Take a trip down Wright State’s memory lane at Blast from the Past

Former Raider men's basketball coach Jim Brown will be one of the featured speakers at Wright State's Blast from the Past event.

Did you know that llamas once roamed where the Meijer near campus is today?

Can you believe that in 1964 the entire campus shared a single photocopier and only one person was authorized to run it?

Do you remember when “The Ukraine Train,” Vitaly Potapenko, played basketball for the Raiders?

To hear these stories and more from Wright State University’s early days, come to Blast from the Past on April 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Dunbar Library.

The event will feature some of Wright State’s first students, faculty and staff sharing their memories of the campus’ early days:

• Jim Brown, men’s basketball coach from 1970 to1997 who helped to develop the university’s basketball program
• Cathy Pearson, one of Wright State’s first students and cheerleaders
• Mary Jo Wiley, Wright State’s first classified employee (hired in 1962)
• Cynthia King, Ph.D., Classics professor hired in 1965
• William King Ph.D., Classics professor hired in 1964

Bill Rickert, Ph.D., recently retired associate provost and professor emeritus of communication, will moderate the discussion.

Come early to an open house in the Special Collections and Archives from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to learn about the Wright State Retirees Association oral history project and other memorabilia from campus history.

Blast from the Past is presented by the Friends of the Libraries, a nonprofit group supporting the University Libraries. It is free and open to the public. Parking is free and light refreshments will be provided.

Register at http://libraries.wright.edu/calendar/events.php or by calling (937) 775-2380.