Courtesy of the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, Purdue University Libraries
11. Apollo 11 Flight Suit
This Apollo 11 flight suit worn by Neil Armstrong (AAE’55, HDR E’70) is part of the Neil A. Armstrong papers, donated to the Purdue Archives over a number of years by Armstrong and his wife, Carol. The blue cloth training suit was common to Apollo and shuttle-era astronauts.
Follow in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong in front of Armstrong Hall of Engineering.
Courtesy of the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, Purdue University Libraries
12. Armstrong’s Slide Rule
Does this look familiar? If so, you might’ve attended Purdue before calculators made slide rules obsolete in the 1970s. James Alleman, professor of civil engineering, spent nearly 20 years collecting slide rules that had belonged to famous alumni, including six Purdue astronauts: Neil Armstrong (AAE’55, HDR E’70), Roy Bridges (MS AAE’66, HDR AAE’01), Eugene Cernan (ECE’56, HDR E’70), Richard Covey (MS AAE’69), Guy Gardner (MS AAE’70), and Jerry Ross (ME’70, MS ME’72, HDR’00).
Purdue Archives presents “Apollo in the Archives: Selections from the Neil A. Armstrong papers” through August 16, 2019.
13. Ash Chart
Selected artifacts salvaged from the 1924 power plant are now on display in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center, opened in 2017. An old ash cart used to haul cinders from the boilers and soot from the iconic smokestack pay tribute to the site’s history.
See the ash cart and other relics from the power plant at Wilmeth Active Learning Center.
14. Auto Club Plate
Everyone who had a hot car in the 1950s wanted to be part of an auto club. Clubs would design and manufacture their own distinctive plates and prominently display them on the car to announce their affiliation. The Purdue Auto Club was organized in 1951 to provide a place for club members to work on their cars and to promote “an awareness of safety on streets and roads.” Unlike some auto clubs that had a reputation as a bunch of hooligan hot-rodders who held illegal drag races, the Purdue Auto Club held an annual auto show to showcase members’ vehicles in the Armory, sports car rallies, and “carefully supervised” drag races on rural roads. The Purdue Auto Club provided the support that launched the initial running of what would become the Purdue Grand Prix. The Greatest Spectacle in College Racing can be traced back to men and women of the Purdue Auto Club who proudly displayed these kinds of plates on their automobiles.
15. BGR Beacon
Each August, Purdue welcomes incoming freshmen for Boiler Gold Rush. With a record-setting 8,357 freshmen in 2018, student leaders have their work cut out for them making sure that new students don’t get lost. BGR leaders craft personalized beacons reflecting everything from pop culture to campus landmarks to carry throughout the week to help participants stay with their group.
16. Big Bertha
Brought out for the annual Homecoming game, Big Bertha is an enormous sousaphone that weighs in at well over 50 pounds. Because it’s so cumbersome, it’s at the player’s discretion whether to stand for each song. Leading up to Homecoming, each senior in the tuba section is given a chance to march with Big Bertha during one rehearsal. The largest member of the section has the honor of marching with her for the game. Big Bertha’s been around since the 1940s and is stored in a steamer trunk dubbed the coffin.
Watch the “All-American” Marching Band practice on Hull Field.
17. Binnie Bell
A bell on the 14th fairway of Ackerman-Allen Golf Course memorializes Carl A. Binnie, professor of audiology. Mounted on a brick pedestal at a blind spot in the fairway, the 18-inch Binnie Bell is rung by golfers when it’s clear for the players behind them to play. A plaque describes Binnie as “teacher, scholar, gentleman, and lover of golf.”
Ring the Binnie Bell on Ackerman-Allen Golf Course.
18. The Boilermaker
This painting by Derek Fordjour hangs in the Black Cultural Center and pays tribute to Purdue’s black students, faculty, and staff — in particular in relation to the campus protest of 1968. The painting depicts a boilermaker and his hammer, but in lieu of tools, he carries a brick in his tool belt, representing the protest. The mortar on the brick represents Purdue and its decision to build up the University and make it more inclusive. The boilermaker’s hand is reaching out to symbolize the efforts of the University’s black alumni, faculty, and staff who are committed to encouraging students to attend Purdue.
See the Boilermaker painting at the Black Cultural Center.
Courtesy of the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, Purdue University Libraries
19. Brick Mold
Constructed of metal with a wood tray, bricklayer Phillip Miller manufactured this brick mold under the instructions of John Purdue. The mold was used as a template to shape bricks used in the first two buildings on campus — Purdue Hall, a dormitory for men, and the Science Building, later known as the Pharmacy Building.
20. Broken Oar
The Purdue Crew student athletic club was established in 1949. Many students who participate in crew have never rowed before joining. This 43 inches of broken oar is displayed in the Levee Boathouse alongside a bevy of trophies. Larry Long (LA’64) recalls an early season practice on March 5, 1983 — “The Wabash at about 20 feet over flood stage, about a mile across including corn fields.” Long encountered resistance with his stroke when the oar snapped. Much to his dismay, a very large pig popped up behind the coxswain. Long’s CliffNotes version: “300 lb. pig loses battle with #4 oar on heavyweight 8 at 20-foot flood stage.”