registration Headquarters Room 118, Purdue Memorial Union.

    Arts and entertainment events:

  • Tuesday-Friday, April 20-23. Purdue Bands' free Twilight Concert Series at Slayter Center of Performing Arts. 7 p.m. Tuesday: Varsity Band. 7 p.m. Wednesday: Collegiate Band. 7 p.m. Thursday: "1812 Concert" with the Concert Band and fireworks. 5 p.m. Friday: Jazz on the Hill with the Purdue Jazz Bands.

  • Thursday-Sunday, April 22-25. A Doll's House, staged by Purdue Theatre. 8 p.m. April 22, 23 and 24 and 6 p.m. April 25. Experimental Theater, Stewart Center. Tickets: $11 for the public, $7 for students and senior citizens at Purdue box offices, (765) 494-3933.

  • Thursday-Sunday, April 22-25. Purdue Theatre presents "Words, Words, Words." 8 p.m. each evening, except the April 25 show will be at 2:30 p.m. Black Box Theatre, Creative Arts Building 3. Featuring Tom Stoppard's "The 15-Minute Hamlet" and selections from David Ives' collection of one-act plays, "All in the Timing." All tickets are $5 at the Loeb Box Office, (765) 494-3933.

  • Sunday, April 25. Free Symphony Orchestra Concert. 2:30 p.m. Loeb Playhouse.

  • Sunday, April 25. Free Grand Prix Concert. 2 p.m. Slayter Center of Performing Arts. For more information, contact Purdue Student Government, (765) 494-7201.

    Sports events:

  • Friday, April 23. Baseball vs. Northwestern. 3 p.m. Lambert Field. Tickets are $4 for the public and $3 for students.

  • Saturday, April 24. Football scrimmage. 11:30 a.m. Ross-Ade Stadium. Free.

  • Saturday, April 24. 42nd annual Purdue Grand Prix go-kart race. Track opens at 10 a.m. First qualifying sprint starts at 11:30 a.m. Fifty-mile feature race starts about 2:30 p.m. Kart track north of Ross-Ade Stadium. Tickets are $5 in advance at the Grand Prix Foundation Offices, Room 260, Purdue Memorial Union. Tickets at the gate are $6.

  • Saturday, April 24. Baseball vs. Northwestern (doubleheader). 1 p.m. Lambert Field. Tickets are $4 for the public and $3 for students.

  • Saturday, April 24. Men's tennis vs. Iowa. 1 p.m. Varsity Courts. Free.

  • Sunday, April 25. Baseball vs. Northwestern. 1 p.m. Lambert Field. Tickets are $4 for the public and $3 for students.

  • Sunday, April 25. Men's tennis vs. Wisconsin. 1 p.m. Varsity Courts. Free.

    Source: Nikki Horner, PAA associate director, (765) 494-5181; e-mail, nhhorner@paa.purdue.edu

    Writer: J. Michael Willis, (765) 494-0371; e-mail, mike_willis@purdue.edu

    Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

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