On Thursday, March 28, Eastern Michigan University will kick off its yearlong 175th anniversary celebration. The school will be hosting multiple events this year to applaud a century and a quarter of academic history.
The first event of many will take place in the Student Center Ballroom from noon to 3 p.m. Food and refreshments will be provided, as well as to-go containers for those participating in Ramadan. Raffles will be held with prizes, such as $175 flex dollars and $100 gift cards to the EMU bookstore. Raffle entries must be submitted during the event, one entry per person with three winners per prize.
There will be other activities, such as decorating pennants, photo booths, and old yearbooks for people to view. Senior media relations specialist, Brittany Mobley, encourages everyone to “Come join the fun!”
Founded in 1849, Eastern Michigan University was first established as the Michigan State Normal School. The name changed a few times before earning university status and becoming Eastern Michigan University in 1959. As one of the biggest universities in the state, Eastern stands as a pillar of Michigan academics.
When EMU first started out, it was an educator training school, helping educate teachers so that they could educate kids. Now, EMU has five different colleges and over 200 major programs.
For the early 1900's, the athletes were called “Normalities,” based on the school's name of Michigan State Normal School. The school didn’t adopt the mascot of the Hurons until 1929. In 1999, the school decided to drop the name of Hurons and choose between the Green Hornets, Express, and Eagles. They chose the Eagles, and Swoop became Eastern’s mascot.
The University has seen many celebrities come for a visit, including Theodore Roosevelt in 1896, John F. Kennedy in 1960, and Bill Clinton in 1996. Clinton gave a speech about women in business. Then in 2000, he returned to give the commencement address at the Convocation Center.
The school has been a pioneer in many times throughout history. It was the first school in Michigan to have an industrial arts program, starting in 1901. In 1915, it created the first program in the nation to teach educators to serve disabled students. Then in 1940, it became the first teacher training school to have a library services program.
Eastern Michigan has had many firsts over the years. Patricia Swan, crowned in 1972, was EMU’s first African American homecoming queen. In 2008, Eastern’s first female president, Susan W. Martin, served as the school’s 22nd president. She was in office for seven years before the next president took over.
Eastern Michigan has had many events in its history that are notable, and it has evolved into a more open, diverse, and progressive school in its 175 years.
