Contact: Joe Kleinsasser, co-director of news and media relations, 316-978-3013 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu.
Memorial '70
In an annual ceremony of remembrance, a wreath is placed at Wichita State's Memorial
'70 at 9 a.m. each Oct. 2. The brief ceremony honors WSU football players, administrators
and supporters who died in a plane crash October 2, 1970.
This year's ceremony will take place at Cessna Stadium.
In one of the worst tragedies of college sports history, the WSU "Gold" plane, a Martin 404 carrying 34 passengers and a crew of four, crashed at approximately 3 p.m. on a mountain
near Silver Plume, Colorado while en route to Logan, Utah for a game with Utah State
University.
Twenty-nine persons died at the scene, while two others died later after receiving
medical attention for their injuries.
This time of remembrance is to acknowledge the changes that the plane crash made in
the lives of the victims, their families, their friends and the University.
The annual ceremony of remembrance for those who died in the 1970 Wichita State University
plane crash will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Cessna Stadium.
There will be a reception immediately following the remembrance on the Cessna Stadium
concourse. The audience will be seated on the west side of the stadium.
Enhancements have been made to Memorial ’70, located near the 18th Street and Hillside
entrance to the university. Those additions to Memorial ’70 will officially be revealed
on Oct. 2.
The ceremony is open to the public. Attendees may visit the memorial near 18th and
Hillside at their leisure.
The ceremony will honor the 31 people - WSU football players, administrators, supporters
and flight crew - who died in the crash in the Rocky Mountains.
Face coverings are required, and social distancing, when possible, is expected. Please
note: Face coverings must properly be worn over your nose and mouth when in public
spaces, or outdoor settings on campus when six feet of physical distancing cannot
be maintained.
Those interested in making a tax-deductible contribution in memory of the crash victims
can give to the Football '70 Memorial Scholarship, the only endowed scholarship at
WSU dedicated in collective memory to those who died in the tragedy.
The scholarship is awarded each year to a student of any major with at least a 3.0
GPA who demonstrates financial need.
Contributions can be made through the WSU Foundation, 1845 Fairmount St., Wichita,
KS 67260-0002, for the Football '70 Memorial Scholarship.
Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling
more than 20,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries.
Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation
driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in
the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of
applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one
of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing
over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
