Auburn Police

Auburn Police traces the history of the Auburn Police Department, which dates back to the mid1800s. It portrays many of the faces of those people who have devoted 20, 30, or more years of service to their community. Although a number of aspects of law enforcement have changed over the years, the very principle of the police officer interacting with the public remains the same.

Auburn has been a town of many names. Native Americans referred to it as Ilalko, the town's founders called it Slaughter, and finally, city leaders, hoping to attract more visitors and business from the expanding railroad lines, named it Auburn. Auburn has been a hops boomtown, a major railroad hub, and "The Little Detroit of the West." The city has been a home to immigrants from countries around the world, including Japan, Italy, Ireland, and Sweden. Auburn is a growing suburban city with the heart of a small-town farming community that has always been proud of its local businesses and its hardworking citizens.

Auburn. The name resonates among generations who have studied, taught, or worked on the campus. No matter what the university has been formally named over the years-from East Alabama Male College to Alabama Polytechnic Institute-people have fondly called it Auburn since it was chartered in 1856. Professor George Petrie's Auburn Creed emphasizes the refrain "I believe," which the Auburn family of Plainsmen, Tigers, and War Eagles have embraced. In this fitting tribute to a landmark Southern institution, vintage photographs depict people, places, experiences, and traditions beloved by the Auburn community. Virtues such as loyalty, patriotism, service, and hard work have been encouraged on the campus from the school's inception. With a cooperative spirit, students and faculty alike applaud each other's successes in the classrooms and laboratories as well as in stadiums and on athletic fields. Numerous significant accomplishments in both academics and athletics are associated with Auburn and they are celebrated within these pages. Images of the campus as it has evolved over the years; memorable students, faculty, staff, and alumni; and unforgettable events have been gathered and preserved in this keepsake volume.