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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 6 72 he has several other non-Purdue items in his collec- tion. His highest-valued items, in addition to his an- tique gun collection, are kept in a security vault. But, he's more than willing to bring the Purdue items out. One thing you learn quickly about Pate, he doesn't accept no for an answer. It's so clean and neat that it truly could be a muse- um, giving the appearance of there being a cleaning crew on call. "Collectors are a different breed," said Pate, whose day job is at near-by Crane Naval Sea Systems Com- mand just down the road. "Lots of collectors are OCD, and want to have every ticket or program and organized. "I have some of those qualities," Pate said with a laugh. Somehow, Pate has talked his wife of 17 years, Corry, into allowing him ample space for the greatest Boiler- maker mancave in the world. The couple, proud Purdue graduates, met on campus in the late 1990s while Chris was studying engineering and Corry was at work on her doctorate in pharmacy. Pate's first Purdue item was a pennant he bought his freshman year that he hung on his wall in Cary Quad. "I've had to bargain with her to get all this space, but she has been so supportive of it all," Pate said. Even with the arrival of son Grayson four years ago, Chris' "obsession" hasn't missed a beat. Pate's collection has earned some publicity. It was featured in 2014 on "Big Ten Treasure Hunter," a show that aired for two years on BTN. And that publicity helped him get one of his most treasured items, Bob Griese's Rose Bowl watch. But it's the story behind Griese's watch, and so many others items, that makes the journey to see Pate's collection memorable and worthwhile. Griese apparently lost the watch to a Sigma Chi fraternity brother in a bet not long after Griese re- ceived it, and several decades later, that fraternity brother saw Pate on "Big Ten Treasure Hunter" and decided it was time to liquidate the asset. Pate was there to make an offer. But not all the items and stories are ones of athletic triumph. Some are of tragedy. Pate has become an expert on the horrific train crash that killed 17 people, including 14 members of the The Pate Collection: By The Numbers Schedule Posters: 62 seasons Jerseys: 107 Trophies/Charms: Pur- due 43 / Non-Purdue 130 Watches/Rings: 35/40 Framed items: 151 Tickets/Programs: 346/487 Want to visit? Contact Chris Pate at PurdueCollector@gmail.com The poster of the 1967 Big Ten champs The Rick Mount game-worn jersey is a rare item. This charm from the first game in Ross-Ade Stadium was hard to find. Charms were akin to trophies back then. Bob Griese's Rose Bowl watch lost in a wager. Pate has spent a small fortune on protected frames for jerseys and other items.