Spotlight
Golden Book Project
Since 1961, the Golden Book has resided in the Memorial Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, located just outside Alumni Hall. It records the names of veterans connected to IU as far back as the War of 1812, who served in the Black Hawk War, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Mexican Border Expedition and two world wars. The oldest name in the book is David Henry Maxwell, one of IU’s original trustees when the university was founded in 1820 and namesake of Maxwell Hall.
The book also records the names of donors whose funds were used to construct three of IU’s buildings: the old Memorial Stadium, the Indiana Memorial Union and Memorial Hall in the Agnes E. Wells Quadrangle, all of which bear the word “memorial” in their names to ensure the sacrifices of veterans are remembered.
A joint digitization project, made possible through a generous grant from the IU Parents Fund, will allow visitors to browse the hundreds of names in the book through an electronic display on a 46-inch screen. “It’s a way to show our current veterans that IU has a longstanding tradition of honoring military service,” said Margaret Baechtold, director of Veterans Support Services at IU Bloomington. ”And that there’s still acknowledgment, that we value their commitment to serving their country.”
Special thanks to the IU Digital Library program, Indiana Memorial Union and University Information Technology Services for their collaboration on the project.
