Limited edition OBU Christmas ornament features the Tiger and anniversary logo
October 12, 2011 - Trennis Henderson
It’s beginning to look a little like Christmas at Ouachita Baptist University – at
least in the campus bookstore.
As part of Ouachita’s 125th anniversary celebration, the university’s anniversary steering committee recently
unveiled a limited edition anniversary Christmas ornament. The custom-designed ornament,
which features the Ouachita Tiger statue and the 125th anniversary logo, is available in the OBU Bookstore and at campus events throughout the fall semester.
“The 125th Steering Committee decided to take a Ouachita icon, the Tiger, and blend it with our distinctive 125th logo to form a Christmas ornament that would be meaningful to Ouachita graduates and friends,” explained steering committee chairman Ian Cosh. “It serves to commemorate for years to come this important milestone in our institutional history.
“The Tiger and 125th logo represent both the experiential and the educational realties of Ouachita,” added
Cosh, OBU’s vice president for community and international engagement. “Our graduates
often talk about the value of the Ouachita experience as well as the value of the
educational experience, so our hope is that the ornament will remind us of those two
important aspects of Ouachita.”
The keepsake ornament was officially unveiled during a 125th anniversary reception held in conjunction with Ouachita’s recent Homecoming activities.
In addition to the bookstore, the ornament will be available for purchase at Ouachita’s
125th anniversary Community Celebration on Oct. 19 and at the annual Festival of Christmas
production Dec. 2-3.
Ouachita’s Tiger statue, carved by student B.F. Worley in lieu of tuition payments
during the Great Depression, was presented to Ouachita during the 1934-35 academic
year. Standing vigil over campus for more than 75 years, the statue received a much-needed
restoration in 2010.
The 125th anniversary logo was designed by Ouachita alumnus René Zimny, assistant director
of the Grant Center for International Education. The logo features the traditional
torch and flame design from the university seal as well as a prominent, stylized “125”
that highlights OBU’s anniversary milestone.
In addition to the limited edition ornament, other 125th anniversary memorabilia include a commemorative coffee table book, “Ouachita Voices:
Celebrating 125 Years of Academic & Christian Excellence,” and a campus watercolor
print by renowned artist Benjamin Knox. The Clark County Historical Association’s
fifth annual Christmas ornament also features a Ouachita landmark, Cone-Bottoms Hall,
which was constructed in 1923.
Ouachita Baptist University, a private Christian liberal arts university in Arkadelphia,
is ranked among “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report and among “America’s Top Colleges” by Forbes magazine. Serving since 1886 as a Christ-centered learning community, Ouachita has
a current enrollment of 1,594 students from more than 30 states and 40 nations.
For more information about Ouachita’s 125th anniversary celebration, visit www.obu.edu/125.
By Trennis Henderson, OBU vice president for communications
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