WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains want to capture history in the making, and they are asking area residents to help.

They are collecting items for a time capsule that will be part of the 50th anniversary celebration Sept. 16 at the Smith-London Centennial Bell Tower on Franklin Street just west of the Lybyer Technology Center.

Area residents are being asked to drop off items such as 2013 coins, current photos, yearbooks, movie DVDs and VHSs, music CDs, etc., at Kellett Hall, 905 W. Main St., by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9.  Photos or documents submitted should be placed on acid-free paper, officials said.  The capsule will be locked and securely displayed at a location on campus to be determined, officials said.

“Missouri State-West Plains has come a long way since its beginning 50 years ago,” said Director of Development Joe Kammerer.  “Tradition and history are a major part of our culture on campus and in the community.  In celebration of our 50th anniversary, we want the community to help us capture 2013 so that at our centennial celebrations, the future Grizzlies and community members will better understand our history and traditions.”

Officials said items that are dropped off will be reviewed by members of the anniversary’s executive committee, and those considered most appropriate will be included in the capsule.  The number of items included will be determined by space.  Items not included will be returned to the owner, officials said.

Missouri State-West Plains opened Sept. 16, 1963, as the West Plains Residence Center at the West Plains High School campus.  A total of 111 students enrolled for classes during that first semester.

Since then, the university has grown into a multi-building campus in the heart of West Plains with an average enrollment of 2,200 students.  It currently offers 15 associate degrees, seven certificate programs and a variety of other credit and non-credit courses as needed by the communities it serves in south-central Missouri and north-central Arkansas.  It also serves as a delivery site for a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs offered by Missouri State University-Springfield’s Outreach Program.

As a teaching and learning institution, Missouri State-West Plains provides quality post-secondary educational opportunities to a primary service area that includes Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties, and beyond.  In recent years, the campus has earned recognition as one of the top two-year schools in the nation by the Aspen Institute and been named a “military friendly school” by Victory Media, the premiere media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life.

For more information about the time capsule or the 50th anniversary celebration on Sept. 16, call 417-255-7240.  To learn more about the history of Missouri State-West Plains, visit, wp.missouristate.edu/About/History.htm.