WKU News

The recently completed renovation to the Hilltop on Western Kentucky University’s campus was more than a renovation—it was a restoration. Completed this summer, the Hilltop Restoration Project makes the top of the Hill more accessible and provides unique outdoor space for the community to gather while also returning the top of the Hill to the original design envisioned by WKU’s first President, Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry, and founding architects.

A dedication was held today (September 5) for Garrett Plaza, the oval greenspace now at the heart of the academical village at the top of the Hill. Garrett Plaza is named in honor of Dr. Paul L. Garrett and his wife, Virginia Garrett.

Dr. Paul L. Garrett served as the second President of Western Kentucky State Teacher’s College, now Western Kentucky University, from 1937 to 1955. A native of Waddy, Ky., Dr. Garrett earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Georgetown College. He also completed graduate work at the University of Chicago and the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Garrett’s tenure covered a particularly challenging time for the University, from the Great Depression through World War II and into the post-war period. Dr. Garrett was successful in securing federal support for important campus needs. He also addressed the challenges presented by the enrollment surge after the end of the war. To accommodate the number of veterans arriving on campus during this time, he arranged for temporary campus housing—a conglomeration of small houses and trailers—that came to be known as Vet Village, and he initiated the construction of new residence halls, including McLean (1947), East (1955) and North (1955). 

“At WKU, everything we do centers around our students,” WKU President Timothy C. Caboni said at the event. “Dr. Garrett’s leadership was no exception, and his student-focused approach led him to oversee the construction of WKU’s first student center, which once stood on this very site and bore his name.”

Pete Garrett of Franklin, Tenn., who is the grandson of Dr. Paul and Virginia Garrett, spoke at the event on behalf of the family. Nine members of the family were present, including Pete Garrett’s cousin, Anne Nicolaou of Rancho Cordova, Calif.

“Standing here today brings back a lot of memories of my youth and also many thoughts of my grandparents and their legacy with WKU,” Garrett said. “I moved to Bowling Green in the eighth grade and attended College High. On occasion, I was allowed to have lunch at the Garrett Conference Center cafeteria next door. In doing so, I would always walk through the foyer on my way back to class so that I could see the bronze portrait of my grandfather. I had immense pride for this, but it was a silent pride that I did not know how to share with others.

“Unfortunately, Dr. Garrett passed away around the time that Anne and I were born,” Garrett added. “However, we were very fortunate to get to know our grandmother and her love for landscaping, flowers and birds.”

A passionate gardener and horticulture enthusiast, Virginia Garrett made significant contributions to campus beautification projects. President Kelly Thompson, the University’s third President, hired Virginia Garrett and others to landscape the campus in the 1950s. Under her guidance, more than 1,000 shrubs were planted on campus in the spring of 1955, and more than 100 trees were planted in the following years. She continued her work at the University until her death in 1961, and a campus street, Virginia Garrett Loop, was named in her honor.

At the Faculty and Staff Convocation on Aug. 12, President Caboni told those gathered that, “as guardians of this remarkable space, we take seriously our responsibility to not only maintain our picturesque campus but also to constantly rethink and reimagine its many spaces and places.”

The Hilltop Restoration Project was part of this effort to not only consider the needs of today but, perhaps more importantly, the needs of tomorrow, ensuring that all aspects of the University support students, faculty, staff and the broader community for generations to come. Restoring the top of the Hill to President Henry Hardin Cherry’s original vision of an oval academical village was an important part of an overall effort to make campus more accessible and provide open, green spaces.

“This plaza, located on the former site of the Garrett Conference Center, will now stand as the centerpiece of that academical village, and will be a place for students to gather, for faculty to teach and for members of the WKU family to celebrate,” President Caboni said.

“I want to share our sincere gratitude for honoring the Garrett name with this amazing plaza so both of their contributions to Western are remembered,” Garrett said. “As a gathering place for all, the Plaza combines my grandfather’s passion for students with my grandmother’s passion for nature and her pride for this campus. We are forever grateful for your continued commitment to our family’s legacy with Western Kentucky University.”

Contact: Jace Lux at (270) 745-4295.

-WKU-

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.