125 Years
Join Northern Michigan University in celebrating 125 years of academic excellence, unmatched community spirit, and Wildcat pride.
Join us in celebrating 125 years
Since 1899, Wildcats have triumphed, building a communal strength that expands beyond campus into the Marquette community and Upper Peninsula region. Never faltering or staying in one place; always forward, always onward, with an iron will and an uncommon warmth.
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Upcoming Events
- July Holiday Celebrations - Marquette, Ishpeming, Negaunee parades and festivities
- July 12 NMU Historic Walking Campus Tour Register Here
- July 12 Alumni Friday at the Mather Inn Register Here
- August 1 Opening, Jack Deo Photography Exhibit, DeVos Art Museum
- August 23 Alumni Friday at Blackrocks Brewery Register Here
- August 24 Opening, 125th Exhibit, Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center
- September 19-21 Homecoming
- September 19 125th Celebration Outdoor Concert
More events and details to come!
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Students Receive 125th Celebration Scholarships
Northern kicked off its 125th Anniversary Celebration by awarding three students scholarships at the start of its Charter Week on Monday, April 29.
Each student received an award of $1,250 that can be used toward their NMU costs for the Fall 2024 semester.
The recipients were: incoming student - Sophia Haraison; undergraduate student, Tay Linder; and graduate student TJ Jasinski.
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Historic Walking Tours
Join Dan Truckey '90 BS, director/curator of the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center, for a historic walking tour of Northern Michigan University's campus!
Celebrate the 125th anniversary of Northern Michigan University. Hosted by Dan Truckey, this event promises to be an enlightening experience. Dan will serve as your guide for a 60-minute historic walking tour of Northern Michigan University's campus.
We'll gather at the Carillon Towers, conveniently situated next to the Northern Center parking lot. Rain or shine, please dress appropriately for the occasion. Due to limited space, we kindly ask that you register in advance to secure your spot for this special tour. The tours will take place at 11 a.m. on June 14 and July 12.
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Tell Your Story
As part of its 125th anniversary celebration this year, Northern Michigan University is collecting stories and reflections from alumni, faculty, staff, and community members to share throughout 2024 across various NMU platforms. Photos and recordings up to a minute in length are also welcome. Audio recordings will be played on NMU's RadioX during the 125th anniversary celebration.
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NMU's Alma Mater
The Alma Mater Work Group selected Communication and Media Studies Professor Dwight Brady’s "Northern Pride" as the top submission and recommended it as the alma mater to President Brock Tessman and the Executive Council, where it was approved.
Northern Pride will make its official debut at the 2024 Homecoming football game on Sept. 21.
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Give us a school, a Normal School!
By the late 19th century, the Upper Peninsula flourished with immigrants who had come to work in the copper and iron mining and logging industries. Their children needed an education, but 75% of teachers in the area had no formal training and were likely fresh out of secondary school. Notable Marquette residents including Peter White lobbied for the establishment of what was then called a normal school—a translation of the French term école normale—to train and certify teachers in the region. The state legislature refused the first few proposals, but on April 28, 1899, Gov. Hazen Pingree signed a bill authorizing Northern State Normal School in Marquette. The pen he used on that fateful day is stored at the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center on campus.
Stories
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Members of the first graduating class of Northern State Normal School, 1902
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A shot of Northern State Normal School campus, 1910
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Northern State Normal School graduating class, 1911
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A dorm room circa 1911
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Northern State Normal School orchestra, 1920
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A collage from 1937's 'Kawbawgam' yearbook
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Athletics collage from the Polaris yearbook, 1942
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Northern News Staff, 1942
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Lydia M. Olson library entrance, 1955
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Ski club, 1955
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Members of the 1955 cheerleading squad
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NMU marching band on the field, 1960's
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Dedication of Edgar L. Harden Resource Center, 1973
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John X. Jamrich Hall in the 1970's
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NMU hockey in the 1970's
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NMU Football NCAA Championship Team 1975
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First staff of the Nishnawbe News, 1971
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Glenn T. Seaborg, the namesake of NMU's Seaborg Center and Ishpeming native, was the only living person to have an element named after him. He passed away in 1999.
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NMU homecoming parade, 1980's
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Students on campus circa 1988
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In 1991, the NMU Men's Hockey Team won the NCAA Championship under the leadership of now athletic director Rick Comley
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The beginning of the Teaching, Learning, and Communication (TLC) program, NMU's award-winning, campus-wide technology program, 2000
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Wildcat Willy has been through several glow ups over the years...
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Generations of Wildcats at homecoming 2015
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NMU's Medicinal Plant Chemistry program is the first 4-year degree of its kind and has been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, CNBC, and NBC Nightly News, 2017
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Willy and friends at NMU's 120th Birthday Party, 2019
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NMU's Women's Volleyball Team plays the first-ever collegiate volleyball game on Mackinac Island against Central Michigan University, 2021
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In 2023, Dr. Brock Tessman officially became the 17th president of Northern Michigan University