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Senior Class Gifts

Since 1873, graduates have left their legacy at KU by participating in one of the oldest traditions on the Hill.

Past Class Gifts

2022 – $2,500 contribution to the Jayhawk Student Support Fund.
2021 – No gift due to the pandemic.
2020 – No gift due to the pandemic.
2019 – Portrait of Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little in the Burge Union.
2018 – Jayhawk statue in front of the Burge Union
2017 – Support for the Jayhawk Boulevard Landscaping Fund.
2016 – Support for the Jayhawk Boulevard Landscaping Fund.
2015 – Historic marker for 1965 sit-in in Strong Hall.
2014 – Support for the Jayhawk Boulevard Landscaping Fund.
2013 – Support for the Jayhawk Boulevard Landscaping Fund.
2012 – Tile mosaic honoring the 100th anniversary of the 1912 Jayhawk.
2009 – New Strong Hall flagpole.
2008 – KU logo brick inlay embedded in the sidewalk outside of the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center.
2007 – Refurbishment of the organ in Danforth Chapel.
2006 – A bench and landscaping at Potter Lake.
2005 – Landscape renovations outside Danforth Chapel.
2004 – A 4.5-foot by 6.5-foot mural at the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center; painted by young artists from Van Go Mobile Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of high-needs youth.
2003 – Painting by senior art students for the Union.
2002 – Glass display case in Kansas Union to exhibit the original Baby Jay costume.
2001 – Large hardwood tree to be planted on the lawn of the new Student Recreation Center, now under construction on the south side of campus.
2000 – The Campanile Award, to be given annually to a May graduate who has shown outstanding campus leadership.
1999 – Bronze Jayhawk by sculptor Mike Elwell, c’64, l’67, at the entrance to the KU Visitor Center.
1998 – 6’ X 3’ piece of flooring from Allen Fieldhouse, shaped like the state of Kansas, in the entry of Budig Hall to commemorate 100 years of KU Basketball.
1997 – Bronze University seal in front of Budig Hall/Hoch Auditoria.
1996 – Sundial.
1995 – $10,000 to Jayhawks for KU Library Fund.
1994 – Painting commemorating the production of The Secret Garden in the Lied Center.
1993 – Marble mosaic Jayhawk in Kansas Union lobby, also known as Jayhawk Walk.
1992 – Landscaping for the arts center.
1991 – $5000 to begin lecture series.
1990 – Redbud trees along Naismith Drive.
1989 – Bronze plaque displaying the names of the CLAS Award recipients.
1988 – Pedestal and display case for polished stone Jayhawk in Kansas Union.
1987 – Began CLAS Award for Outstanding Student Members.
1986 – $1,000 for a park bench overlooking Potter.  (The bench will sit on an earth terrace about 100 yds. Northwest of Memorial Drive. Crushed rock will be placed around the concrete base, shrubs might be planted, plaque commemorating the class.
1985 – $5,000 endowment.  (Interest from the fund will be used for a $500 annual award to an outstanding benefactor—faculty, staff, administrators, students or alumni.
1984 – $2,000 painting “Kansas Landscape” by Robert Sudlow and a case to display the Civil War jacket and sword of Chancellor Fraser.
1983 – No gift
1982 – Plaque listing presidents of the Alumni Association.
1981 – No gift
1980 – No gift
1979 – Fireplace for the Satellite Union.
1978 – No gift
1977 – No gift
1976 – No gift
1975 – No gift
1974 – No gift
1973 – $3100 for oil portrait of former Chancellor E. Laurence Chalmers, Jr. and plaque commemorating University of Kansas alumni and students killed in Vietnam War.
1972 – $2000 to the Burn Center at KU Med Center and $50 for a tree to be planted in front of Wescoe Hall.
1971 – Funds for Watkins Hospital.
1970 – $3000 to Watkins Hospital for purchase of a Coulter Blood Counter.
1969 – Funds for equipment for Watkins Hospital.
1968 – Funds for construction of fountain court at Murphy Hall.
1967 –Alumni conference room in Memorial Union addition.
1966 – $4100 for mosaic Jayhawk covering south wall of indoor pool in Robinson Gymnasium.
1965 – Wood and bronze tablet in Watson Library commemorating KU “Distinguished Professorships.”
1964 – Eight 15-inch loudspeakers for football stadium.
1963 – Antique silver coffee service given to the Art Museum which supplemented the class fund.
1962 – Electrically lighted relief map of campus.
1961 – “The Avenger” sculpture by Seymour Lipton.
1960 – $2500 for two concrete dugouts and an electric scoreboard for Quigley Baseball Field south of Allen Fieldhouse.
1959 – Began the HOPE Award (Honors for Outstanding Progressive Educators) with $1700.
1958 – Funds for construction of steps between Hoch Auditorium and Haworth Hall.
1957 – $2000 to $2500 for erection of canopy over entrance to Memorial Union.
1956 – $2800 for statue of Jayhawk; designer Elden C. Tefft.
1955 – $2000 for construction of steps between Hoch Auditorium and Haworth Hall.
1954 – Landscaping in front of Malott Hall.
1953 – $1800 for balcony furniture for Memorial Union.
1952 – Flagpole and landscaping for Allen Fieldhouse.
1951 – Jayhawk Room in Memorial Union.
1950 – $4400 for information booth across from Bailey Hall.
1949 – $5000 to provide a scoreboard and a Hall of Fame for lobby of Allen Fieldhouse.
1948 – Steps for the campanile and front curtains for Fraser Theater.
1947 – $3000 to landscape quadrangle between Marvin and Lindley Halls. Gift more than tripled by University donation of labor for planting and upkeep.
1946 – Gateway to Memorial Drive.
1945 – $1200 worth of flowering crabapple trees; fund matched by University for maintenance of trees.
1944 – $1200 in war bonds to be used to build promenade by Potter Pond.
1943 – $2000 for dance pavilion near Potter Pond.
1942 – Defense bond purchased to mature in 1952 ($1054.50).
1941 – $1500 for completion of the Union.
1940 – $1800 – $2000 to furnish rooms at Alumni Place.
1939 – $2500 for 100 place settings of silver and china for use at official dinners (given in 1964) and Kansas Room of Memorial Union.
1938 – Old English Room in Memorial Union.
1937 – New stage for ballroom in Memorial Union; remainder of $1500 to a fund for construction of dioramas in Dyche Museum.
1936 – Pine Room in Memorial Union.
1935 – $1000 to Memorial Union building fund.
1934 – $1000 to loan scholarship.
1933 – Fund to complete ballroom in Memorial Union and $1100 to loan scholarship.
1932 – Ten $100 scholarships.
1931 – Bulletin boards and stone benches in front of Watson Library (built in 1938).
1930 – Service elevator in Memorial Union and 20-year endowment policy on president’s life for gift on 25th anniversary.
1929 – $1500 for sculpture of the late Chancellor Ernest H. Lindley (given in 1954). Sculptor was Bernard (Poco) Frazier. Piano for dance and banquet hall in Memorial Union and 20-year endowment policy on president’s life for gift on 25th anniversary.
1928 – $1147 for furniture for Memorial Union; $1000 for encased photographs of 130 University men and women who died in the World War I; $500 for tapestries for Memorial Union; $500 for trophy case; remainder of $3627.38 to be used for general class expenses and student loan fund.
1927 – $1103.93 for furniture and vines for Memorial Union.
1926 – $993 to loan scholarship.
1925 – $145 to start chime funds.
1924 – $1000 as a silver jubilee gift to University for the WW II Memorial carillon (“Bell of Classes”) and dedicatory tablet in Memorial Union.
1923 – Chime clock in Memorial Union.
1922 – No gift
1921 – $2500 for erection of proposed campanile and parkway and general fund for stadium.
1920 – Base for “Pioneer” statue.
1919 – Memorial tablet in Memorial Union building.
1918 – Seth Thomas clock in library and $11.65 to loan fund. UDK. 1918. Mr. 26, p. 1, Apr. 2
1917 – $107.35 to student loan fund.
1916 – $278.58 to student loan fund.
1915 – Bulletin board; $310 added in 1940 for use in campus beautification.
1914 – Stone bench on campus near Lippincott Hall.
1913 – $560 given in 1938 to start $25 annual gift for some deserving and needy senior.
1912 – $312.23 for student loan fund (given in 1937).
1911 – $500 for unrestricted scholarships for worthy students (given in 1936).
1910 – $13.25 to student loan fund ($202); $202 to Faculty Annuity Fund; $25 student prize essay on economics.  (All money given in 1935).
1909 – $400 scholarship loan fund preferably to sons and daughters of class of 1909 (given in 1934).
1908 – $400 for worthy and needy students (given in 1933).
1907 – No gift
1906 – No gift
1905 – $401 for Faculty Annuities Fund (given in 1930).
1904 – $578 for faculty research fund, found impractical in 1929.  Invested by Endowment Association; grew to $1041; to be used in purchasing Kansas historical collections in $500 to augment University salary budget. Also in 1929, started University library plan for all 25 year classes to bring back a gift to University.
1903 – Bird bath near Lippinocott Hall (given in 1913).
1902 – No gift
1901 – $70 to student loan fund and a bust of Emerson.
1900 – $15.91 to student loan fund and $125 to loan scholarship.
1899 – $33.40 to student loan fund; later a sun dial.
1898 – $133.10 to student loan fund.
1897 – $150 to student loan fund.
1896 – $100 to student loan fund.
1895 – $18.25 to student loan fund.
1894 – $342.30 to start University loan fund.
1893 – No gift
1892 – No gift
1891 – No gift
1890 – Rare books (several gifts); more books added in 1940, Giafferri Costume Books.
1889 – No gift
1888 – No gift
1887 – No gift
1886 – No gift
1885 – No gift
1884 – No gift
1883 – $4 to student loan fund (given in 1910).
1882 – No gift
1881 – Ephraim Miller Memorial Tablet (given in 1931).
1880 – No gift
1879 – No gift
1878 – No gift
1877 – Trees in Marvin Grove.
1876 – No gift
1875 – Engraving, “The Roman Forum” and $28 to student loan fund (given in 1910).
1874 – Engraving, “Vue de l’Ile de Philoe.”
1873 – Engraving, “The Temple of Karnak.”

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