According to Larry Massie’s book, Brown and Golden Memories: Western Michigan University’s First Century, “In 1916, Waldo had hired a recent Kalamazoo College graduate, Ralph Ralston, to edit the the new student newspaper, The Western Normal Herald, and perform general publicity work. Waldo gave his young editor a lesson in fund raising to pay for publication of the first issue. He telephoned various merchants and businessmen, told them about the project and then said, ‘I’ve got you down for a space for advertising and it will cost you so much week, is that all right?”
While much has changed in the last 100 years, the Western Herald continues to serve its original purpose of informing and entertaining the campus community—namely, students. In fact, the paper is the oldest student organization on WMU’s campus, and is completely staffed by students.
In addition to a once per week printed publication, the Herald is also available online at westernherald.com.
In 2012, WMU students formed the Student Media Group, which is funded by the Student Assessment fee. Not unlike Ralston’s work in 1916, the paper continues to include advertising space for local merchants and services.
Leading up the Western Herald’s 100th Anniversary, MyWMU is seeking stories and memories from past staff members—and readers! Did you write for the Herald? Tell us about your stories and we'll find them and post them. Do you remember reading about a major event in Herald? Whatever your memory, we want to hear it.
In addition to sharing memories, MyWMU.com and the Western Herald will regularly post flashback stories starting from 1916 leading up to more current issues. We’ll also share special features about the Herald, and how it has covered major events over the last 100 years.
If you have a memory of the Herald you would like to share in celebration of its centennial milestone, please email storyteller@mywmu.com with "Herald 100 Memories" in the subject line.
From the 1917 Brown and Gold Yearbook
The past year has seen the introduction into the school of a weekly paper which fills a need long felt in this institution. Ralph M. Ralston, a graduate of Kalamazoo College, ’16, was chosen editor. Ms. Lavina Spindler and Dr. William McCracken were appointed to serve as a board of advisors.
The publication is representative of the usual type of college weekly. Containing accounts of all events of interest, or things relative to the school. Students are ofttimes humorously reminded of some innocent slip of the tongue by the editor who is ever on the trail of the unsuspecting ones.
All student activities have been stimulated and greater interest in athletics has been shown since the advent of the Herald. We are kept in contact with the Alumni and learn of the progress they have made since leaving Western. We are also always gently reminded of our faults and shortcomings and receive good advice as to overcoming them in an editorial or “preachment” as it is called by the students.
The image above was taken from the 1968 Brown and Gold Yearbook, captioned, “Keeping informed on current events and double checking is an important aspect of newspaper work. Then too it’s fun to read the finished publication and see exactly how your article looks in print.”
View digitized versions of the Brown and Gold Yearbooks here.