Beginning in 1906, students at Bellingham State Normal School (now Western Washington University) began experimenting with a yearbook format in the final academic-year edition of their monthly newspaper, the Normal Messenger. This experimentation continued with more or less fidelity through 1912, and in 1913 the Klipsun yearbook emerged as a separate publication. The students published Klipsun yearbook almost continuously from 1913 to 1970--the exception being the 1967/68 year when it transitioned briefly into a quarterly magazine (Fall, Winter, Spring). After publishing Klipsun as an academic-year publication in 1969 and 1970, the students at Western Washington State College formally ended Klipsun yearbook and converted the publication to a quarterly magazine, which has been its format since then (see Klipsun Magazine issues from 1967 forward online at https://cedar.wwu.edu/klipsun_magazine/).
The Klipsun yearbooks chronicle each academic year through words and imagery, showcasing students, faculty, athletic, club and other special events. They provide an illustrated history of the campus, its students, faculty and administrators including the Training School (later the Campus Elementary School).
The yearbooks were scanned from original print copies housed in Special Collections, Archives & Special Collections, Western Libraries. The scanning was outsourced thanks to the generous support of Bert Halprin (Class of 1971).
