“Key” to our past…
About a month ago, I bought a couple of Key yearbooks off of Ebay. They were from 1924 and 1938. I had no reason for picking up those two years, but ’24 was the oldest one I’d ever seen available, and the seller also had ’38, so I bought them both and saved on the shipping and handling. 
Title Page
I started in on the 1924 book. It was in a little bit worse shape, so I had to approach it gingerly, turning pages carefully, so as not to pull them free from the binding. I started at the front and just worked my way through.
One thing I found strange was the section of “Graduating Sophomores.” I believe the normal college was a 2 year teaching school at the time though, so it made sense once I thought about it.
The first gem I stumbled across was one of those Graduating Sophomores. The name jumped off the page at me, “Melva Gibson.” No way… Melva Gibson was my maternal grandmother’s sister… my great-aunt!!
How cool?!?!
Melva Gibson
Next on the list of really cool finds was a page detailing the first marching band!! As a former member of the FMB, it was so cool to read the little blurb and look at the picture and see those first marchers and their director/drum major. Awesome! (click to view the large image and check out all their hats/beanies!!!)
The Normal College at Bowling Green's first band
There are more gems, and I’ll share them in the weeks and months to come, but maybe my favorite find was a page that fell out. Definitely one of my favorite BGSU picture ever. I’m getting a frame made for it. I just love this…
University Hall 1924
Grant, that’s an amazing find! I have looked through the past issues of The Key in Jerome Library and I believe I have looked through the 1924 issue. The picture of University Hall with the flag in front is what I believe that space should look like today. The road could be laid out as a sidewalk and the flag is a must. It could be incorporated into the area with the seal. Anything would be better than the big vagina rock that is up. You may want to get a hold of Larry Weiss and see if the photo could be reproduced as a print for the 100th anniversary celebration. I would buy something like that in a heartbeat!
So only the boys could play in the band…..
The picture of University hall is just awesome. I agree that it would be great to have it for the 100th.
And how unbelievable to find your own relative in there? Treasures come in unexpected places!
Set me down for another copy of that for the 100th.. I smell a fundraiser!
Grant, absolutely fantastic find, and thanks so much for sharing! If I could go back in time, one thing that I would try to do would be to keep that road between Williams and McFall in place. I have seen so many pictures of it over the years, and it just seems as though it ‘fits’ that part of campus perfectly.