In the age of social media, artificial intelligence, and robots, one thing has remained constant—good old-fashioned mail. No matter where you live, you likely have a mailbox.
But not every mailbox tells the same story.
Boilermaker spirit truly knows no bounds, and a decorative capsule for bills and letters is just one of the many ways alumni, friends, and fans show their love for Purdue.
Here, proud Boilermakers share some unique ways they’ve put a stamp on their allegiance to the university.
If you’ve worked at Purdue and have been a volunteer firefighter for 40 years, there is only one appropriate mailbox for you. So says Don Biehle (A’77), who, with the blessing of his wife, Anita, designed, built, and installed a one-of-a-kind Purdue fire hydrant mailbox 30 years ago.
A retired superintendent of the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center, Don has served as a volunteer firefighter with the Campbell Township Volunteer Fire Department since 1993. “The mailbox has stood the test of time,” Don says. “An occasional new paint job is all that is required to continue to show our support of Purdue University and volunteer firefighters.”
The Biehles’ rural mailbox is large, sturdy, and spirited. Thanks to Anita, who served as a postmaster for 20 years, it also meets all the requirements of the United States Postal Service. She ensured the mailbox would be fully functional and not just a decorative piece.
The Biehles are truly a Purdue family. Don and Anita have three Boilermaker children, two of whom married Purdue graduates. “Most people know our connection to Purdue and understand the mailbox,” Don says. “But one of the most common questions is ‘Where did you get the fire hydrant?’ Funnily, the fire hydrant came from the junk pile at the Purdue farm where I worked.”
The ravages of time, a growing Boilermaker identity, and public outcry over conflicting loyalties are what led Marija and Mick Milivojac to reimagine their mailbox along Purdue lines.
The couple purchased a University of Michigan mailbox 15 years ago to show their pride for Marija’s alma mater. When their oldest daughter, Nina (M’19), graduated from Purdue and their youngest daughter, Dara, committed to the university, Mick decided it was time to paint over the faded maize and blue with old gold and black. Their Boilermaker family continued to expand, with Nina’s husband and Marija’s niece also obtaining degrees from the university.
The reborn mailbox debuted at Dara’s high school graduation party, and it has enjoyed a wonderful second life ever since.
“Our Purdue mailbox has had only happy days in our neighborhood—unlike the original, which received some torment from neighbors,” Marija says. “The delivery folks are usually told to look for the Purdue mailbox. When a delivery man came to our home during March Madness, he asked me, ‘What time does Purdue play?’”
Although she was born and raised in Michigan, Marija’s growing Purdue family has made her a regular visitor to campus. “I have always been a huge fan of college sports, supporting both Michigan and Purdue,” Marija says. “We are Purdue football season-ticket holders, and we attend various Purdue Athletics events—including Purdue wrestling, as Dara’s boyfriend is on the team. Our mailbox makes it clear who we’re rooting for.”
Westwood Manor, located off McCormick Road near campus, has served as the home of Purdue presidents since the 1970s. It was donated to the university by R.B. Stewart, a prominent Purdue administrator who built the house 40 years prior.
Six presidents have lived at Westwood, each adding their own mark to better accommodate the thousands of guests who stop by for dinner or special events each year. One of Westwood’s many special features is its mailbox, which is modeled after the university’s mascot.
“I believe President Steven Beering, who held the position from 1983 to 2000, initiated the installation of the mailbox to signify Purdue’s long-admired Boilermaker Special,” says Anthony Cawdron, who started working as events director at Westwood in 2000. “The original train was locally crafted by a Purdue Physical Facilities employee, who crafted wood as a hobby. Unfortunately, that unique piece has had to be replaced several times over the years.”
Cawdron carries on the tradition, working with a trusted vendor who customizes each mailbox to fit Purdue’s iconic style.
Students, alumni, friends, and fans frequently commemorate a visit to Westwood with a picture next to the mailbox. This popular photo spot has attracted even more attention since the mailbox was recently moved to a flower bed located farther away from the front porch.
“It’s definitely a stopping point for visitors,” Cawdron says. “The mailbox plus the manor makes for a very memorable image.”
Considered the front door of Purdue, Westwood delivers Boilermaker spirit in style. After all, how else could the president of the university be expected to collect the mail?
—Nicolle Kain, Purdue for Life Foundation writer/editor
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I’m walking with Grandparents University tour group near the steps of Hovde Hall. It’s a Thursday morning in July, and the only students around are between the ages of 7 and 14. I catch a snippet of a conversation between a grandmother and her grandson as she details the pranks she pulled with her friends around this area.
I smile because just a few months ago I was doing the same thing.
Grandparents University (GPU) is a two-day event where grandparents and their grandchildren embrace Purdue and all it has to offer.
Participants choose a specific major to study and attend a class taught by Boilermaker experts. The majors aren’t exactly like the ones we have here at Purdue, but they do get to do cool activities like creating hot sauce, designing monsters, flying drones, and cooking in a Purdue kitchen. It’s a great opportunity to see wisdom and curiosity combined in the classroom, as grandparents and their grandchildren collaborate on these projects. They’re equally willing to learn from the instructors —and from each other—while creating lasting memories.
They might not know it yet, but this Purdue experience at such a young age will help with their college decision in a few years.
My mother started working at Purdue when she was pregnant with me, so I’ve been familiar with the university my whole life. Many of my childhood memories are associated with different parts of campus, and these memories played a big part in my decision to attend Purdue. I was going to a place that I knew—a place I already considered a home away from home. In the same way, when these children make their college decisions, they will already have built connections with Purdue through Grandparents University.
It will also help they already have a Purdue degree!
At the end of GPU, the kids graduate just like regular students by walking across the stage of Elliott Hall of Music. They even have their own caps to decorate and keep—which is great because robe rentals would be a nightmare.
I had been to nine commencement ceremonies before my own in May, so I’m well-versed in Purdue graduations. Nevertheless, it was still fun to watch this one.
These children had learned so much more than what was taught in their major. They learned more about their grandparents and strengthened their connection with them. They learned about the university and what’s in store for them when they (hopefully) become Boilermakers. And at the Block Party, they befriended students they had never met before and hung out on Memorial Mall—just like regular college students.
It was almost exactly what I experienced throughout my college career. Yes, I got my degree and now have a job as was intended on this life path. But I also made lifelong friendships and went outside my comfort zone in ways that helped me grow as an individual.
Purdue shaped me and continues to shape me. I credit a lot of my growth as a person and a professional to my college career here, and a lot of what I know to the professors and instructors I had throughout my education.
Through Grandparents University, you have the opportunity to provide the same transformative experience for future Boilermakers. You can be the Purdue instructor that inspires a path that lasts a lifetime.
Patsy earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition in business from Purdue in 1969, in addition to an MBA in food marketing from Michigan State University in 1970. She retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 after 36 years in corporate food marketing and marketing communications management.
A community volunteer, Patsy serves on the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Advisory Board and the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council, in addition to the President’s Council Advisory Board. She is a former member of the Health and Human Sciences Alumni Board. Patsy held several offices from 2006 through 2013, including president and treasurer. She serves her community’s Discover Indianapolis Club in Fishers, holding several leadership roles for over 10 years.
Patsy has received several honors, including the Purdue University Nutrition Science Department Hall of Fame recipient in 2009 and the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. She also received the college’s Gold and Black Award in 2016, an honor reserved for donors who have moved the college forward by committing exceptional financial resources.
In addition to endowing two scholarships, the Patsy J. Mellott Scholarship and Patsy J. Mellott HHS Scholarship, she established the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award in the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2013. In 2015, she endowed the Patsy J. Mellott Women’s Tennis Coach Performance Award. She is a lead donor in the Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award and the Purdue Women’s Network Virginia C. Meredith Scholarship for the College of Health and Human Sciences.