Alumni Legacy license plate program passes a milestone

Ken Bateman, former director of Alumni Relations, shows the proposed PSU Alumni Legacy license plate at the launch of the program, right.


With the sale of the 1,000th plate this week, the popular Pittsburg State University Alumni Legacy license plate program passed another milestone. Mindy Cloninger, director of Alunmi Relations, said the license plates have rapidly become one of the most popular programs the Alumni Association offers.

The plates, which feature the distinctive split-face Gorilla logo in crimson and gold, were an instant hit from the very beginning. The state of Kansas made affinity license plates tied to the six state universities an option for motorists in 1999. To begin the program, however, each university had to sign up a minimum of 500 persons willing to purchase the plates.

Cloninger said that the Alumni Association was cautioned to expect it to take a year or more to get the needed signatures. At least that had been the experience at other universities. It took Pitt State just two months.

Cloninger said she believes one of the reasons the license plates have been adopted so quickly is the love that Pitt State alumni have for the Gorilla logo.

"It just pops off the plate," Cloninger said. "When people see that plate going down the road, they want one."

Company purchases of the plate have helped, as well. Cloninger noted that Crossland Construction Co. of Columbus has purchased 100 plates for their company vehicles. The Bath Naylor Funeral Home in Pittsburg has also purchased multiple plates for their cars.

In addition to displaying Gorilla pride, the Legacy license plates also generate a significant amount of money for the Alumni Association's Legacy Scholarships. Of the $30 cost of each license plate, $25 goes directly into a fund that provides $250 scholarships for the children of PSU alumni who are attending Pittsburg State. Cloninger said last year, the fund generated more than $38,000 for scholarships. This fall, that total is $32,750 for 131 students.

Cloninger noted that as the Legacy License plate program continues to grow, it also promotes the university throughout Kansas and beyond.

"More and more people recognize the logo instantly," Cloninger said. "They don’t even have to see the words 'Pittsburg State University' to know what it represents. It's just a great testament to the pride and loyalty that PSU alumni have when it comes to their alma mater."

For information, visity the PSU Alumni Relations Web site at www.pittstate.edu/alum.

---Pitt State---