Sept. 8, 2021–Missouri Western State University will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in several ways, including a public gathering under the Glenn E. Marion Memorial Clock Tower on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 11. 

“Twenty years ago, our world was changed by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president. “This is a time to remember the lives of those we lost that day and reflect on the courage of the first responders who put themselves in harm’s way to save as many as they could.”

Missouri Western’s 9/11 commemorations include:

  • On Thursday, more than 100 small American flags will be placed near campus entrances, the Clocktower, and Spratt Stadium. These will remain on display through the weekend.
  • Thursday evening’s home opening football game against Fort Hays State is Military Appreciation Night. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., but plan to be in your seats early as the pregame ceremony will include a flyover from the 139th Airlift Wing and a moment of silence to honor the victims of 9/11. 
  • On Patriot Day, Saturday, Sept. 11, flags will fly at half-staff. 
  • Also on Saturday, the Marion Clock Tower will ring at 7:46 a.m., 8:03 a.m., 8:37 a.m. and 9:03 a.m., corresponding to the times that the hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, respectively. Anyone who would like to participate in a time of quiet remembrance during the first tolling of the bells is invited to begin gathering at 7:30 a.m. 

Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 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 missouriwestern.edu.