Golden Wildcats
Attention Northern Michigan University Class of 1976! 2026 marks the 50th anniversary year of your graduation from NMU!
Golden Wildcats is a program designed to recognize all alumni who have reached this special milestone. Each year, we will welcome the class celebrating their 50th anniversary.
This recognition program will be celebrated during Homecoming with a special reception, campus tour, and other activities throughout the weekend. Check back often for details as we will continue to update this website as plans develop.
Homecoming 2026
Golden Wildcats Parade Trolley – Friday, September 18
Celebrate your 50-year milestone as an NMU graduate by joining fellow Golden Wildcats in the NMU Homecoming Parade! Our Homecoming tradition offers a fun opportunity to reconnect, represent your class, and wave to the community along the parade route.
Space is limited. If your plans change and you are unable to attend, please notify the Alumni Relations Office so we may offer your seat to someone on the waitlist.
If capacity is reached, please contact kelynch@nmu.edu to join the waitlist.
Golden Wildcats Brunch – Saturday, September 19
Reconnect with classmates and fellow NMU alumni at the Golden Wildcats Brunch, a special Homecoming tradition celebrating alumni who graduated 50 years ago. Enjoy a complimentary breakfast while mingling with friends old and new, browse yearbooks and memorabilia as you take a walk down memory lane, and hear the latest campus updates from President Olsen.
Register here.
Harden Hall Walking Tour – Saturday, September 19
Join fellow Wildcats for a guided walking tour of the newly renovated Harden Hall. Explore the transformed spaces, learn about the building's rich history and recent updates, and discover how today's students are benefiting from this revitalized campus landmark.
Whether you spent time in Harden Hall as a student or are seeing it for the first time in decades, this tour offers a unique opportunity to connect the past with the future of NMU.
You Remember the Experience. Help Create One.
When you think back on your years at Northern, chances are it's more than the classes you remember. It may be the internship that launched your career, the professor who believed in you, or the experience that changed your perspective.
Today's Wildcats deserve those same opportunities.
Your gift to the Student Experience Grant Fund helps students pursue life-changing experiences like internships, student teaching, study abroad, clinical placements, academic conferences and professional licensure. These opportunities prepare students for success but can be financially out of reach.
Because of donor support, pre-med student Ryann Pitts spent time in Peru gaining hands-on medical experience while serving local communities. She says the opportunity would not have been possible without the generosity of NMU donors.
NMU Yearbooks
Take a stroll down memory lane and check out NMU's yearbooks.
Many digital collections documenting the history of the Upper Peninsula are now freely accessible and searchable on the U.P. Digital Network (UPLINK) website hosted by the Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives. NMU digitized materials, ranging from yearbooks and historical photos to audio interviews and videos, are now accessible online.
