St. Cloud State University is ramping up for its sesquicentennial year of celebration by unveiling its 150th mark, website and signature events on the eve of the anniversary of Ira Moore being elected St. Cloud State University’s first president.
St. Cloud State will begin celebrating its sesquicentennial in fall 2018 with a year of events leading up to its 150th birthday on Sept. 15, 2019, the anniversary of the first day of classes in 1869.
On March 17, 1869, the State Normal School Board elected Moore to lead the Third State Normal School which consisted of one building, the Stearns House, a renovated hotel, and had 53 students. The school, founded as a teachers’ college, later became St. Cloud State University and now offers more than 200 undergraduate programs and more than 70 graduate programs. In its nearly 150 years, the university has awarded more than 140,000 degrees.
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From humble beginnings, the university has evolved into an anchor institution for St. Cloud and the region and a beacon of diversity and innovation in the state that serves more than 18,000 students per year and has a regional economic impact of $519 million.
“Celebrating our 150th is a time for the campus, community, alumni, friends and partners around the world to reflect on the past, showcase the present and move forward to the next 150 years of unlocking the potential in our students and communities,” said Interim President Ashish Vaidya. “During our year-long celebration, we will also demonstrate the significance the university has played in the development of the Central Minnesota region and the State of Minnesota.”
Throughout the year, the university will feature several signature events unique to its sesquicentennial celebration as well as elevating several long-standing events. This includes a re-envisioned Homecoming on Oct. 17-21, 2018 that will feature new traditions and events along with the continuation of successful Celebrate St. Cloud State programming to welcome alumni back to campus and celebrate the university with students, families and community members. Since 2010, Celebrate St. Cloud State has been the university’s primary fall celebration.
Other signature sesquicentennial events include:
- Fall Convocation
- President’s Club Gala
- Student and Community Concerts
- Potter Global Engagement Forum
- 150th Birthday Gala
- Lemonade Concert & Art Fair
- MLK Breakfast
- Cloud Symphony Orchestra Concert
Event details will be posted and updated at stcloudstate.edu/150. Departments and units throughout campus also will be featuring events under the sesquicentennial umbrella. Planning also is in the work for community partnership celebrations.
Volunteers from across the university, and including alumni, emeriti and community members, are involved in sesquicentennial planning. The volunteers are organized into six groups focusing on campus, academic, alumni, community and external engagement and marketing.
“We have a rich history that spans 15 decades, but in some aspects we’re also just getting started,” Vaidya said. “Through our strategic plan to become the 21st Century Engaged University and Our Husky Compact, our commitment to exceptional student learning, this institution is still innovating and growing as we remain dedicated to student success and serving Minnesota’s workforce needs.”
