Chronicle of Higher Education touts Guinness world record attempt

RELEASED: Nov. 27, 2002

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College alum Fred Vinson keeps showing up in the darnedest places.

This week it was in the Nov. 29 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Vinson, who graduated from Centre in 1909 and from the College's Law School in 1911, served as the chief justice of the United States from 1946 until his death in 1953. But Vinson's legacy lives on as a tradition has developed to take his portrait, affectionately known as "Dead Fred," to campus events.

The Chronicle did a story on how "Dead Fred" served as an honorary judge during Centre's Guinness world-record attempt reading marathon last month.

"Dead Fred" along with two living judges certified the attempt.

The brothers of Phi Delta Theta, Vinson's fraternity who started the tradition, take him to sports contests, and he was also a special guest when the 2000 Vice Presidential Debate was held at Centre.

Centre College students, faculty and staff and Danville community residents read the Declaration of Independence and other historical and literary documents continuously for more than 56 hours Nov. 3-5, surpassing the current Guinness world record.

The marathon reading was in conjunction with the Declaration of Independence Road Trip exhibit.

The College displayed a rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence and presented a host of civic and historical activities Nov. 4-5 at the Norton Center for the Arts.

An estimated 6,000 school children, teachers and other visitors toured the exhibit those two days.

For more information on the Declaration Road Trip at Centre, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/news/record02.html. For more on Fred Vinson, go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/fredvinson.html.

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