BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - WKU Athletics is celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Red Towel logo in 2021 with a commemorative, retro red towel. Every fan at Saturday's WKU Hilltopper Basketball game against Louisville will receive the retro towel.
The concept of WKU's Red Towel logo for the athletic department was developed by former Hilltopper student-athlete, legendary coach and athletic director John Oldham in 1971.
Dr. Chuck Crume, a long-time faculty member in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation, and a well-known wildlife artist, rendered the original artwork for the logo.
As athletic director, Oldham made a crude sketch of the logo in a memo to Crume, asking him for "a drawing that looks like Coach (E.A.) Diddle waving a red towel." Crume wrote back with the formalized logo and a note that read, "John, this is our idea of what a 'Hilltopper' looks like." The sketch is dated May 10, 1971.
The stylized version was edited by Crume in the 70s, and the logo we use as the 'retro logo' today was revised by Director of Publications Tom Meacham in the late 1980s. The current version of the Red Towel was created by Rickabaugh Graphics in 2001.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
