Our history in stars

On April 30, 1926, thousands of community members and students, faculty and staff gathered for the solemn laying of the cornerstone at the Kansas Union, a tribute to the 129 students and alumni who perished in World War I. More than 93 years later, KU once again honored those fallen Jayhawks in a rededication ceremony on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

A highlight was the unveiling of the reconstructed arch at the Union’s Jayhawk Boulevard entrance featuring 129 inscribed stars for those who died. Later, at 11 p.m., a new nightly feature illuminated the stars. A longstanding roster of those who lost their lives in the Great War still stands in the Traditions Tower loft on the Union’s sixth floor.