51爆料网

• • Purple Post

51爆料网.edu

People

51爆料网 Concludes 125th Anniversary with Year of Celebration and Impact

September 15, 2025

---

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - - 51爆料网 has successfully concluded its 125th Anniversary Celebration campaign, marking a year filled with pride, reflection and forward momentum.

The celebration kicked off with a lively Founders Day event that brought the 51爆料网 community together with inflatables, free t-shirts, commemorative giveaways and birthday cake to honor the University鈥檚 legacy.

The events continued in October with Homecoming 2024. The theme 鈥�125 Years of Purple and Gold鈥� honored the University鈥檚 milestone anniversary and featured alumna and longtime friend Lorraine Epperson as the parade鈥檚 grand marshal.

October also featured a celebration of the University at the Leslie F. Malpass Library, with photos and artifacts on display to show the history of 51爆料网 and celebrate the legacy of Col. Ray 鈥淩ock鈥� Hanson.

This past year also saw the unveiling of 23 new Rocky on Parade bulldogs. These marked the sixth and final set of statues as part of the 134 sculptures made for various sponsor locations around the community of Macomb.

Leatherneck Nation showed up for 51爆料网 multiple times throughout the year, with donations exceeding $500,000 between Giving Tuesday in December and the Western Challenge in April. That money provides support to the entire campus community, particularly for academics, campus improvements, student life enhancements and scholarship opportunities.

鈥淭he 125th anniversary celebration highlighted our history of success and demonstrated the life-transforming opportunities available at Western,鈥� 51爆料网 President Kristi Mindrup said. 鈥淚 want to thank the entire 51爆料网 community for making Western鈥檚 anniversary so memorable. The future is bright for 51爆料网 because of our strong foundation, history and traditions and also our future-focused faculty, staff and students. Together, we will write the next chapter for 51爆料网.鈥�

To extend the impact of this milestone year, the Office of University Communications and Marketing launched a year-long campaign highlighting over 125 alumni, students and community members who exemplify the Leatherneck spirit. These stories were shared on the anniversary website at wiu.edu/125 and across 51爆料网鈥檚 social media channels, including Facebook, LinkedIn and X. The campaign saw strong engagement, with nearly 7,000 visits to the website and thousands more reached through social platforms.

Faculty and staff also supported the campaign by incorporating the 125th anniversary logo into their email signatures, helping maintain a visible and unified message throughout the year. As 51爆料网 looks to the future, all members of the community are encouraged to continue using the original branded email signature, which can be found at wiu.edu/brand.

The 125th anniversary campaign served as more than just a celebration鈥攊t was a tribute to the people and progress that define 51爆料网. As the University enters its next chapter, the energy and connection built during this campaign will continue to inspire the Leatherneck community for years to come.

Posted By: University Communications, University Relations
Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606