October 27, 2005

Group aims to educate students about John Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue University student alumni group hopes to give students a sweet incentive to learn more about the man the university is named after.

The Purdue Alumni Association Student Ambassadors (PAASA) will celebrate John Purdue's birthday Monday (Oct. 31) by handing out cupcakes and informational cards on the life and legacy of the principal benefactor of Purdue.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., members of the group will travel around campus in the alumni association's Pridemobile, a nine-passenger bright yellow golf cart, making stops at several locations around campus, such as the Class of 1950 Lecture Hall and the Engineering Mall.

Dan Rhodes, assistant director of membership and marketing for the alumni association, said one of the missions of the student ambassadors is to teach students about Purdue pride and traditions, and learning about John Purdue is a good place to start.

"John Purdue is the reason the university is in West Lafayette today," he said. "The Morrill Act helped establish land-grant universities, but John Purdue gave the rest of the money that was needed for Purdue to get started. Students should learn more about the man behind this great university."

John Purdue was born Oct. 31, 1802, near Shirleysburg, Pa., and was a Lafayette business and financial leader. He helped search for a location for the university and helped to make the first purchase of lands. He died Sept. 12, 1876, in Lafayette, which was the first day classes were held at Purdue. He requested that he be buried on campus, and his grave is located on Memorial Mall just east of University Hall.

Members of the Purdue Alumni Association Student Ambassadors serve as the governing body of the Purdue Alumni Student Experience (PASE). PASE was established in 2004 to involve students in Purdue Alumni Association activities early with the hopes of creating a lifelong loyalty to the organization and the university. Any student currently enrolled at Purdue is eligible to be a member of PASE.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Source: Dan Rhodes, (765) 494-8038, darhodes@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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