Slippery Rock University continues to plan events to celebrate its 125th anniversary, including a picnic that is scheduled for June 21. The picnic is supposed to recall a celebratory banquet held in 1889 after representatives approved the campus of what is now SRU.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University continues to plan events for its 125th anniversary.

A major event will be a picnic held June 21, said Bob Watson, interim vice president for student affairs. The picnic will be a free form, public event.

“We want it to be a constant period of dialogue,” Watson said.

He said the picnic is supposed to recall a celebratory banquet held in February 1889 by the residents of what was then Centerville after representatives of Gov. James Beaver approved the campus of what was to become SRU.

Although planning is not finalized, Watson said the cost to attend is projected to be $12, and the event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Organizers are looking for anyone who is connected to SRU’s founding or the university in general to attend.

“If you have a connection to Slippery Rock ... we want you to be here and be a part of it,” said Nicki Thoma, a graduate student helping with the planning.

A group of students under communications professor Tom Flynn are working on public relations and reaching out to people in the areas surrounding SRU.

Thoma said organizers have come up with a long list of descendants of founders. For every name on the original stockholder’s list, she said there are 20 to 25 names of people living today.

“We’ve come up with a pretty solid list,” Thoma said.

Students of Li Pu, a communications professor, will be collecting stories and artifacts on the day of the picnic and will be videotaping the event.

One artifact Watson is intrigued about is one of the original stock certificates that were sold to raise money to build the school. He said neither he nor anyone else who keeps track of SRU history has ever seen a certificate or a picture of a certificate.

“That’s one piece of our history that we are ignorant about,” Watson said, noting there is a chance the certificates were figurative.

A group of students will offer historical tours of campus on the day of the event. A dry run of the tour was given to members of SRU’s council of trustees a couple weeks ago.

A fourth group of students will produce a DVD of the picnic to be sold later. Pu said she has been in contact with Pittsburgh Community Television to broadcast what is filmed at the event.

Thoma said she and other organizers are happy with the high amount of student engagement in the planning of the event.

“We’re really proud of that,” Thoma said.

People who believe to be connected to SRU’s history or have artifacts may call Watson’s office at 724-738-2003 or send an e-mail to sru1889@sru.edu or robert.watson@sru.edu.