As a member of the Boise State community, you have probably walked past the flagpoles on the Quad dozens of times and not noticed a plaque in the ground directly to the north. The plaque reads, "In Memory of the Idaho Men and Women Who Have Given Their Lives in the Service of Our Country." Before its current location, the plaque stood on one end of Memorial Mall that was in front of the library.
Memorial Mall was the idea of the Esquire Service Club, a group of GIs who raised and lowered the flags each morning. The club began soliciting money in October 1967 for the creation of a memorial with a fountain to honor Idaho men and women who gave their lives for the service of their country. The Esquires successfully raised the $17,800 needed for the memorial, receiving donations from local organizations including the Boise Bench Lions. Other university clubs provided help with the fundraising such as the Rodeo Club, Sports Car Club, Flying Broncos, and Hui O Hawaii. Members of the Esquires also assisted in the memorial's construction whose location was chosen to connect the recently completed library and Liberal Arts buildings.
The mall was dedicated on October 22, 1968, with President John Barnes and Idaho Senator Frank Church speaking. The memorial monument was unveiled by Mrs. Anthony Bellamy who had recently accepted the Silver Star medal awarded posthumously to her husband, the late Major Anthony Bellamy, for his service in Vietnam.
When the mall was removed in 1993 to make way for the expansion of the library, its plaque was moved to its current location in Memorial Plaza, a section of the Quad that houses the university's original flagpoles.
Happy Veterans Day!
Julia Stringfellow Archivist/Librarian,
Special Collections and Archives
The mall was dedicated on October 22, 1968, with President John Barnes and Idaho Senator Frank Church speaking. The memorial monument was unveiled by Mrs. Anthony Bellamy who had recently accepted the Silver Star medal awarded posthumously to her husband, the late Major Anthony Bellamy, for his service in Vietnam.
When the mall was removed in 1993 to make way for the expansion of the library, its plaque was moved to its current location in Memorial Plaza, a section of the Quad that houses the university's original flagpoles.
Happy Veterans Day!
Julia Stringfellow Archivist/Librarian,
Special Collections and Archives
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