Nearly 2,000 people gathered at Memorial Stadium on Friday to mark 150 years of the K-State Alumni Association.
The event included free food, beer and margaritas and inflatables. It also featured performances from the K-State Marching Band, cheerleaders, Willie the Wildcat and In-A-Cord a cappella group.
Officials estimated about 1,800 people attended.
K-State President Richard Linton started the ceremony by acknowledging the university69传媒檚 recent increase in enrollment. He said K-State has 20,000 for the first time in eight years and added that the university is also improving its research capabilities along with collaborations with state and national entities.
69传媒淎 big effort this year that we69传媒檙e really, really proud of is the work that we69传媒檝e done with state and federal relations,69传媒 Linton said. 69传媒淭his year alone, we amounted more than 10 years with $137.5 million in support for programs and people at this university.69传媒
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, was also in attendance to invite K-State fans to Dublin next season for the Aer Lingus college football classic against Iowa State on Aug. 23.
K-State men69传媒檚 basketball coach Jerome Tang joined the main stage and said that the community has created an environment for success.
69传媒淚69传媒檝e got a great group of young men, and they69传媒檙e here because of you,69传媒 Tang said. 69传媒淓very one of them picked K State because they love this community and the family environment that they feel, and they love what y69传媒檃ll do in the Octagon of Doom every every game night.69传媒
K-State women69传媒檚 coach Jeff Mittie echoed that statement.
69传媒淥ut of all the years I69传媒檝e been here, we69传媒檝e got as much momentum now as I69传媒檝e ever seen,69传媒 he said. 69传媒淲e69传媒檝e got it on campus, athletics, over the place. You can feel it with our student body, so you can feel it with the alumni.69传媒
The Alumni Association began June 24, 1874, when K-State was still Kansas State Agricultural College.
