As the University’s 50th anniversary approached, retired history professor Kate McCrone found herself concerned about the loss of its collective memory.

“In earlier societies, it is the work of elders to preserve the history,” she said. “We were losing our elders and their stories.”

So she gathered a group of like-minded colleagues and set out to collect the reminiscences of some long-serving members of the UWindsor community.

The result is Back in the Day 1963-2013: The University of Windsor As We Knew It. Published by Black Moss Press and edited by a team that includes Dr. McCrone and her fellow retirees Sheila Cameron (nursing), Ralph Johnson (philosophy), Kenneth Pryke (history), and Lois Smedick (English), the book is a compilation of stories from 66 retired faculty members and administrators, representing every academic faculty.

“It is intended to contribute to preserving the University’s history and people, something we consider particularly important in this golden anniversary year,” says McCrone. “We didn’t intend it as a comprehensive history, but we do hope readers will get a better idea of where the University came from.”

Contributors chose the subjects of their submissions, so the individual voices come through.

“A lot of them are written in a very engaging manner,” McCrone says. “Some of them are quite funny.”

The book sells for $25 including taxes at the University Bookstore. Copies will be available for purchase at a reception Friday, November 15, to celebrate its launch. The event is free and open to the campus community. It begins at 2:30 p.m. on the second floor of Canterbury College’s main building, with a formal program at 3 p.m.