Q: On May 25, 1986, the University of Kansas became the first university in the nation to dedicate one of these on campus. What was dedicated?
A: Vietnam War memorial (monument to KU students killed in Vietnam)
Eleven years after the Vietnam War ended, the University of Kansas became the first university in the nation to dedicate an on-campus commemorative to Vietnam War dead. On May 25, 1986, student leaders unveiled the KU Vietnam Memorial in Marvin Grove. The monument, like the one in the nation’s capital, was designed not to make political statements, but rather to separate the war from the warriors and, as the inscription reads, to remember the “courage, honor and sacrifice of our fellow students.” The memorial honors the 59 KU students and alumni who gave their lives in service to their country during the conflict in Vietnam. The year 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam.
(This post was updated to reflect that, as of 11/07/17, there are 59 names on the wall.)