Where in the World is Northern Michigan University?

Marquette, Michigan is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is the county seat of Marquette County. It is the largest city in the UP, with over 19,000 people in the 2000 census. (They call that a city?) It receives an average of 141 inches of snow a year, so pack your parka and boots!

Marquette is a port on the Great Lake of Lake Superior and has been shipping iron ore from its docks since the 1850's. It was named for Fr Jacques Marquette, the French Jesuit missionary who had explored the area.

Source: Wikipedia

Photo is of the city of Marquette by air, taken by Neil Harri; courtesy of Pasty.com.

Northern Michigan University is a 4 year college public university located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest university with a population of nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate students,

Northern Michigan University, NMU for short, was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as a new school to provide teacher preparation programs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. When it opened its doors in 1899, Northern enrolled thirty-two students who were taught by six faculty members on a 350-acre campus.

Colors: Olive Green and Old Gold
Nickname: Wildcats
Mascot: Wildcat Willy

GO WILDCATS!

Read the whole article at Wikipedia

Well, if you insist. Many Yoopers decide to either go to Northern Michigan University or Michigan Technological University, located in Houghton, Mi. Michigan Tech is actually closer to my home, and my sister graduated from there. But since they specialize in science and technology, and I wanted to major in social work, I chose NMU. Plus, I wanted to spread my wings and live in a dorm rather than live at home.

Northern was established by the legislature as a new school to provide teacher preparation programs. For many years, educating teachers was the sole mission of the school. Now they offer 180 degree programs. I graduated in 1974 with a BS degree in Social Work and a minor in Sociology.

Many things have changed since I graduated. Some of my favorite buildings, such as the Castle, housing the administration building, have been torn down. The picture above is of Kaye Hall, which was built in 1915 and was used as the administration building when I was there. It was built of native Marquette sandstone with distinctive reddish and cream markings and the turreted "castle gothic" structures. The NMU archives state that it and several other building were torn down in 1972. I must be getting senile, because I really have no memory of it.

Although other building have been built to replace them, I was pleased to find on a recent visit that NMU still had a "small campus" feel to it.

NMU has definitely changed since I was there. It is now made up of more than 50 facilities. The campus was named one of the "most unwired" (wireless) campuses in the United States in 2005. In fact, all full-time students receive either a ThinkPad or iBook as part of tuition. The university has received national and international awards for its innovative work in the area of technology in higher education. And to think, I had to bring my own Royal typewriter!

One of the biggest changes is that NMU is also the site of the United States Olympic Education Center, one of four Olympic training centers in the country and the only one located on a college campus. The USOEC is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for its resident athletes while offering world-class training. The Center is located in the Superior Dome which is also home to the Wildcats football team. The dome is visible in most pictures taken of the area and is pictured above.

Another change is more of a society change, rather than specific to the university. When I was a new freshman in 1970, having left home for the first time, my roommate and I were amazed to find out that there was a new policy in our dormitory. Magers Hall had just opened up its first floor for 24 hour open house. This meant that boys could visit at any time of the day or night and the girls no longer had to obey a curfew or sign in and out at night. As a burgeoning feminist, I thought this was a great idea.

Today, many dorms across the country, including Magers Hall, are co-ed. Some people even decide to have roomates of the opposite sex. I see nothing wrong with this, but do wonder how it affects the tradition of "panty raids." My most memorable experience of living in a dorm actually happened after our parents, fearing for our safety, had us move to the second floor, which had stricter visiting rules. One night we failed to lock our door, and I woke up to find a strange man standing at the foot of my bed. Oh my! He was drunk and had wandered into the wrong dorm. The excitement continues however.

A note at the NMU website states that in the fall 2006, a bull moose ran into the window of the first floor laundry room of Magers Hall, breaking two panes of glass before running into the woods.

Since NMU is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it is a great place to go if you like to be out in nature. Marquette Country was rated 1 of 5 best places to live and ride by Bike Magazine! Marquette was also named one of the top 8 running towns in the Country by Trail Runners Magazine. During my freshman year, I dated a boy who taught me all about the local area, even though he was from downstate! We both had bikes and we rode the many trails in the area. Presque Isle on the shores of Lake Superior was a favorite destination. The picture in the inset is of Presque Isle in the fall.

Another favorite activity for students is climbing Sugarloaf Mountain. The mountain is known for its stunning views of Lake Superior and Marquette City.

But I can't leave out the weather that students will experience for most of the school year. Snow, yes, snow. Remember, the average snowfall is 144 inches per year. If you love outdoor winter sports, you will enjoy yourself immensely. Hockey is a favorite sport in the area. Skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, making snowmen, snowball fights, all make for fun times. Walking to class in the snow is always an adventure, but since I grew up in the UP, I knew how to dress for the weather. Sitting in the dorm drinking hot chocolate is something always appreciated after being out in the cold.

Another notable was John Lautner, one of this century's important contemporary American architects. His official website states "Lautner was born in 1911, the older of two children. He was raised in Marquette, Michigan, graduating from high school and college there. The northern woods and the deep blue of Lake Superior remained in his soul throughout his life, and he was to return time and time again to bask in what he considered a heaven on earth."

Lautner designed some very unusual houses during his 83 year life. One of the most striking is probably the The Chemosphere, built in 1960, an innovative Modernist octagon house in Los Angeles, California. Many of his houses have been used as sets for movies.