Presidents
- John X. Jamrich
- James B. Appleberry
Campus
Jacobetti Skills Center
Traditions
Hunt Hall Arctic House Plunge begins in winter 1987 in Lake Superior at the mouth of the Dead River.
Events and speakers: Futurist Herman Kahn; Photographer Ansel Adams; Authors Alexander Ginzburg, Alvin Toffler and Alex Haley; Playwright Edward Albee; Poet Czeslaw Milosz; Journalist Howard K. Smith; Civil Rights Activist Cesar Chavez, Abbie Hoffman & G. Gordon Liddy Debate; Comedians/Satirists Yakov Smirnoff, Mark Russell, Bobcat Goldthwaite; Paleontologist Richard Leakey; Voice Actor Mel Blanc; Musicians The Outfield, 1964, James Cotton, Cheap Trick, The Tubes, Eddie Money, Vixen, Maynard Ferguson, Romantics, Eddie Money, Smithereens
Students working in the new Jacobetti Skill Center
Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev's policies of glasnost (meaning "transparency") and perestroika began the end of the Cold War. This was soon followed by the surprising fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. There were also some disasters this decade, including th eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Ethiopian famine, a huge poison gas leak in Bhopal, and the scourge of AIDS. Culturally, the 1980s saw the introduction of the mesmerizing Rubik's Cube, the Pac-Man video game, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network debuted.
Students now pay about 25 percent of the cost of education in Michigan. With recent cutbacks in state appropriations and financial aid programs, President Jamrich predicts that students will pay a larger percentage.
In addition to the Olympic trainees, 29 sports, ranging from archery to wrestling train at the Olympic Training Center on a long- or short-term basis. The Site goes on to host a number of national and international events, such as the short track speed skating World Cup in 2003 and the 2006 Olympic Trials. In 2010 the NTS hosts the USA Weightlifting National Collegiate Championships and numerous Junior Olympic Championships for boxing. The most recent medalist is wrestler Helen Maroulis, who captures her third Olympic medal with bronze in Paris 2024.
Northern enters the age of robotics with the purchase of two robots, which are among the three main types used in manufacturing. They will be used by the Industry and Technology Department to conduct welding tasks.
The 250-member Commission on the Future of NMU makes its recommendations in 1986 to create a paperless university through use of electronics; continue to raise its academic standards; strengthen internal and external communications in an increasingly competitive world; expand cultural programs; and create a cultural center.
The giant wooden card catalogs at Lydia Olson Library become a thing of the past as a grant funds a computer-based library system for its 400,000 volumes.
Magers Hall is converted into a guest lodging facility where a room and three cafeteria meals is $19 per day.
A survey is conducted in the residence halls cafeteria which concludes chicken cutlets, tacos and pizza are students’ best-liked food items.
NMU Olympic Training Center founding ceremony at Colorado Springs, Colo. in February 1985. Pictured from left are William Simon-USOC, Karen Kunkel-NMU OTC director, James Blanchard-Michigan Governor, Don Miller-USOC and James Appleberry-NMU President.
125th Memories
“I was accepted to NMU on probation, as I struggled academically in high school due only to lack of effort and felt fortunate to be admitted at all. College wasn’t originally in my plans, but after losing my dominant left arm at the mid-forearm at 20, I decided to change direction and managed to gain admission. One of my most significant memories comes from that first year. Despite a rough start with my arm and the fact that I “didn’t pay enough attention” in high school, I earned one of the highest GPAs and was invited to speak to incoming freshmen. I went on to maintain a strong GPA throughout my time at NMU and eventually pursued graduate studies in Counseling.
Northern Michigan University opened my mind and taught me to think in new ways, both through coursework and collaborating with other students. It was a transformative period of growth for me. Having been disengaged in high school, NMU made me feel like I had entered the real world, where things truly mattered and everyperson deserved to be valued and respected.”
—John N. German '92 BS
A group of students gather to play cards.
Northern enters the age of robotics with the purchase of two robots, which are among the three main types used in manufacturing.
In 1989 a new NMU logo is introduced with “free-flowing lines and rounded corners, impressions of nature such as a tree or water…” It was designed by Melinda Stamp, who worked at WNMU-TV.
A North Wind Independent Newspaper from the 1980s