elected president, succeeding Ward Martin, jd ’33. The new constitution officially changed the Association’s name to Washburn Alumni Association and altered some of its functions. An alumni fund was created, and plans were made to present awards to distinguished graduates during commencement week. The first Distinguished Service Awards were given to four alumni in 1949. Also in 1949, the board of directors officially adopted an alumni seal. As reported in the April 1949 Washburn University Bulletin, the seal “shows Mr. Ichabod spanning two hemispheres, to indicate that we have alumni around the world. The date, 1885, was when the first official Alumni Association was created.”
Early members of the Association were recent graduates of
Clarence D. Greeley, ba 1883
Washburn. The first slate of officers and alumni who attended the first meeting were: Heman Bull, bs 1884, Missouri, treasurer Clarence Greeley, ba 1883, New York Cora Kirby, bs 1882, Burlingame, Kan., constitution co-author Stella Kirby, bs 1884, Burlingame, Kan., secretary Arthur McCabe, ba 1885, Topeka, executive committee Mattie McCullough, bl 1883, Eureka, Kan. Redick Moore, bs 1884, Auburn, Kan., constitution co-author Grace Parker, bl 1884, Manhattan, Kan., executive committee
Cora Kirby, bs 1882
and constitution co-author George Perry, ba 1883, Manhattan, Kan., president Helen “Nellie” Sherrill, bl 1883, Topeka, executive committee Mary Sherrill, bl 1882, Topeka, vice president (In the 1880s, Washburn offered bachelor of letters degrees, in addition to bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees.)
Mary Sherrill, bl 1882 Washburn Alumni Association 42