Back in October, a package arrived at the Office of Alumni Relations. In it was a fashionable little gold and red cap stamped with the date 1929. It came with a note that read: “I came across my mother’s freshman beanie. It has a few nibbles in it. I thought you might like to have it.” Boy, would they! Over the past few years the gang in alumni relations has been trying to get their hands on little artifacts like this one to put on display in their office in Burton Morgan. The hope is that as alumni make their way back to campus, they’ll be inclined to drop in and sift through the memorabilia including other freshman beanies, yearbooks, old photos, a plate embossed with an image of Swasey, even a fraternity paddle. So, if you’re digging through your own attic someday soon and come across some Denison artifact that you’re willing to part with, the staff in Alumni Relations want you to know that they can give it a “forever home.” And if it’s something rare or in need of extra care, they’ll work with the college’s archivist to preserve it and store it in the archives so future Denisonians can see what life on campus was once like.
As for that beanie: It now has a spot on the shelves in the Alumni Relations office in case visitors ever want to drop in and try it on. You know, just to see what they might look like as 1920s co-eds.