Memorabilia on loan from the Walter Cronkite family will be temporarily displayed during the public meeting of the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors on Thursday, Oct. 23. The memorabilia will be displayed from 1 to 3 p.m. in the hallway outside Blum Union room 220, where the board meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. The one-time display is free and open to the public. Also on Thursday, there will be a free public performance of “Cronkite,” a live multimedia presentation, at 6 p.m. in the Kemper Recital Hall, inside Spratt Hall.
Eric Fuson, artist in residence, had no idea what treasures awaited when he traveled in September to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., to meet with Kate Cronkite, the daughter of Walter and Betsy, who had been sorting through a family storage unit.
Kate had contacted Missouri Western with an offer to loan memorabilia to the Walter Cronkite Memorial inside Spratt Hall. When he arrived, Kate asked Fuson what kinds of items the university might be interested in. He replied the university would welcome things related to her father’s career, but also would love to have personal items that reflected his private life and interests.
When Fuson returned to St. Joseph a couple of days later, he brought along a selection that included cartoons and caricatures featuring Walter Cronkite and signed by the artists, several awards and honors (including a trophy from a rooster calling contest in Omaha, Neb., in 1960), a medallion presented to Cronkite by Dwight D. Eisenhower on the 20th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, signed photographs from astronauts and politicians, and many more items.
One of the most unique parts of the collection: a selection of belts worn by Cronkite.
“It sounds strange, but they actually say a lot about Mr. Cronkite, especially his love of sailing,” Fuson said. “One is decorated with the flag of his yacht and semaphore flags. Another has a belt buckle from a sailing race to the Bahamas. You can tell these items were used and appreciated by the man, and it’s pretty cool to be able to see and touch them yourself.”
Fuson said it’s been gratifying to work with the family on a project that has meaning to him and to them, and additional items may be loaned to the Memorial in the future.
Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joseph on Nov. 4, 1916. The Walter Cronkite Memorial, in the atrium of Spratt Hall on the Missouri Western campus, was dedicated last year on what would have been his 97th birthday. The 5,000 square-foot display features images and videos of Cronkite’s life and the many historic events he covered as a journalist. The Walter Cronkite Memorial is open daily except Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter, and admission is always free. Learn more at www.waltercronkitememorial.org.
The memorial is complemented by a live, multi-media performance called “Cronkite,” based on a 2002 appearance by the former CBS anchorman on CNN’s “Larry King Live” one year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Public performances of “Cronkite” are currently scheduled at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 and 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Admission is free, but reservations are requested by calling 816-271-4100. Learn more at www.cronkitelive.com.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.