photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

A panel for a new World War I memorial just outside KU's David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is pictured on Aug. 27, 2025.

After more than $400 million in renovations, University of Kansas officials are calling David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium “reimagined,” but leaders on Friday will hold a ceremony to ensure one part of its history isn’t forgotten.

KU’s chancellor will be joined by military leaders to rededicate the stadium as a memorial for university service members who lost their lives during World War I.

“I encourage veterans, active military, reservists, KU community members and the general public to join us in honoring the Jayhawks who made the ultimate sacrifice, as we open a new chapter in the storied history of this World War I memorial stadium,” KU Chancellor Doug Girod said via a press release. “The rededicated memorial reflects our commitment to remembering those Jayhawks and upholding the ideals they defended.”

The rededication ceremony is set for 2:30 p.m. on Friday, and will take place in a new plaza area just outside the stadium’s gates at 11th and Mississippi streets. The Garlinghouse Plaza at the northeast corner of the stadium includes a “memorial walk” that features aluminum panels with the names of 130 KU students and faculty members who died as part of World War I. The panels also include select stories of those Jayhawks and historical information about the war, including a timeline and maps of key battles.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

A World War I timeline is shown with KU’s David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in the background on Aug. 27, 2025.

In addition to Girod, who is a former surgeon and Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, the Friday ceremony will include U.S. Marine Corps Col. Mike Denning, who is KU’s assistant vice chancellor for national defense initiatives, and Col. Jabari Miller, who is the deputy commanding officer-maneuver for the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division. The 1st Infantry Division, also known as The Big Red One, was organized during World War I and now is based at Kansas’ Fort Riley.

The stadium has been a war memorial since its opening in 1922, but the stadium hasn’t included a specific display honoring the KU students and faculty members who died in World War I. Throughout the two-year renovation project at the stadium, Girod has said he thought it was important to do something specific to highlight that the stadium has had a role as a World War I memorial since its very beginnings. Girod said that he frequently encountered KU supporters who knew the stadium indeed was a memorial — for years its name was simply Memorial Stadium — but he said the number of people who knew the memorial was specifically for World War I was far fewer.

The National World War I Museum and Memorial is in Kansas City, and Girod had told the Journal-World early in the stadium renovation project that KU officials were working to collaborate with the organization.

Christoper Warren, vice president of curatorial affairs and chief curator for the national museum, did provide consultation services for the university on the project, and the memorial walk says the display was created in partnership with the national museum.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Visitors tour a new “memorial walk” honoring World War I veterans on Aug. 27, 2025.

A former KU student — U.S. Army Capt. Harrison Manlove — however is credited with conducting much of the research about the 130 KU individuals who are listed on the stadium display. Manlove researched each of the veterans while he was an ROTC student. In addition to finding historical documents about the role many of them played in the war, he also found one additional member of the KU community who had died during the war but had not been recognized on KU’s other World War I memorial listings. Prior to this new display, KU listed 129 university members who died as part of the war effort. That listing was confined to an area in the student union, Kansas Memorial Union, which also was dedicated as a memorial to World War I when it opened in 1927.

In total, KU has three World War I memorials on campus — the stadium, the union and the Victory Eagle, a bronze statue along KU’s Memorial Drive. The Lawrence campus has three other war memorials — a Korean War memorial, a Vietnam War memorial, and KU’s tallest memorial, the Campanile, which is dedicated to KU members who died as part of World War II.

People planning to attend Friday’s 2:30 p.m. ceremony should be aware of parking challenges near the stadium. KU is hosting a football game at the stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, so the parking lots next to the stadium and the Kansas Union parking garage all will be closed for general public parking. While on-street parking in the neighborhood near the stadium may be available, KU is offering free parking at the Allen Fieldhouse Parking garage, where a free shuttle service will transport people to the ceremony.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

A panel from KU’s new “memorial walk” dedicated to those who served and died in World War I is pictured on Aug. 27, 2025.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

The names of 130 people affiliated with the University of Kansas who served and died as part of World War I are listed on panels at KU’s new “memorial walk” outside of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.