Fall 2022 video 

When asked to describe what the Manhattan area might look like, it can be assumed that strangers to the "Little Apple" with images of Dorothy and Toto dancing in their heads would never conger up descriptors such as scenic hills, tree lined streets, flowing rivers, and large lakes. But wait, there's more! A "mountain" high enough to adorn large white concrete "KS" letters to look over a valley is also part of the landscape, letters that proclaim, "'Hollywood,' California ain't got nothin' on Manhattanville!" 

So how did a monogram gain the tradition of standing watch over a college town? You have to go back over a century to find a trace of such an idea when in 1908 a battle ensued over the side of Bluemont Hill (east of campus and north of downtown) between those supporting the placement of the letters KSC and others who insisted that an A for agriculture had to be included. Therefore, shortly after KSC first appeared on Bluemont Hill, objectors replaced the S with an A, making it KAC. The nocturnal switcheroo of letters by their supporters even included a KSAC version on the slope. However, the stone changers soon abandoned their causes leaving the opportunity for Prospect Hill across the Kansas River on the other side of town to become the permanent home for K-State's initials a few years later. Bluemont Hill did not go neglected; it became the home for "MANHATTAN" in 1927.

In 1915 plans were developed by engineering students on campus to construct a K on the side of Prospect Hill (the current site of the letters KS) but the project never got off the ground (pun intended!). The K-­Hill that is familiar to Manhattanites and K­-Staters today became a reality in 1921 when groups of engineering students met several times starting in April to prepare a formal plan for constructing a giant K on the hill. Engineering students were dismissed from classes, freshmen and juniors in the morning and sophomores and seniors in the afternoon to work on the K. The proceedings began in Aggieville where a brass band led a parade of engineering students and others to the top of Prospect Hill. Horse drawn wagons loaded with sand and water were taken there to make the concrete, and rocks had to be gathered and crushed. The letter, costing approximately $350, measured 80 by 60 feet and included a bronze star in the center to honor K­-State students who sacrificed their lives in World War I. The location became known as K­-Hill (today it is also referred to as KS Hill). 

Not content with a solitary K, engineering students under the leadership of Sigma Tau honorary society raised $500 in 1930 to finance the construction of an S. It took one day of hard labor to clear and level the land next to the K and on May 10 students were dismissed from class to finish the letter. When rain halted work around noon, one account reported that students adjourned downtown to the Manhattan Community Building where they were served barbeque sandwiches. With the stoppage of rain, they returned and completed the S that evening. With an U.S. Army spotlight on the letters, the honorary society presented the S to the city and college.

Unstable ownership of the land proved worrisome to the engineering students and college because a long-term agreement with landowners was necessary. Sigma Tau attempted to purchase the land on which the letters resided, but the cost was prohibitive. In the spring of 1947, it was able to obtain the 220-foot-wide strip of land that included the letters plus room for a third initial along with easement rights to the property. In exchange, fraternity members agreed to survey and subdivide the property for the landowners, A.F. and Anna E. Woodman. Sigma Tau was able to receive a deed to the property; however, the honorary fraternity could not legally retain ownership. At a college assembly on October 16, 1947, the deed was presented to the college by professor L.V. White, adviser to Sigma Tau. President Milton Eisenhower accepted it for K-­State.

Many people may wonder why not a letter U on the hill side? Feasibility studies revealed that a large gully existed where the U would reside making the cost for filling in and stabilizing the land substantial. In 2003 it was estimated that the price for groundwork alone would be at least $200,000 

While lovely to look at from campus and Manhattan, events atop the hill have not always been heavenly. In 1987 a pickup truck was set afire and pushed down the hillside; a driver was injured when her car accidentally tumbled down the hill in 1999; also that year, four people were injured when a car driven by a 14-year-old plunged down the slope; and the next year a man was reportedly stabbed by four men who attacked him during the night. In addition, it was not uncommon for Jayhawk fans to redecorate a letter or two with red or blue paint! 

Visitors to the vista have not always been litter free and everything from beer bottles to sofas has found their way over the edge. Although the members of the engineering honorary society Tau Beta Pi (which replaced Sigma Tau in 1973) have routinely sponsored the maintenance of the letters, the hillside down to McDowell Creek Road at the bottom is owned by the university. Nonetheless, on at least one occasion since 2000, students with assistance from Riley County work crews have cleared the area of debris. 

Given the events chronicled above, it is understandable why a locked gate was put at the bottom of the gravel road that leads over privately owned land to the top of the hill. Apparently, vandalism to a cellular phone tower near the letters was the deciding factor in closing access to vehicles. From the lack of reported incidents on the hill it is apparent that trouble declined once cars were banned around 2000. 

K­-Hill was accused of displaying another type of litter in 1985 when an assistant professor of environmental design at K-State wrote a letter to the editor of the Collegian calling the KS letters "graffiti on the countryside landscape" which indicated "disrespect for the land" by the honorary society. The professor went on to ask for the removal of the K and S. The letter did not go unanswered. A senior in construction science took the professor to task in a response published in the newspaper. 

An impressive constant since 1921 has been the commitment of the members of Sigma Tau, Tau Beta Pi, and engineering students to maintain and paint the letters. From afar, it may seem like an easy task for students to whitewash the letters and keep the area free from vegetation. As the images included here illustrate, considerable risk is involved as the slope of the hill is nearly vertical. As one can see, the ropes tethered to students are not there for show! 

For those who appreciate what the letters add to the atmosphere and tradition of Manhattan and K-­State, and others who take the initials for granted, the thousands of students who have been responsible for their construction and upkeep since 1921 are owed a debt of gratitude for the letters that have maintained their vigil over the community and campus for almost 90 years! Like football season, fall brings the long-standing ritual of cleaning and whitewashing the letters by engineering students and thereby providing an alternative meaning to the yell, "Go K­-State!" 

Tony Crawford, University Archivist Sources: University Archives Vertical File ­Subject: K­-Hill: contains newspaper and periodical articles from the Kansas Industrialist, Kansas State Collegian, K­-Stater, Kansas State Engineer, Student's Herald, and Manhattan Mercury. Photographs: University Archives ­Subjects­ K-Hill; recent scenic views courtesy the author; views of students on K-­Hill in 2009 courtesy Tau Beta Pi, College of Engineering. 

Article is a reprint of Carol Knorr's 1989 'HISTORY, TRADITION SURROUND LOCAL LANDMARKS' 

Manhattan firefighter Heath Major begins a slow descent down the steep rocky terrain on the front of K-Hill, overlooking K-18. A quarter-inch thick rope and a harness help to keep him from stumbling and sliding more than 100 feet down the cliff.

With a medical bag strapped to his back and a cable in one hand, Major secures a precarious looking Ford Astrovan stuck about a third of the way down the peak. An unconscious man is lying about 15 feet from the wreck and a young boy is bleeding from the forehead and stuck inside the van.

"Don't worry buddy, we're going to get you out," Major shouts to the boy before relaying the situation to the rescue crew above. "The victim outside the vehicle  is more critical. We need to get him up before the one in the van."

"Alright," Manhattan Assistant Fire Department Director Don Francis yells back from the top of the hill. This voice is pretty deep for a little boy, one of the rescue crew members says. The men chuckle and smile for a few seconds as the ready a rescue litter to be lowered down the hill.

In a real-life situation, there wouldn't be time for joking -- but this is a scenario. It's the MFD's "low-angle" rescue training, Francis said. All of the department's fire and rescue members partake...some for the first time.

"It's been about five years since the last one," Francis said. That one took place about a month after somone actually drove their vehicle over the hill, he said. Since then, the road leading to the top of the cliff has been closed to vehicles.

The training exercise provides valuable real-time experience for difficult rescue operations. Working with a litter on a low angle rescue can be difficult, Francis said, as keeping the victim in the basket can be tricky. Unlike high angle rescues, which typically involve buildings and structures where the victims are lifted vertically, low angle rescues are done on steep inclines where victims cannot be kept level.

Lt. Scott French is a 13-year veteran of the MFD and one of the few who has made a low-angle approach outside of training. That incident involved a hiker at the Tuttle Creek Lake dam who apparently became tired. In that case, French said, there were no injuries, and the rescue was made by using a body harness and a rope to help the man walk to safety.

Low-angle rescues can be extremely labor intensive, as crews cannot use gravity as much as they could during a high-angle rescue where they would be suspended, French said.

The physical stress of the training exercise became apparent as three firefighters began pulling the line tied to the victim's litters and two rescue workers up the hill. Less than 40 minutes after the initial descent, the crew was able to lift one victim to safety.

"It's excellent training," said firefighter Chris Coon. "It's good when we can get these props and do training that prepares us a lot better when the actual thing does happen."

Engineering students looked like tiny specs at the top of Prospect Point, more commonly known as K-Hill, this weekend as they cleaned and painted the white letters for engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi. The society polishes the letters every fall, Ryan White, senior in mechanical engi­neering, said. “It’s kind of fun,” he said. “It’s an interesting perspective on the top of the hill, and you feel like you’re helping the community.” Members of the organization climbed down parts of the hill to clean up weeds around the letters. Some wore belts with ropes attached so they could be harnessed while standing on the letters.

Others mixed the whitewash paint that was tossed onto the letters. Maggie Lock, senior in mechanical engineering, said the project has been a Tau Beta Pi tradition for years. She said the letter K was built in 1921 by an engineering honor society, and the S came in 1930. At the time, the letters stood for the abbreviation KSAC, Kansas State Agricultural College. The original plans were to construct the rest of the letters, but the university’s name changed to Kansas State College, and finally to Kansas State University. Richard Hayter, dean of the College of Engineering and chief adviser for Tau Beta Pi, said he does not anticipate the addition of the letter U to the hill. 

the hill where an extra letter would be constructed is too unstable and rough. With the funding it would take to prepare the terrain for construction, it would not be practical, and the letter would likely deteriorate quickly. Hayter said the Manhat­tan Fire Department brought a water truck and donated all of the water needed for the project. He said the county also helps with the project by picking up trash that is left after the cleaning of the letters. Lisa Linck, occupational safety officer, was at the hill with the students and said it was the first time a safety coordinator has been involved with the project. “It’s on a trial basis. I’m looking at different types of fall equipment,” she said.

Hayter said he knows of no injuries that have oc­curred while students have been working on the project. “Just a lot of really messy people,” he said, while stu­dents with paint-covered hair and clothes poured paint on the letters. White said Tau Beta Pi has about 80 members, all juniors and seniors in all programs of engineering. He said there are 30 initi­ates added in the fall and 20 added in the spring through an application process whereby people are invited based on their grades. He said the group is in­volved with community ser­vice and has two to three projects it does each year. The group had to resched­ule the painting for this past weekend because of poor weather conditions last month.

They could stand for a postal abbreviation or simply for K-State, but the original plan for the letters on Prospect Point, more fondly known as K-Hill, was to spell out the agricultural college's then initials: KSAC.

Built almost entirely by student and faculty volunteers in 1921, the K, 80 feet by 60 feet, cost $350 to construct. Students inset a bronze star in the center to honor K-State students killed in Work War I, though it is no longer visible. The S, slight larger at 90 feet by 60 feet, was built in 1930 at an estimated cost of $500.

The concrete letters, facing west over Manhattan just south of U.S. Highway 177, serve as a high-visibility connection between students at K-State and residents of Manhattan, said Dick Hayter, associate dean for the College of Engineering and advisor of the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi.

"For most people, the letters have always been there," Hayter said. "Because of the hill's location, you can see it from every angle of the town, and they notice it as a monument representing the connection between the university and the community."

Tau Beta Pi performs an annual clean up and whitewashing on the letters as a service to the community and as an initiation for pledges.

The three-hour project is completed by 25 to 30 pledges each fall. Brush and trash are cleared away, and the letters receive a whitewashed facelift applied by members tethered to the top of the hill with students providing additional security by holding the ropes.

Hayter said at times, odd items like a couch and motor block have found their way to K-Hill and have required moving, though its mostly bottles, paper sacks and other trash.

"It's always a surprise what we find," he said.

Students of the early KSAC planned for future letters to complete the university's initials on the hill. Yet, even with the evolution of the university's name, the U has not been constructed.

Hayter said there have been various plans along the years for a U. However, he said he doubts the construction will ever gain enough support to be completed.

"Not so much that alums don't want a U, or don't want to pay for it," Hayter said. "But the hill requires too much earth work and it's not conducive to construction, and it's not really on the students' wish list right now."

Kate Gorton, 2005 K-State alum in communication sciences and disorders, said she agrees that there are higher priorities.

"It's good how it is - there are much better things that alumni can focus their attention on than putting up the U on K-Hill."

Not every K-State organiza­tion’s legacy involves sheer cliffs, gallons of whitewash and tons of concrete — but not every group is Tau Beta Pi.

On Saturday, the national engineering honor society performed an annual clean-up of the letters on K-Hill. Dangling from ropes and armed with brooms, paint brushes and whitewash, the group removed a year’s worth of debris from the landmark before applying a new coat, of paint.

“It’s a good project for all the initiates,” Eric Lumpkin, senior in civil engineering, said. “It’s a good way to kind of get to know them and bond as a group."

The K-State Civil Engineering Society built the “K” in 1921 at a cost of $350. The original design had a bronze star set in the center to honor K-State students killed in World War I. The “S” was not installed until the 1930s and cost about $500.

Dick Hayter, associate dean of engineering, said the empha­sis is now on stabilizing the cur­rent letters.

Nick Potenski, fifth-year se­nior in computer engineering, said funds for the project come from the Tau Beta Pi chapter budget, which is fed from the Coliege of Engineering budget.

Sam Bruner, senior in electrical engineering and Tau Beta vice president, said expenses for lumber, concrete, lime, other supplies and after-work celebrations totaled about $450.

While there are some safety concerns inherent to painting the side of a hill, the group makes sure to take precautions.

It’s a lot of fun,” Bruner said. "Is not too scary until you slip, but you know there are a couple people always there holding on to you.” 

For some, the idea of leaving their mark on the community makes whitewashing two large letters on the side of a hill ap­pealing.

Meagan Miller, junior in ar­chitectural engineering, spent time updating the letters’ appearance.

“I think it’s fun because now I can say, ‘Hey, look at the KS let­ters. That’s what I did last week­end,”’ she said.

K-Hill got a makeover Sunday. About 35 pledges and officers for the engineering honorary society Tau Beta Pi picked up trash, cut away weeds and put a fresh coat of whitewash on the giant K and S that are facing west over Manhatta, just south of Highway 177.

The service project is part of an annual tradition that started when the first letter was built in 1921, Tau Beta Pi Advisor Dick Hayter said.

The first letter, K is about 80 feet by 60 feet and cost about $350 to build. Construction of the K was funded and supervised by the engineering honor society then names Sigma Tau.

in 1930, the honorary society raised about $500 to help fund the second letter, S which is about 90 feet by 60 feet. The original plan was to spell out the initials of the Kansas State Agricultural College to form KSAC.

Because of the university's ever changing name, the plan for K-Hill changed from KSAC to KSC, for Kansas State College, to KSU, for Kansas State University.

However, Hayter said the third letter, U, may never get done.

"There is a large dip where the third letter would go," he said. "We would have to put more land into the slope to level out the ground."

Sigma Tau received the deed for the face of K-Hill where the letters are located in 1947. However, due to legal reasons the organization gave the land to the Kansas Board of Regents. The university acquired the land in 1980.

The honorary society kept the maintenance rights to K-Hill and has continued the upkeep of the letters every year as the first service project for pledges.

Jared Mason, president of Tau Beta Pi, said for the most part, the process for the project has been the same over the years.

First, members are given trash bags and climb down the steep slope of K-Hill to clean up the area.

Then, students are lowered by a rope onto the letters to sweep them off. The rope is usually attaches to a vehicle and students at the top of the hill help keep the rope tight.

Meanwhile, a mixture water and one 50-pound bag of lime to one 100-pound bag of cement is stirred by students to their desired consistency, Erin Pasold, vice president of Tau Beta Pi said.

The water for the mixture is provided by the Riley County Fire Department who brings a truck of water up to K-Hill each year.

Finally, pledges and officers form a chain down the letters and pass buckets of whitewash to be poured on the letters.

Dan Romans, junior in electrical engineering, was brave enough to be roped up to sweep the letters.

"It's a little intimidating at first, but you get used to it," he said.

Hayter said as far as he can remember, there have been no serious injuries while doing the service project.

"I have never had anyone fall," he said.

Whitewashing the letters used to happen after the football game against University of Kansas, Hayter said.

"Pranks were popular, and they would come paint it red and blue," he said.

Q: On a recent Saturday evening, my friend and I got some ice cream and were going to eat it on top of KS hill, just as the sun was dropping below the horizon, but we were foiled by a chain across the access road. Why is this closed off, and by whom? Will it be opened again? It is a neat place to view the city.

A: You're right - there is a really nice view up there.

Blame vandals for closing it.

Local businessman Burke Bayer, who owns the land, said the problem was recurring vandalism to a cellular phone tower atop the hill. Alltel leases space for the tower from Bayer. Despite a high fence with wire on top, vandals were climbing in and spraying graffiti (among other things) on a building at the base of the tower. Alltel put the chain across the road to try to stop that a couple of months ago, Bayer said.

"They took the initiative, and I concurred," he said. "Personally, I hated to do it. I know how many people enjoy it."

Bayer points out that people can still get to the top of the hill if they walk - the chain really only prohibits cars from entering the area. Apparently, that's been enough to keep the vandals out.

"It seems like if you keep the cars out, you stop having vandalism," he said.

There are no plans to remove the chain.

The big concrete K was placed on this hill overlooking the town when Manhattan was the home of the Kansas State Agricultural College, The S was added a few years later.

Each fall the letters are whitewashed by the Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary society.

Getting there: To get to the top of the hill, cross over the Kansas River Bridge out of town on K-177. Take the first right after McDowell Creek Road. Take an immediate right and follow the road as it makes a strong turn left and ascends up the hill. Then take the gravel road on the right.

In April, we reported on the situation at KS Hill, where people were apparently heaving beer bottles and at least one couch over the edge. The bottom of the slop had become a junky mess.

Since then, Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honorary society at K-State, took on the job of cleaning up the place. That's the same group that annually whitewashes the letters. Technically, the land isn't theirs, but they did the work anyway, with help from a county clean-up crew. Dick Hayter, Tau Beta Pi's advisor, organized the whole thing.

According to folks who live in the area -- 11 of them signed an open letter thanking Tau Beta Pi and the county -- it's a whole lot better. Here's the text of the letter:

There was once a hill named K.S.

Whose lower extremes were a mess.

Tau Beta Pi came along

Poof! The trash is all gone

And now passers-by are impressed.

Q: Who is responsible for maintain the "KS hill" across the viaduct? It's sort of become a dump, and it's embarrassing that tourists who drive out to the Konze Prairie see it.

A: This is a fairly complicated question, actually.

First of all, it might be a stretch to call it a dump, but it's apparent that people on top of the hill have heaved beer bottles and at least one couch over the side. When the trees are bare, it's easy to see a rather unattractive collection of junk near the bottom of the hill. 

But exactly whose responsibility is this?

The "KS" letters on the hill are maintained by the Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary society at Kansas State University. The slope of the hill -- all the way down to McDowell Creek Road -- is owned by the university, according to county records. So that's probably where the responsibility lies.

But the top of the hill --- where people presumably sit when they toss stuff over the edge -- is owned by local businessman Burke Bayer. Bayer said he has to give right of access to the engineering folks, and that's why there's a little road running up to the top of the hill and an area there to sit.

Bayer says he's been meaning to get hold of the engineering honorary society to discuss the issue. He's mostly concerned that there;s no guard rail or anything up there.

"It's not a safe situation," he said. "I've been telling myself to get with them about that."

Dick Hayter, the K-State faculty advisor to Tau Beta Pi, said he'd discuss the issue of cleaning up the bottom of the hill at the group's next meeting. Traditionally, the society has had pledges whitewash the letters and plant cottonwood trees near the county dump, but he said the group may want to add cleanup of the hill to the to-do list.

Testing their response ability in a rescue emergency, Manhattan Fire Department and Riley County EMS personnel suspended an automobile part way down KS Hill Wednesday afternoon. The idea was to test their skills in rappelling and other rescue techniques. Mike Kaus, supported by ropes, approaches the vehicle as part of the practice run.

A Manhattan man who suffered cuts to his face and a puncture wound to his abdomen told police four men attacked him early Sunday morning at K-Hill, police said.

Jeffrey Lee Sims, 25, of 3756 Powers Lane, No. 22, was treated and released early Sunday morning from Mercy Health Center with superficial cuts to his right and left cheeks and a small puncture wound in his lower left abdomen, police said.

Sims to police he was on K-Hill by himself when he was attached by four Hispanic males. The four men took a knife from Sims and used it to stab and cut him, police said.

The alleged stabbing happened between 12:05 and 12:30 a.m. Sunday. Sims showed up at Mercy Health Center emergency room at about 3 a.m. Sunday, police said.

No arrests have been made; the case is under investigation.

Four persons were taken to the hospital late Friday night after a vehicle driven by a 14-year-old from St. George rolled down KS Hill.

Riley County Police Lt. Buddy Mays said the incident occurred at 11:37 p.m. Friday when a vehicle driven by Kerrie L. Anderson, 14, of St. George, went forward over the hill as she started it. Anderson and her passenger, Hayley Martin, 13, of St. George, were ejected from the vehicle, Mays said.

Anderson, who complained of back pain, and Martin, who complained of injuries to her arm and leg, were transported by ambulance to Mercy Health Center.

Mays said the vehicle struck Joshua Ivy, 14, of Blaine, and Travis L. Peters, 17, of Olsburg, while it was rolling down the hill. Ivy and Peters were transported to Mercy with injuries to their hands.

MANHATTAN — A 19-year-old Manhattan motorist was injured early Thurs­day when her car rolled off the top of K-Hill and plunged an estimated 350 to 400 feet down a wooded gulch, rolling at least once before coming to rest 32 feet from the edge of McDowell Creek Road.

Heidi Talbott was admitted to the intensive care unit in Mercy Health Center on College Street, where a hospital spokeswoman said she was in fair condition Thursday afternoon. A Riley County police lieutenant said the extent of her injuries remains unknown.

The red 1989 Ford Probe was destroyed. It was found resting on its wheels in the trees at the base of the hill.

A passenger, Eric Ingmire, also 19, Manhattan, was able to extricate himself from the wreck and hike approximately one-quarter of a mile to a nearby residential area, where he called for help.

A police report said the 911 call was received at 3:50 a.m., and police, a Manhattan Fire Department unit and an emergency med­ical team responded. The driver was found in the back seat, extracted and transported to the hospital, 

According to the report, the couple had driven to a small hilltop parking lot where they stopped on an incline. As Talbott started to leave and was preparing to shift into reverse, the car rolled forward a few feet, over the concrete lip of the parking lot and plummeted down a wash in the side of the hill.

 Police made no mention of injuries to Ingmire.

The investigation was continuing.

A car containing two Manhattan Christian College Students plummeted at least 400 feet down "K-Hill" early this morning, but neither person was seriously injured.

An MCC spokesperson called it "a miracle."

Heidi D. Talbott and Eric D. Ingmire, both 19, had been parked atop the steep hill at about 3:50 a.m., police say, and were prepared to leave when the car rolled forward over an embankment.

The red 1989 Ford Probe crashed down the heavily wooded hillside, rolling at least once before coming to rest against some trees about 30 feet from McDowell Creek Road.

Police say Talbott, who was driving, apparently engaged the clutch intending to put the car into reverse, but the auto rolled forward instead.

Ingmire, who walked away from the accident, went to a nearby house to call an ambulance. Paramedics found Talbott in the back seat of the car. Police say she was apparently ejected from the vehicle and later crawled back in.

Though Talbott was taken to the hospital by ambulance and admitted to the intensive care unit, Lisa Smith, MCC assistant director for student development, said doctors found no internal injuries or broken bones. A Mercy Health Center spokeswoman listed Talbott in fair condition today.

The hill is just south of the city, and is marked with the large white limestone letters "KS." There is a gravel parking lot atop the hill, but there are no barricades to prevent vehicles from rolling down.

Police say the accident is under investigation.

If you’re new to town, you can’t help but notice the gigantic white letters embedded in the hill overlooking the Kansas River on the city’s east side.

No, they don’t stand for the state’s abbrevi­ation. Instead, the letters represent the pride felt by members of a previous generation for the university they were attending.

A Collegian news article said talk of build­ing a “K” was bantered about as early as April 1915. Sometime prior to 1921 one class did build a letter of loose rock on Bluemont Hill, but it didn’t last.

Nothing of real substance occurred until the 1920-21 school year.

In the May 1930 edition of the Kansas State Engineer magazine, Art Brewer (class of 1921) said the idea for the “K” came from a , classmate who attended school in New Mexico at the New Mexico School of Mines.

This classmate — whose name Brewer no longer recalled — landed in Manhattan and told the story of the big “M” the boys had built some 60 miles away out in the mountains.

Brewer, a senior and president of the Civil Engineering Society, mentioned that stu­dents at Kansas State Agricultural College (as it was called then) wouldn’t have to travel that far to put up their letter. A site known as Mt. Prospect on the east side of town was cho­sen.

Students in the engineering society took the lead in the project, but the entire school appeared to take part.

Classes were alternatively dismissed (freshman and juniors in the morning; sopho­mores and seniors in the afternoon) on the designated spring day in 1921. “Engineers marched to the hill led by a brass band” com­posed of still more engineers, according to information in the Archives of Hale Library.

Sand and water for the concrete were pulled to the top of the hill in horse-drawn wagons.

“One of the worst troubles was in preventing the concrete from running over the formwork, and thus taking a joy ride down the hill,” Brewer wrote. “The boys couldn't resist pouring in more and more water in the mixer, with the result that the concrete was sloppy.”

According to the 1946 Collegian article, “in the center of the letter they placed a bronze star in memory of the Aggies who lost their lives in World War I.” 

Upon completion, the “K” measured 80 feet long and 60 feet wide. Its stems were 12 feet wide and one foot deep. 

It would be another nine years before the letter “S” was added. Money for that project was raised by sponsoring movies and boxing matches and from donations given by faculty and local businesses.

The job of maintaining the letters was given to engineering freshmen until 1947 when pledges of Sigma Tau, an engineering honors society, took over.

During the 1951 flood, the soil beneath the “K” was undermined by the water. Three years later in 1954, the foot of the K dropped down the 60-degree hill.

It was finally repaired during the spring of 1959. That same year the college became Kansas State University, and ever since discussion surfaces of the possibility of adding a “U” to the hillside.

Costs — estimated as prohibitive — and questions about the soundness of the potential additional letter site have quieted such talk. 

But, like clockwork, each fall the letters get a fresh new face courtesy of members of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honors society, which merged with Sigma Tau in 1974. 

The cleaning has traditionally occurred after the K-State/KU football match-up, but Tau Beta Pi tried something new last year said Troy Brin, outgoing president. 

Instead of having the pledges do the work in mid-to-late October, Brin said they completed clean-up by mid-September. And it  will be that way this year, too, because the chapter is on a very strict time-line, he said.

He said Manhattan will host the Tau Beta Pi National Convention this October and as part of its hosting duties, the local chapter is also responsible for presenting a model initi­ation.

“Our new members are going to be initiat­ed in front of 500 people,” he said.

Since cleaning the letters is a pledge responsibility, it will have to be completed prior to the convention.

Work is tentatively scheduled for a Satur­day in mid-to-late September, he said. A later clean-up time will resume in 1999. 

How to get to KS Hill

If you want to take in a great view of the area, drive or bike across the viaduct and go past the McDowell Creek Road exit. When Kansas 18 East turns to the left, you turn right and then take another immediate right onto Pillsbury Drive.

Follow that road until it turns left into Crestline Drive. The road winds up and around, and, as you’re nearing the top of the of hill, you’ll see off to the right an unmarked gravel road accented with railroad ties. Take it and you’ll be able to park in a small over­look area. It’s not fenced off, so watch your step. The letters are below you and the city is in front of you. You’ll not only get to take in the view, but you’ll also be acknowledging a little bit of campus history.

Horse-drawn wagons were used to carry the $350 of supplies up the slope of Prospect Point more than 75 years ago.

Today, only one thing stands in the way of its com­pletion — about $ 100,000.

Tau Beta Pi, an honorary engineering organization, does maintenance to the hill each fall. Student president of Tau Beta Pi Troy Brin said it is unlikely that Prospect Point, better known as K-Hill, will ever have a ‘U’ to match the existing ‘KS’ in the near future.

Brin said he has heard estimates that as much as $200,000 might be needed to add the letter. Higher building code stan­dards are one reason for the price increase.

“I think there are a lot better ways to spend money than to put a 'U’ on a hill,” he said.

In 1915, students in the College of Engineering planned to construct a 'K,’ so the Civil Engineering Society put a ‘K’ in loose rock on Bluemont Hill. It soon fell apart.

Engineering students at Kansas State Agricultural College later added a concrete 'K’ to the current location in 1921, with hopes to construct the three additional letters in the future. Students marched to the hill from Aggieville led by a brass band. About 500 to 1,000 students assisted, using 210 sacks of concrete. The finished letter was 80 feet long, 60 feet wide and one foot deep.

Despite student desires to immediately add an 'S,’ the let­ter was not constructed until 1930.

According to the Kansas Industrialist, rainy conditions caused a temporary delay around noon that stopped the pour­ing of concrete, but the workers shortly resumed construction. At a presentation ceremony, the chairman of the ‘S’ Committee “presented the letter to the college and future stu­dents, urging that it be properly cared for and maintained.” The total cost for the ‘S’ was $500.

The university later changed its name to Kansas State College, prompting students to want a ‘C’ added.

But that never happened.

“By the time they got around to it, the costs were prohibi­tive,” Jeanne Mithen, librarian for the Riley County Historical Society, said. “The ’30s were pretty lean with the Depression.”

When the issue was discussed later in the 1960s, another letter would have cost about $10,000.

The university acquired K-Hill in 1980 after the land deeded to the Kansas Board of Regents because Tau Beta Pi cannot own property.

The main priority of Tau Beta Pi concerning the hill is to repair the cracked “S" which is crumbling away.

“We’ve got people looking into it now,” Brin said. “It’s actually pretty bad.”

Pledges to the organization must do maintenance work the hill each fall. About 12 to 14 bags of white Portland cement and additional bags of lime are used to whitewash the letters. The organization also cuts down weeds and picks up trash around K-Hill.

“It’s a prominent Manhattan landmark,” he said. “If we weren’t proud of it, we wouldn’t continue with its upkeep.”

Tau Beta Pi typically did its maintenance work following the K-State-KU football game, but strayed from the tradition last year. This gave the organization the opportunity to erase graffiti from the letters, which was sometimes caused by Jayhawk fans.

“You get a few people that go up there and put their mark on it” Brin said. It’s nothing we can’t handle.”

Mithen said the letters have brought the community closer together, because the college and the city coexist so closely. She said the hill has been a popular place for students to picnic and relax.

“Whether they got on their bikes or rode a wagon, it was always a place to party — 19th-century style,” she said.

Engineering students who clean the area use ropes tied around their waist to avoid falling down the almost 60-degree hill. In two hours, the group of about 40 can complete the job.

Donations and discounts from area businesses also are helpful in the annual event.

Brin said getting contributions from businesses to add an extra letter might be more difficult.

“I think the community probably feels that there is some other way to spend the money," Mithen said.

With such a hefty price tag to add a letter to the hill, Brin said additional funds would have to come from area businesses and possibly alumni. He said the money should probably go to some­thing more useful.

“I think we should maintain what we have up there,” he said.

“1 feel like I have as much school spirit as anyone else, but if anyone was going to donate that much money, I think it would be more important to add a computer lab.”

They tower over the city -- white, gleaming and inscrutable. One adorns Prospect hill, other stretches over Bluemont Hill, reminiscent of the famous "Hollywood" letters in California.

The two white-lettered signs on the hills above Manhattan are certainly among the citys' most visible and longest-lasting monuments -- and certainly unique ones in a predominantly flat state. They have withstood time, rival football teams and rivers of whitewash.

And they lend an air of mystique to Manhattan, particularly for newcomers, who often pass them on their way through town and wonder: Who invested the considerable time and money it must have taken to build these monoliths? And why? Are they the products of a town with a big ego -- or just a big dose of civic boosterism and school pride?

Their stories go back to the early decades of the century, involving money, university students, civic boosters -- and lots of cement. Drawn from records at the Riley County Historical Museum, here are those stories:

Manhattan

This is the simple one.

The "Manhattan" sign was constructed atop Bluemont Hill in 1927 by 25 members of the Manhattan Kiwanis Club. It cost $128.

The letters, made of concrete, are 16 feet wide and 30 feet tall and can be seen from an altitude of 2,000 feet. They were built as a "service project to identify Manhattan." according to a pamphlet detailing the history of the club. They have been rebuilt several times with the help of the city.

The letters are reinforced at their bases with railroad ties and steel rods "because otherwise, they slip down the hill." said Jerry McGehe, secretary of the Kiwanis.

Vandals often deface the letters, McGehe said. Last fall, when Nebraska beat KSU in football in Manhattan, some overzealous Huskers painted the "N" on the hill red.

Kiwanis club members visit the site and do maintenance every fall and spring, plus when the need arises.

Members of the KSU chapter of Circle K International, a Kiwanis-sponsored organization, help with trimming trees, mowing grass and whitewashing the letters, McGehe said.

“Most everyone” in Kiwanis and Circle K has helped with maintenance, he said, adding that usually 18 to 25 people make the bi-annual trek to the sign.

McGehe said he's proud of the way the sign enhances the hillside. “It looks pretty good,” he said.

Gimme a K

The “KS" sign on the west slope of Prospect Hill — or “K-Hill,” as it has come to be known — has a longer and more involved history, dating back to 1915.

That’s when students at Kansas State Agricultural College first discussed constructing a "K" at the site. They had planned to follow it up with an “S," “A” and “C,” but that didn't go anywhere.

The Civil Engineering Society in the Division of Engineering assumed sponsorship of the idea and made one effort that failed: They put up a “K” made of loose rock on Bluemont Hill, which apparently fell apart.

Then, in 1921, they got it right. Group members built the letter — using concrete — for $350 on Prospect Hill, southeast of Manhattan. The original plan was for students to build the "K" in shifts, while the other students attended classes, according to a 1983 pamphlet called "Legacy: Engineering at KSU,” by Cheryl May, KSU’s director of news services.

But the event quickly turned into a “three-day holiday’’ as students met in Aggieville and followed a brass band to Prospect Hill on the first day of construction. The mood was reportedly jubilant despite a downpour of rain.

The students, whose estimated numbers ranged from 500 to 1,000, used 210 sacks of concrete and 50 cubic yards of sand to construct the letter. Horse-drawn wagons hauled the sand, water and sacks of concrete to the top of the hill.

The finished “K" was 80 by 60 feet across and a foot deep, whitewashed and lined with luminous paint. It was anchored by concrete lugs and reinforced by wire netting.

“In the center of the letter, students inset a bronze star in memory of K-Staters who died in World War II,” May wrote. The star is not visible today.

Gimme an S

Students were immediately in favor of adding an "S,” but it wasn’t until 1930 that the project moved ahead. Sigma Tau Engineering Society, later to become Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honorary, organized the project. Sigma Tau members did everything they could think of to raise money, from sponsoring boxing matches and “tag day” (when students collected donations and gave contributors “tags”) to soliciting funds from private donors.

The total price tag for the “S”: $500.

During construction in 1930, students extended large steel cables over the top of Prospect Hill and anchored them on the other side to help keep the letters from sliding into the Kaw River. The city fire department pumped the water — which the students needed to mix the concrete — to the top of the hill.

Gimme a ‘C’ or a ‘U’?

Student had wanted to add a “C" — for Kansas State College — to the sign since 1937, but that hope was dashed by inflation and practical problems. By the 1960s, the cost of the next letter had reached $10,000.

The idea of adding another letter — a “U" this time — was revived in 1980, but the cost, again, was prohibitive. By that time, the price tag for the concrete was about $17,000.

The problem is not only the cost of materials, according to engineering students. A deep gully, wider than the proposed “U,” runs down the face of Prospect Hill next to the “S.” Filling that gully with dirt could cost more than the concrete, students say.

After Tau Beta Pi surveyed the site and a fund raiser was launched in June 1980, the dream died a quiet death under the weight of the project estimate — $20,000.

Frank Tillman, engineering professor and former Tau Beta Pi faculty advisor, said he doesn’t know if Tau Beta Pi or any other local group is still pursuing the dream of the “U." Bryan Weston, a 1996 KSU graduate and former president of the honorary, said he is not sure either.

“We’ve talked about it,” Weston said, adding that the most immediate problem seems to be fixing the “S,” which badly needs repair. “It’s got a few big cracks in it,” he said.

Weston said he thinks “someone from Civil Engineering" was planning to take a look at the “S” around the time he graduated from K-State.

Who’s in charge?

The land on which the giant “KS” rests is a 1.1 acre strip of land, including enough space for another letter.

It has changed hands several times. In 1947, in exchange for surveying and subdividing 30 acres of property for the landowners — A.F. and Anna E. Woodman — Sigma Tau received a deed to the property for $1 and an easement assuring access.

Sigma Tau isn’t allowed to own property, so it promptly deeded the land to the Kansas Board of Regents. Sigma Tau retained maintenance rights, however.

Kansas State University acquired the land in March 1980. That’s what sparked the most recent drive to add a "U” to the hill.

Since the 1920s, Tau Beta Pi pledges, as part of their initiation, have been maintaining the “KS.” Over 500 gallons of whitewash are used each maintenance trip; supplies are sometimes donated by KSU and local businesses, 

The pledges usually make the excursion the weekend following the KSU-KU football game, because certain unscrupulous Jayhawks have been known to sneak into town in the dead of night and form the letters into “KU" with blue and red paint.

Students trim the trees around the letters, cut down weeds, scrape off loose cement and slosh the whitewash on. While they do this, they are attached to heavy trucks by ropes tied around their waists — so they don’t fall down the hill.

"By the time we were done, everyone involved was whitewashed," Tillman recalled of his time on the clean-up detail. "It was fun."

• TOP: Due to the steep angle, members of Tau Beta Pi secured themselves with ropes in order to whitewash the letters.

• BOTTOM LEFT: Bucket brigadier Todd Ploeger, senior in agricultural engineering, is handed a bucket of whitewash Saturday afternoon. Buckets had to be handed down the steep hill by a bucket brigade.

• BOTTOM RIGHT: Members of Tau Beta Pi whitewash the letters on K-Hill. The honorary maintains the letters by painting them every year.

K-State engineering students went out on a rope Sunday afternoon to paint the "KS" letters on K-Hill, east of Manhattan.

Tau Beta Pi, a group of engineering honor students who demonstrate academic and service excellence, used this project as a group membership requirement.

Fifty members gathered to remove brush, scrape rough edges and cover graffiti.

"Tau Beta Pi is an honorary group that expresses both service-mindedness and integrity," said Marc Scarbrough, junior in electrical engineering and Tau Beta Pi member.

"This project is building traits that the complete engineer should have, and we're getting the chance to know each other better."

Painters whitewashed the letters with a mixture of limestone, cement and water. More than 600 gallons of water, 1,180-pound bags of limestone and nine 100-pound bags of cement were used to cover the letters which rest on the hill at a length of about 40 yards. The project took about three hours to complete.

The group emphasizes trust. Much of the trust building came when the painters were suspended by a rope down the hill, which is a 60 degree angle and hundreds of yards from the ground below.

As those at the top poured down whitewash, the painters used brooms and paint brushes to cover the letters with it. The remaining workers mixed up more paint and held the ropes.

"That's some massively hard work, but it's also a lot of fun," said Steve Liang, senior in...... (need to pull the rest of the article)

They are subtle in a way, yet the white ashed rocks that linger above Manhattan spelling the name of the city and “KS” still exist - and have for many years.

The earliest record of consideration for such a structure's construction was in 1915, said Jeanne Mithen then, librarian for Riley County Historical Society.

“In the April 17, 1915, issue of The industrialist, the college paper at that time, it was stated that four classes of the College of Engineering were planning to build a 60 feet wide by 75 feet high ‘K’ on Prospect Hill," Mithen said.

But the "K” was not built until 1921 when the Civil Engineering Society planned the construction, she said.

According to the book “Legacy: Engineering at Kansas State University." about 1,000 men worked on the project. Students were to be excused from classes at different times of the day to work on the “K" in an organized way. 

“Apparently, it did not work out quite according to plan. Students met in Aggieville and marched to Prospect Hill led by a brass band,” according to "Legacy."

The size of the letter is 80 feet long, 60 feet wide, one foot deep and cost $350. 

Despite hopes of engineering students, the “S” was not built until 1930 when Sigma Tau honorary engineering fraternity organized the project, according to the Collegian.

“Working in a steady downpour of rain, 500 students built a $500 'S’ in 1930.... The project was student financed; the Legacy stated.

"Raising the money became a major effort for engineers. The fraternity sponsored tagday, movies, boxing matches and pomoted  donations from everyone they could think of — faculty, businessmen and $125 from the Seminar treasury.” 

In 1937, Sigma Tau began a movement to acquire the title to the land but was not successful until the spring of 1946.

In an all-school assembly on Oct. 16, 1947, the deed was presented to the college by Professor L.V. White, faculty adviser to Sigma Tau and consistent promoter of the project for 10 years,” according to "Legacy."

In 1964, the members of Sigma Tau discussed the possibility of adding the letter "U" to the hill, but the estimated cost of $10,000 deterred the group, Mithen said. 

While the engineers of K-State were busy creating the “KS," the local chapter of Kiwanis began constructing the “Manhattan” sign on Bluemont Hill. 

In 1927, 25 members of the club built the 30 feet high letters for $128, said Leonard Fuller, Kiwanis secretary. 

Jay McGehe, a 50-year member, said the letters were a service project to identify Manhattan. 

“It’s up on city property," McGehe said. "It is sort of an advertisement for the town."

Maintaining the letters is an on-going project far Kiwanis. Every year they whitewash the letters, cut the grass and clean the hill.

The letters have been re-built a number of times, McGehe said. Because it is a community project, the city has cooperated by helping with the cost.

"I can attest to the fact that the letters must have been difficult to construct after helping with the whitewash process,” Fuller said.

“Unfortunately, in between whitewashes, vandals paint all over the letters," he said.

Circle K International, a University group formed 15 years ago and sponsored by Kiwa­nis, has helped maintain the hill.

The letters on K-Hill have been maintained by a group affiliated with the original con­structors, said Donald Rathbone, dean of engineering.

The Sigma Tau pledge class was responsi­ble for whitewashing the letters until the late '70s, Rathbone said. At that time. Sigma Tau lapsed and Tau Beta Pi took its place.

“The entire pledge class whitewashes the letters once a year during the fall semester," said Michael Armour, Tau Beta Pi president and junior in chemical engineering.

Investigation continued Tuesday into a weekend incident in which a pickup was set afire and pushed of the K-Hill near Highway 177 southeast of Manhattan.

The camouflage-colored pickup, a 1973-79 General Motors Corp. model, became tangled in a cluster of trees and landed about 20 feet above McDowell Creek Road, said Officer Sam Thomson, with the Riley County Police Department.

Police found no identification on the vehicle and don’t know who it belongs to, Thomson said.

Witnesses reported that the incident occurred between 10:30 and 11 p.m. Saturday. Police speculate the incident was a Halloween prank. 

Police found two 50-gallon drum at the site that had apparently contained diesel, Thomson said. Evidence at the scene indicated the suspects had filled the bed of the truck with straw bales, then broken apart several bales and stuffed the loose straw in the cab. Then, he said, they poured one barrel of diesel down the hill in hopes of burning the hill.

The pickup was set on fire, but the fire was extinguished from the impact of the crash, Thomson said.

“If the diesel and the K had gotten together, we’d have had the K-Hill lit up,” he said. “It could have been a mess."

Thomson said police suspect the pickup may have been stolen, but no reports of theft have been filed with RCPD.

“About the only charge I’ve got on them right now is littering," he said.

The pickup, which was totaled by the crash, could have caused extensive damage if it had landed on McDowell Creek Road or caught the  hill on fire, Thomson said.

Reports from witnesses indicate at least two suspects were involved in the incident, he said. From the “limited description” given police, he said the suspects were probably not old enough to be college students.

Thomson said the recent rains helped prevent a potential disaster on the hill.

“If it had been a week ago, we’d still be burning.’ he said. “I’m sure they intended to start a fire and a blaze of glory on Halloween.”

Removal of the pickup will not be an easy task, he said. And, unless police catch the suspects, the task will be the responsibility of the property owner.

The K-Hill, as it is popularly called, originated in 1921 when the Civil Engineering Society built a K made of concrete into the hill overlooking the Kansas River. In 1930, Sigma Tau, an engineering honorary, added an S.

Currently, responsibility for maintenance of the hill belongs to Tau Beta Pi, an all-engineering honorary that has replaced Sigma Tau, said Donald Rathbone, dean of the College of Engineering and sponsor of the group.

Ownership of the tract, however, is not quite so clear.

Sigma Tau held the original deed to the property, said Frank Tillman, professor of industrial engineering and former sponsor of the group. After its merger with Tau Beta Pi, all assets went to the national headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn.

Along with the assets went K-Hill.

­"They really didn’t want it,” he said, “so we had to prepare a deed and the University accepted the deed. To the best of my knowledge, the University does own it.

University officials had not been notified of the incident as of Tuesday afternoon.

Rathbone said the engineering department know nothing about it.

"We'll have to take a look at it before we come up with a solution," he said.

"I'm surprised no one has contacted us," said Charles Beckom, K-State police superintendent.

He added, however, that he wasn't concerned that RCPD had not notified him.

"This is a fringe area that could fall under both jurisdictions," he said. "And any help we can get we'll take."

Re: William Sullivan’s letter, “K-Hill shows disrespect for earth,” in the Nov. 6 Collegian:

I fail to see how K-Hill is disrespectful to the earth. I’m quite sure many will agree that K-Hill is an impressive welcome to Manhattan after driving from western Kansas on Fort Riley Boulevard.

I question Sullivan’s definition of graffiti. Some graffiti is vulgar and obscene, some is art, but it is all illegal. Am I correct to assume the “KS” letters were legally constructed? Furthermore, K-Hill does not fit into the American Heritage Dictionary’s interpretation of graffiti, “scrawling written or drawn so as to be seen by the public.” K-Hill was done in neat block letters.

I question the statement that “K-Hill shows disrespect for earth.” The concrete "KS” letters are nothing more than a man­made landmark. What Sullivan implies is that all man-made structures are disrespectful to the earth because they all disrupt the natural environment.

Let’s not stop with structures. How about farms? Millions of acres of natural vegetation are brutally plowed under because of man’s selfish needs. If environmentalists had their way, the world would still be natural deserts, forests, prairies and water, capable of supporting far fewer humans than at present. You think we have a starvation problem now? Thank God for technology and good ol’ capitalism to encourage its growth.

As far as removal of the “KS” letters go, I hope Sullivan was kidding. I’m sure it would cost much less, economically and environmentally, to construct a “U” and make it more current than to mass excavate the “KS.

I agree humans have made foolish decisions about the use of land God gave us, and we always will. I just wish the environmentalists would get a clue and realize what is more important, man or a few squirrels’ environment.

Joel Mueller 

senior in construction science

Re: Jill Hummels’ article, “‘KS’ letters get yearly wash up,” in the Oct. 28 Collegian:

There is a great deal for us to be proud of as members of the University community and the state of Kansas. Expressions of this pride and enthusiasm are most always welcome. Unless, of course, these expressions harm people, deface the land or destroy property. Such is the case of the KS” letters atop K-Hill.

The “KS” letters, built and maintained by Tau Beta Pi. the engineering honor society, are graffiti on the countryside landscape. If a student were to spray paint “KSU" or carve “GO WILDCATS” on a campus building, a reprimand and disciplinary action would be in order. In the same way that we do not permit graffiti on our buildings, we should not permit graffiti on the earth.

The “KS” letters, visible from many parts of town, are a constant reminder of our society’s disrespect for the land. Appropriate, constructive avenues for Tau Beta Pi to express pride should be sought. The first project I would suggest is the removal of the “KS” letters from K-Hill.

William Sullivan 

assistant professor of

environmental design

The letters atop K-Hill were given their annual whitewashing Sunday afternoon by the brightest of the junior and senior classes of the College of Engineering.

The pledge class of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honorary society, began work on its service project early in the afternoon by cleaning the letters and the surrounding area.

Before the letters could be whitewashed, the brush surroun­ding the 60-by-80-feet K and S had to be cleared by weed whackers, hoes, picks and axes, said Greg Heinen, senior in chemical engineering and chairman of the Tau Beta Pi social committee.

“They have to pick up the litter,” he said. “They also have to clean the letters with brooms.

In addition, the pledges had to trim some trees on the hill so there could be an unobstructed view of the letters.

Following the general cleaning, each letter was coated with the traditional whitewash formula, consisting of one sack of Portland cement and one sack of lime to 20 gallons of water.

The mixture to coat the approx­imately 5,000-square-foot surface area was sent down the hill by bucket brigade.

“We have three or four people tied to ropes using brooms to spread the stuff,” Heinen said.

Because of the grade of the hill, ropes were tied around the wash-spreaders’ waists to keep them from falling. The other ends of the 100-foot-long ropes were tied to the bumpers of trucks and jeeps at the top of the hill.

“It (whitewash) dries in about half an hour. It’s really thick Portland white cement, but it dries pretty quick,” said Daniel Mills, senior in mechanical engineering and co-chairman of the event.

"Last year the whole thing took ap­proximately four hours and we had 35 people working on it. We’ve got about 50 people out here this year; it’ll take maybe 2 to 2-1/2 hours,” said Mills, the only member of last year’s pledge class to return to the whitewashing.

The cleaning of the letters traditionally takes place in the fall following the K-State-University of Kansas football match up. Occasionally, the letters have been subjected to van­dalism before the game by zealous KU fans, Heinen said. The service project is designed to clean the let­ters at a time when they might be at their dirtiest.

Usually, the material for the pro­ject is paid for by the engineering honorary. This year the supplies for the whitewash mixture were donated by the Kansas Lumber Homestore, 111 S. Seth Childs Road. University Facilities also donated the use of a water truck and an operator to help the engineering students with their undertaking.

Standing out atop Prospect Point, "K-Hill," as students have nicknamed it, the "KS" letters are a bigger than life-size tradition. For the story's essence to fold, the 62-year-old giant letters would need to talk.

It all began in 1921. Construction of K-Hill started with a "K" symbolizing K-State. Measuring 80 feet long, 60 feet wide and 1 foot deep, it was made at a cost of S350.

Five hundred to 1,000 students from the engineering department cleared the ground, excavated the area and made the form for the letter. Concrete was poured into the "K" and the job was completed in one day.

The "K" was then whitewashed and lined with a luminous paint. In the center, a bronze star, no longer visible, was placed in memory of K-State alumni who died in World War I.

In 1930, engineering students climbed K-Hill to construct an "S" beside the "K." To raise money for construction costs, students held boxing matches, showed movies and sponsored a tagday (a day when student charity collectors received contributions; in turn giving each contributor a tag). Five hundred dollars was spent in constructing an "S" a foot higher and wider than the "K."

Since the 1960s, considerable interest has existed to add a "U" to the "KS" on the hill. In the early '60s, the University received a quit claim deed, clearing the 

title to approximately two acres of land on K-Hill.

Interest calmed after a $10,000 price tag was submitted for the cost of the ad­ditional letter. In addition to the economic problems, the physical condi­tions on the hill served as a deterrent to the "U" addition.

"A large gully exists where the 'U' is to be placed," said John Alexander, senior in electrical engineering and president of Tau Beta Pi.

"The latest cost estimate of adding the letter up there is $20,000," Alexander said. "No plans are underway to add the 'U.' I'd like to see the U' up there. In the past, putting it up with the help of students lowered the cost. Today, the building up of land around it which is needed next to the 'S' takes a lot of money," he said.

"We have and will look to all of the University for donations," Tillman said.

Uncertainty of who owned the land the letters "KS" sit on was cleared after a deed was handed over claiming K-State as owner of two acres of land on Prospect Point.

"At one time, (The University of) Tennessee had title to K-Hill," said Tillman. The deed was passed from Tau Beta Pi of Knoxville, Tenn., to the K-State chapter. Tau Beta Pi could not own land, so the honorary turned ownership rights over to the University in exchange for K-Hill maintenance rights.

"Building of a letter hill was the thing for college students to do in the 1920s," said Frank Tillman, head of industrial engineering and faculty adviser for Tau 

Beta Pi, an engineering honorary.

"Kansas State, Arizona State and a lot of other schools built a letter hill. The reasoning behind it at that time may have been for the K' to visually symbolize K-State."

Lighting festivities began in 1947 as Homecoming projects for the engineering honorary Sigma Tau, which later merged with Tau Beta Pi. They lighted the "KS" letters for three hours, from 7 to 10 p.m., illuminating the hillside for a symbol and guide to returning alumni.

Later the letters were lit in an arrangement with the military science department, and a search light beamed across Manhattan to the letters.

In the early '50s, 12 athletes, each carrying a lighted oil-soaked torch, ran from Seaton Hall to K-Hill to light torches atop "KS." honoring the beginning of engineering Open House.

Further drawing attention to the letters were Manhattan businesses which located near Prospect Point and incorporated "K-Hill" into their names, 

Besides providing annual maintenance for K-Hill, Tau Beta Pi has to deal with pranks. "Each year after the fall game, students try to deface K-Hill," Alexander said.

A former KU student recalls the events of the night the "KS" letters were the target of an attack by KU culprits.

"From KU, a group of 16 in five cars left about 2 a.m. to make it to Manhattan by 3:30 a.m.; to get there after the security guards would have gone home. 

"When they got to town, they sent one car ahead to see if anyone was still up on the hill. The car on the hill called down (by walkie-talkie) to say it was clear. A perimeter was set around the hill so if anyone had come, the ones on top could be warned and get out of there on time.

'They worked very hard transforming the letters and spray painting them for a blue 'KU' to be spelled just before daybreak. The group was able to leave while it was still dark.

"Returning home, the only problem they encountered was at KU. They found the Chi Omega fountain was filled with purple detergent. A jayhawk was spray-painted purple, and 'KSU' was written on buildings, monuments and trash cans. They (KU) were much more perpetrated against; however, KU won the game^ that year."

Teddy O. Hodges, faculty adviser of Tau Beta Pi at the time of a 1971 attack, said he had heard it took the culprits, allegedly from KU, two nights to 

transform the "KS" letters into KU let­ters by painting the "S" blue.

In addition to receiving numerous at­tacks after the KSU-KU football game, the K-Hill letters often get painted with graffito. Each year since the '30s. Tau Beta Pi has whitewashed the rocks.

The whitewashing is a Tau Beta Pi's standard pledge project. Engineering students are invited to join in the event. A group of 50 to 60 Tau Beta Pi members meet at Seaton Hall and take the bumpy road up to K-Hill on a Sun­day following the KU game at 1 p.m.; spending all afternoon on the project, Alexander said.

"This year the whitewashing project took place on Sunday, Oct. 16. A water truck was donated by the University for help in mixing of the whitewash solu­tion.'' Alexander said.

'The whitewashing procedure is a type of cookbook operation." he con­tinued. "We pour the whitewash mixture down on top of the letters and brush it across with brooms. After the painting and clearing of bushes around the let­ters, it does a lot toward making it look better.

"It really sparkles up there."

MANHATTAN—A quit claim deed from Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary of Knoxville, Tenn., to Kansas State University has cleared up any question of title to approximately two acres of land on which the huge “KS" overlooking Manhattan is embedded.

And the action also clears the way for Kansas State University to provide assistance to the K-State chapter of the engineering honorary, which has been accepting responsibility for maintaining what is perhaps Manhattan’s best-known landmark.

Each year K-Staie engineering students clear and trim shrubbery on the property. Annual maintenance also requires some 30 bags of white Portland cement and 30 bags of lime to make the whitewash needed to spruce up the letters.

Kansas State University students long dreamed of a giant “K" to honor the University. But a “K” built of loose rocks on Bluemont Hill didn’t last long.

Serious planning for a concrete “K” on Prospect Hill (Or Mount Prospect, as the students dubbed it, or “K-Hill,” as it is more popularly known) began in

1915. In 1921, under leadership of the Civil Engineering Society, the “K" was constructed at a cost of $350.

The construction turned into an engineering school project. Half of K-State’s engineering students were excused from classes one morning to clear the ground, do the excavation and set up forms, and the remaining engineering students spent the afternoon placing reinforcing materials and pouring the concrete.

The “K” is 80 by 60 feet, and one foot thick.

Everyone immediately was in favor of adding an "S," but it wasn’t until 1930 that Sigma Tau honorary (which since has merged into Tau Beta Pi) organized the project. To raise the $500 needed for the project, engineering students conducted such fund-raising activities as a “tag day, movies, and boxing matches. They also sought do­nations from faculty and businessmen.

When constructed, the “S” was made a half foot higher and a half foot wider than the original "K,"

The land on which the letters were imbedded changed hands several times and the students worried that there was no clear agreement assuring them of their right to maintain the letters. So, in 1947, in exchange for surveying and sub-dividing 30 acres of property for the landowners, A. F. and Anna E. Woodman, K-State’s Sigma Tau hono­rary received a deed to the property for $1 and an easement assuring access. 

The last transaction, reported from the latest meeting of the state board of regents, assigned title of the land to the university itself.

No one is sure just how much property is involved. The deed description is for a plot 220 feet at the top of the hill extending to the road at the bottom of the hill.

In 1951 the lower part of the upright leg of the “K” was washed into the river and it was not until 1958 that this was repaired. In the early 1960s serious consideration was given to adding a “U” to make it "KSU,” but the $10,000 price tag proved too much for the engi­neering honorary.

Since 1921 most engineering students at KSU have been involved in some way in the upkeep of the “KS.” The annual pilgrimage to whitewash the letters is made each fall, usually on the Sunday following the University of Kansas - KSU football game.

• General Description

  • • With the 1974 merger of Sigma Tau and Tau Beta Pi, Kansas Gamma inherited this annually recurring project of maintaining a large civic monument on the South side of Manhattan, Kansas. The monument is an 80-feet-tall set of concrete "KS" letters resting on a nearly vertical slope on the side of Prospect Hill, more commonly known as "K-Hill." The K and S were constructed in 1921 and 1930, respectively, by student members of the former Epsilon Chapter of the Sigma Tau Fraternity. Kansas State University now owns the land where the monument is located, and since 1974, Kansas Gamma has provided the labor required to (a) keep the monument free and clear of vegetation and (b) whitewash the letters with a cement/lime mixture once every fall. The people of Manhattan recognize the structure as a historically significant monument. 

• Purpose and Relationship to Objectives of Tau Beta Pi

  • • This annual event serves the community of Manhattan by keeping its cherished monument in a good and proper condition. By keeping the monument clean and maximally visible, Kansas Gamma also honors its alma mater by demonstrating that its students have the grit and perseverance to accomplish such a challenging feat. By sharing such a daring mission, the members and candidates experience a unique sense of camaraderie. As later described herein, a local newspaper published an article that describes the event and our society, thereby bolstering the image of the Tau Beta Pi Association and the Kansas Gamma Chapter. 

• Organization and Administration

  • • Media Director Grace McLeod contacted the local paper, The Manhattan Mercury, about our scheduled whitewashing and invited them to attend. This resulted in a front-page feature in the newspaper. A week ahead of the event, rentable power equipment, namely leaf blowers and hedge trimmers, were reserved at the local Waters Hardware store. The gas-powered trimmers wouldn’t start, so we were given a gas generator and electric trimmer, free of charge. The Chapter has a large stock of lime and cement just for this annual project. On the morning of the event, Events Director Dalton Rizzo and President Nick Divilbiss hauled bags of lime and cement to KS-Hill and picked up the rental equipment. The rest of the tools and equipment, which included chemical safety suits, safety glasses, respirators, gloves, and buckets, were in The Chapter’s inventory and were brought to the site in the morning. To make room for parking, the tall grass atop the hill was mowed. One vital ingredient that we needed was water, which came in a Riley County Fire Department engine. They were notified of our chosen date a month in advance, so that they’d be ready and have crew to work the event. They are also present in the case of an emergency, since they are trained first responders. This project is historically important to the Chapter, so discussion about its organization begins early in the fall. It is a service requirement for candidates, so we must select and advertise the date to them as soon as possible. Our Chief Advisor Andy Fund always attends the event from year to year and has the most experience with the hill and monument. He also has climbing equipment that is used to scale up and down the concrete letters as we clear brush. Since this monument has much tradition and the event itself is vital to The Chapter, we invited our District 9 Directors to the event, and Matt Romero attended and bought the group pizza at AJ’s afterwards and joined us in the meal. 

• In Conjunction With

  • • Riley County Fire Department, Manhattan Mercury 

• Total Cost

  • • $141.37 

• Cost Breakdown

  • • $8.52 for one case of water bottles. $132.82 to rent one leaf blower & two hedge trimmers. The number of people who attended met the bare minimum for completion of the mission. If we had any less people, then the event would’ve either taken the entire day, or we would’ve had to return to finish another day. During a portion of the event, President Divilbiss and Secretary Wolf were repelling up and down the letters. Event Director Rizzo guided and watched over the group as they scaled the hill. 

• Special Problems Encountered

  • • The slope that the letters are on slowly loses dirt over time due to erosion. This leaves fewer places for safe footing for those that climb up and down the slope as we eradicate weeds and form a bucket brigade for whitewashing. This could be solved by casting concrete steps in places over the coming years. The rental company also gave us trouble, for one of the hedge trimmers wouldn’t start. There was also an overcast at the start of the day, but it only sprinkled in the beginning then stopped.

• Overall Evaluation

  • • SUCCESS: The Mercury’s feature article talks about the history of monument, specifically how it was constructed and how it is now under our care. The article names Tau Beta Pi, then specifically how responsibility of the upkeep belongs to Kansas Gamma. This feature gives Manhattan residents insight into the monument’s caretakers, and the purpose of our society. President Divilbiss is quoted in the article saying, "What the national society exists for is to mark people who honor their alma mater and who display excellence and integrity in engineering." All the attendees put in a respectable amount of effort and were not afraid to work. Most participants in the event proved to be loyal and supportive members throughout the rest of the academic year, so this event was successful in fostering the relationships between those general members and officers. Those who attended expressed accomplishment and satisfaction with being a part of the tradition. President Divilbiss and Chief Advisor Fund, who were the only ones with past experience on the hill, were satisfied with the job and result. Later discussion between officers revealed disappointment in other general members for their lack of willingness to assist with the project, thus highlighting a lack of obligation and revere for the Chapter within the general membership. This is a problem that we are aiming to alleviate, which has seen progress over the academic year. The discussion also consisted of worry for the safety and structural integrity of the monument, which promoted brainstorming of ideas to improve the site, but we came to the conclusion that any improvements would require sizeable funding. We agreed that the newspaper article will hopefully bring the problem into the light and motivate the University and/or City to act. We will continue to use caution and practice safe action while working on the hill. Overall, we found this iteration of the event to be more successful than past iterations. 

• General Description

  • • The K-Hill, located on the west side of Highway 177 in Manhattan, KS, is a historical landmark for both the city and Kansas State University. The hill is a special spot especially for the members of Tau Beta Pi, as since fall of 1974, we are the ones that’s in charge of taking care of it, and it is no different this year. On October 15th of 2022, members of K-State TBP gathered at the Hill once more to begin to clean up work. The first couple hours of their time went to cutting and blowing off the grass grown on and around the concrete letters. The remaining time consisted of the members mixing the white wash and pouring them over the letters.

• Purpose and Relationship to Objectives of Tau Beta Pi

  • • As members of Tau Beta Pi, we strive to confer honor upon our Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character, and one of the best way to do so is to serve the college as well as our community by providing services and helping others. The reasoning behind the long-keeping of this tradition is that deep down, we believe that our community is an very important aspect to who we are as Tau Bates, and it is our duty to provide for it with our actions when given the chances. Because of this, the K-Hill clean up becomes the perfect opportunity for us to achieve everything mentioned above all while bonding and having fun with our fellow Tau Bates. 

• Organization and Administration

  • • This community event was primarily organized by the Vice President. His duty included making sure all tools & materials are available in the storage room; picking up the truck for loading the larger equipment, and helping contacting the Manhattan fire department for water supplies. The advisor for TBP showed up to help the Tau Bates out, and the Manhattan fire department came as they were the primary water source for the white wash mixes. The event occurred exactly how it was planned and it was completed by the predicted time. 

• Total Cost

  • • $200.00

• Cost Breakdown

  • • $100 - Equipment rental

    • $100 - Cleaning Supplies

    • There were no limitations based on finances that inhibited the project. The number of participants were lower than previous years, but that did not appear to be a huge limiting factor as all job were completed correctly and efficiently. 

• Special Problems Encountered

  • • N/A

• Overall Evaluation

  • • Overall, the event was extremely successful. The members were table to complete the tasks in an accurately and efficiently manner with a less-than-usual number of participants. Every single Tau Bate that showed up has displayed a sense of dedication and helpfulness, which was the main reason behind such success. One way to achieve better success in the future is to improve internal communication within the organization. It appeared that the reason behind the drop rate with the number of participants is a lack of communication between the officers and the members & initiates. In the future when such issue is resolved, the event will be more success as more members will have the opportunity to serve the community. 

• General Description

  • • Our annual service projects that the new initiates participate in. The project consists of white-washing the large KS letters on the hill overlooking Manhattan as well as general cleanup of the area.

• Purpose and Relationship to Objectives of Tau Beta Pi

  • • Providing service to the community as part of the initiation process.

• Organization and Administration

  • • In conjunction with another group: No.

• Total Cost

  • • $200.00 - Whitewash

• Special Problems Encountered

  • • N/A

• Overall Evaluation

  • • Successful with good attendance, especially with the initiates.

Initiates

• Ryan Albrecht 

• Lance Basgall 

• Michelle Bell 

• Jennifer Bolton 

• Andrew Bridges 

• Samuel Brinton 

• Kyle Carlyle 

• William Cromer 

• Joel Cunningham 

• Duncan Cunningham 

• Betsy Dunlap 

• John Elsea 

• Jacob Ferrell 

• Matthew Fitzmaurice 

• Brett Follmer 

• Daba Gedafa 

• Jacob Hamack 

• Aaron Holloway 

• Christopher Linnick 

• Nicholas Long 

• Jonathan McKenzie 

• Mark Neier 

• Jonathan Oakes 

• Christopher O’Bryan 

• Samir Pahwa 

• Jesse Peterson 

• Lindy Pope 

• Nicholas Rauth 

• Jay Reimer 

• Matthew Roberts 

• Travis Rohlfing 

• Brandon Schwabauer 

• Colin Smothers 

• Andrew Sneed 

• Bart Sommers 

• Nathan Spare 

• Adriann Sullivan 

• James Swanson 

• Derek Taylor 

• Matthew Worcester 

• Charles Yokley 

• Ethan Young

Members

• Lisa Beck

• Christopher Frampton 

• Erin Johnson 

• Kaylee Cocke 

• Ian Hartsig

• General Description

  • • Every fall, we clean and whitewash two large concrete letters (K and S) to the southeast of Manhattan. We also pick up trash and clean the area around the letters. Members of Sigma Tau initially constructed the letters, before that society merged with Tau Beta Pi. Since then, Kansas Gamma chapter has assumed the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining the letters.

• Purpose and Relationship to Objectives of Tau Beta Pi

  • • This project instills a sense of pride in the electees. The entire community benefits from this event. It shows integrity to preserve a community monument.

• Organization and Administration

  • • In conjunction with another group: Yes, Manhattan Fire Department attends to assist with water.

• Cost & Personnel Requirements

  • • Our whitewash consists of water, white Portland cement, and hydrated lime. In a typical year, the project reguires 1400 pounds of cement. 700 pounds of lime and 750 gallons of water. The county fire department provides the water, and a local lumberyard sells us the remainder of the materials at cost.

• Special Problems Encountered

  • • Each year, the letters must be cleaned of trash and vegetation. The letters are extremely steep so people must have safety ropes attached to them when they are on the face of the letters.

• Overall Evaluation

  • • The community is very appreciative of our efforts. We receive coverage in newspapers as well as the university’s yearbook.

Organizing Member:

• Sam Bruner

Participating Advisors:

• Dean Richard Hayter

Participating Members:

• Sam Bruner

• Nick Potenski

• Nik Martin

• Brad Bloomquist

• Mark Schrempp

• Ryam White

Participating Electees:

• Daniel Berges

• Hans Brehm

• Jonathan Ferlas

• Gerald Hart

• Cody Jorgensen

• Kevin Lang

• Maggie Lock

• Daniel Mahoney

• James Mahoney

• Eric Martens

• Nathan McCormick

• Alexander McKee

• Meagan Miller

• Shaun Quigley

• Megan Smith

• Nicholas Van Sickel

• Elizabeth Voigt

• Emily Voigt

• Arlen Walker

• Daniel Wilson

• Mathew Brooks

• Jerod Brungardt

• Alan Cebula

• Brandon Damas

• Timothy Dunn

• Jason Humphrey

• Christopher Mick

• Clare Seip

• Daniel Wright

Kansas Gamma conducts one community service project each semester to give back to the community and promote Tau Beta Pi. The elects must attend this service project to be initiated (we determine exemplary character by their willingness to complete a service project). Every fall, we clean and whitewash two large concrete letters (a K and an S) to the southeast of Manhattan. We also pick up trash and clean the area around the letters. Members of Sigma Tau initially constructed the letters, before the society merged with Tau Beta Pi. Since then, the Kansas Gamma chapter has assumed the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining the letters. This serves the community by making them look cleaner and nicer.

Our whitewash consists of water, white Portland cement, and hydrated lime.In a typical year, the project requires 1400 pounds of cement, 700 lbs of lime and 750 gallons of water. The county fire department provides the water, and the local lumberyard sells us the remainder of the materials at cost. The money for this comes from our semester budget. The date for this year was October 4, 2003. We spent approximately 3 hours organizing it this year, and 5 hours completing it. Our chief advisor, Richard Hayter, and 11 members participated, along with our 28 elects.

Members include:

Ben Sommers 

Nathan Parker 

Sarah Woodard 

Jared Mason 

Brandon Owston 

Kurt Childs

Erin Pasold 

Steve McClurg 

Nathan Krehbiel 

Ross Stutterheim 

Aaron Jones

The elects include:

Jack Bauer 

Justin Birkey 

Jason Blakenship 

Clay Crane 

Trisha Culbertson 

Amanda Day 

Ashley Deforest 

Justin Delp 

Nicolette Dudley 

Matthew Edwards 

Michael Henley 

Joshua Hubbard 

Kelly Hughes 

Cole Knudsen

Kyle Kuhlman 

Jimmy Kummer 

Luke Kunkel 

Jason Landoll 

Gina Mercurio 

Brent Oxandale 

Junius Penny 

Brian Platt 

Nyla Polli 

Nicholas Potenski 

Scott Rock 

Kyle Stonebraker 

Austin Wareing 

Justin Williams

We actually get some publicity from this project. The clean-up/whitewash has been featured in the Manhattan paper a few times, and several photographers from the K-State yearbook have been there in the past. Our chapter also takes pictures. For copies of the photos, contact Dick Hayter at rhavterfcjksu.edu.

Over the last few years, the condition of the letters and the surrounding land on the hill has deteriorated. About four years ago, members of Tau Beta Pi and a local company did a cost estimate on repairs to the letters. The cost was predicted at greater than $200,000. As a result, we are looking at a project to stabilize the letters, and at least slow or stop the damage instead of Fixing it. We are working to plant some sort of vines and other plants that will help to keep the letters from sliding down the hill. Look for more on this in the future.

Kansas Gamma conducts one community service project each semester to give back to the community and promote Tau Beta Pi. The elects must attend this service project to be initiated (we determine exemplary character by their willingness to complete a service project). Every fall, we clean and whitewash two large concrete letters (a K and an S) to the southeast of Manhattan. We also pick up trash and clean the area around the letters. Members of Sigma Tau initially constructed the letters, before that society merged with Tau Beta Pi. Since then, the Kansas Gamma chapter has assumed the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining the letters. This serves the community by making the area look cleaner and nicer.

Our whitewash consists of water, white Portland cement, and hydrated lime. In a typical year, the project requires 1400 pounds of cement, 700 lbs of lime, and 750 gallons of water. The county fire department provides the water, and a local lumberyard sells us the remainder of the materials at cost. The money for this comes from our semester budget. The date for this year was October 26, 2002. We spent approximately 3 hours organizing it this year, and 5 hours completing int. Our advisor, Richard Hayter, and 13 members participated, along with our 19 elects.

Members include:

• Clinton Williams 

• Nathan Parker 

• Max Lehman

• Ben Downey 

• Kyle Grabill 

• David Jeter 

• Derrick Brouhard

• Ben Sommers 

• Tara Hancock 

• Robert Caplinger

• Mark Hartter 

• Matt Overstake 

• Todd Berger

The elects include:

• Bryan Anderson 

• Kurt Childs 

• Jessica Heier 

• Aaron Jones 

• Nathan Krehbiel 

• Jason Krupicka 

• Stanley McClurg 

• Stephen McClurg 

• Matt McGuire 

• Jay Nightengale

• Brandon Owston 

• Julie Quackenbush 

• Donald Schlittenhardt 

• Dustin Warner 

• Chris Weber 

• Sarah Woodard 

• Jamie Klein 

• Scott Roney 

• Alexander Sappock

We actually get some publicity from this project. The clean-up/whitewash has been featured in the Manhattan paper a few times, and we had several photographers from the K-State yearbook visit us this year. Our chapter also takes pictures. For copies of the photos, contact Dick Hayter at rhavter@ksu.edu.

Over the last few years, the condition of the letters and the surround land on the hill has deteriorated. About three years ago, members of Tau Beta Pi and a local company did a cost estimate on repairs to the letters. The cost was predicted at greater than $200,000. As a result, we are looking at a project to stabilize the letters, and at least slow or stop the damage instead of fixing it. We are working to plant some sort of vines and other plants that will help to keep the letters from sliding down the hill. Look for more on this in the future.

In 1921, the Civil Engineering Society at Kansas State University began a project build a “K” letter on the side of a large hill in Manhattan, Kansas. The entire College of Engineering participated in the actual construction. The students were excused from classes and at the end of about two days, the “K” was finished. In 1930, the Engineering Honor Society Sigma Tau added the “S” and Manhattan has been notorious for these letters since. Tau Beta Pi had taken up the job of maintaining the letters for many years. This event does not only benefit Kansas State University, but also maintains a source of pride for the entire community.

Every fall, the Kansas Gamma Chapter confirms a date in which the letters can be cleaned. After a date had been confirmed for the project, the Riley County Fire Department is contacted. For several years, they have provided the water required for mixing the whitewash solution and for cleaning up after the project has been completed. Also, the Vice President of Kansas Gamma speaks with personnel from the Kansas State University Department of Environmental Health and Safety concerning safety procedures that should be taken during the project. They also provide the chapter with safety goggles, rubber gloves and breathing masks.

A couple of the officers visit local businesses and receive donations, such as tools and other supplies needed for the cleaning up the hill. Some refreshments are also donated.

On the day of the service project, the initiates and the officers meet on campus for a short informational meeting. The initiates are informed of safety procedures that should be taken, as well as other pertinent information. Then, everybody carpools to the top of K-Hill.

This past fall, the Kansas Gamma officers and prospective members trimmed bushes, pulled weeds and cleaned the K and S letters for nearly five hours. The project was a huge success, and local television stations even joined in for the fun.