University History: Victory Star

There are three locations on campus attached to the story of the Victory Star.

The tradition began as a Christmas ornament added to the campus water tower in the 1930s.  While 1936 was the earliest date that could be proven, recent digitization of the College Star newspaper led to the discovery of two mentions in 1933 -  including one that hints that this tradition goes back further.  Want to tell the story of the early years of what became known as the "Victory Star?"  Use the location on the Quad where the old water tower stood.

Once the water tower was removed in the 1960s, the star was mounted on top of Jackson Hall.  When lit at night, it was easily seen from I-35.  Want to tell a story about Jackson Hall?  The "Victory Star" was part of its history for approximately 50 years.

Recent news articles explain why the star  moved to Strahan (pronounced like the word "Strand" with out the "d")  Arena at the University Events Center.  If you want to tell the story of the new star, you can can attach it to the Strahan location.