Veterinary Medical Alumni Association
Introductory letter from Dr. Howard Erickson
October 25, 2012
Dear VMAA Members:
This letter brings greetings from the Executive Board of the Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Alumni Association. Our association continues to grow and today represents over 4901 living alumni. At the end of fiscal year 2012 we have new Lifetime members and have seen an increase in annual dues participation. The balance in our VMAA Endowment to support alumni activities is now more than $327,000.
The Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine marked a major milestone in 2005 when we began to celebrate our centennial during the 67th Annual Conference for Veterinarians. We continued to celebrate our centennial through 2007 which marked 100 years since the first class graduated.
Our College is the sixth oldest college of veterinary medicine in the United States. Veterinary medicine at Kansas State Agricultural College (KSAC) can be traced back to January 25, 1871 when Joseph Bushman, a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College in London and a veterinarian during the Civil War, was a lecturer at the 5th Agricultural Institute at KSAC. The four-year degree was not established until 1905, 34 years later. In 1907, a class of seven students became the first to graduate in veterinary medicine. The class of 2013, that entered this fall, consists of 112 students that were selected from 1290 applicants.
When you return to the campus, check out the new Centennial Plaza and Whispering Garden between Trotter and Mosier Halls. The Centennial Plaza is a special place where alumni, students, faculty, and friends of the College of Veterinary Medicine and their families can be honored with personalized granite plaques and bricks. The Whispering Garden is a place where we can recognize our special pets.
We invite you to visit our web site at http://www.vet.k-state.edu. Here you can read about alumni activities and awards, continuing education, news and events, our teaching hospital, the centennial celebrations, view a Walk Through The Decades DVD and Virtual Tour of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
We certainly appreciate your support of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Sincerely,
Howard H. Erickson, DVM, PhD
Secretary-Treasurer
VMAA Executive Board