Students will be quick to notice that something big is beginning when they get back to campus next year: the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is turning 50.

Amid banners and historical displays, the fall semester will commence into what is promising to be a celebratory year for not only UWM, but the surrounding community as well.

“Our goal is to stage a yearlong series of events that celebrate and recognize the contributions that the university has made,” said Tom Luljak, vice chancellor for University Relations and Communications. “It’s to showcase what the university has already accomplished as well as looking forward to what we’re capable of doing in the next 50 years.”

The university’s anniversary will be used to increase pride and “communicate the permanency of UWM in the region,” Luljak said. It will also to help the community “recognize the contributions and impact UWM has in the Milwaukee area and to increase appreciation for the university,” he said.

The 50th Anniversary Committee has many of the year’s events already planned, but the details are not yet in place, so only a broad view of the plans is available.

There are three main components of the yearlong celebration that each event will display.

Many will focus on academics at UWM and the progress the university has made in expanding its research capacities. Others will highlight student life and community service events and initiatives. The rest will recognize alumni of the university. Many events will be university- and community-oriented, as local residents will be invited and encouraged to attend.

Kicking off the commemoration will be a “Founders’ Day” celebration in Spaights Plaza on Sept. 25 to recognize the first class of students enrolled at UWM.

“Many universities take time to reflect on those people that were the first to start an institution,” Luljak said.

The kick-off date was chosen carefully, Luljak said.

“It’s as close as we could get to the actual date classes started in 1956,” Luljak said, noting that classes started on Sept. 24 that year.

Other specific events are still in the planning stages and are not ready to be announced, but the celebratory nature of next year will be very apparent. Historical displays around campus will showcase aspects of university and student life over the past 50 years. The university is also making sure to invite alumni and faculty from 50 years ago back to the university to celebrate.

The Retired Faculty Association has jump-started the commemoration by holding a banquet today and inviting faculty from 50 years ago as special guests. The banquet is not associated with the anniversary plans, but lends credence to the tinge of excitement and anticipation for the start of the next semester.

The university has also announced a new logo for use in publications throughout next year. The logo also has a good chance of appearing on UWM’s revamped Web site, but will not be released until closer to next semester, Luljak said. The Web site is scheduled to launch in conjunction with the anniversary celebrations.

While this is UWM’s 50th anniversary, the educational institution has been around for much longer, having descended from what was once the Milwaukee Normal School, a two-year teachers college founded in 1885.

When a new building, now Mitchell Hall, was completed in 1909, the college moved from downtown to its current location near the lakefront.

In 1920, the University of Wisconsin Extension Division took over responsibility for instruction in Milwaukee. In 1927, the school changed its name to the Milwaukee State Teacher’s College and added four-year degrees.

Twenty-one years later, in 1951, the school name was changed again, this time to Wisconsin State College. WSC offered liberal arts degrees as well as the standard teaching degrees from previous years. In 1956, WSC and the UW-Extension merged to form the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, officially adding UWM to the UW System.

In the 50 years since the merger, UWM has expanded to 12 schools and colleges and now offers 81 undergraduate programs, 48 graduate programs and 20 doctoral degrees, with a university-wide focus on academic research, teaching and community service.

As for next year, Luljak is impressed with what’s planned. The 50th anniversary will be “a rallying point to help to unify us,” he said of both students and faculty and the surrounding community.

“With banners and signs on campus, there will be some very visible signs that this is a special year for UWM.”

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