History department debuts ‘Engaging Campus’

President Wacker looking at an exhibit board

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President Robbyn Wacker enjoys the exhibit.

The Department of History will celebrate the opening of the “Engaging Campus: SCSU students from the 1920s through the 1960s” exhibit with a reception and program Sept. 20 in Stewart Hall.

The exhibit on Stewart Hall’s second floor consists of six boards including an introductory board and five each featuring St. Cloud State student history from a different decade.

Public history students in Robert Galler and Betsy Glade’s History 673 class did the research and created the exhibit in spring 2018.

“Most prior histories at the university were written about the presidents and great leaders,” Galler said. “We’re trying to add the student experience and perspective for each era to that story.”

Each student researched student organizations, activities and perspectives during their decade culminating the exhibit that covers St. Cloud State in the 1920s through the 1960s.

Part of the exhibit is a callout for alumni to share their stories. They can do so by attending the opening celebration to speak with student researchers or by sharing their contact information by emailing [email protected].

The students first presented their findings during the 2018 Huskies Showcase. The project was featured in a two-segment story on WJON in May and in the most recent edition of Outlook Magazine. The students will also each publish their own article in the Stearns History Museum’s “Crossings” publication.

Their work was also the foundation of a banner exhibit put together by the St. Cloud State Sesquicentennial committee this fall.

The opening celebration began with a reception on Stewart Hall’s lower level feature remarks by President Robbyn Wacker, Galler and the students. Afterward attendees headed upstairs to see the exhibit. The students each spoke about their exhibit and were on-hand to answer questions about their boards.

The graduate student did their research in conjunction with St. Cloud State University’s sesquicentennial celebration through September 2019. A new class of students is working to extend the exhibit by researching another set of decades this fall.

“Engaging Campus: SCSU students from the 1920s to through the 1960s” is an exhibit focusing on student experiences and perspectives through five decades of St. Cloud State University history.