C M Y K 50 INCH A PAID ADVERTISEMENT BY THE MARSHALL UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
FEBRUARY 28, 2012 |
MARSHALL UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER | MARSHALLPARTHENON.COM
1837-2012
1953
1964
1972
1982
2003
1964: Professor entertains while teaching. 1972: The Memorial Student Center Fountain was dedicated to the memory of the plane crash victims on November 12, 1972. 1982: Physical Education building on campus undergoes demolition. 2003: Marshall Commons, located on Sixth Avenue between 17th and 18th Street on the south side of campus, opened in the fall of 2003.
Marshall celebrates 175 years of education
State’s oldest public institution continues to serve West Virginia proudly Chief Justice John Marshall would surely be proud of the institution that bears his name. 2012 marks 175 years since Marshall University was founded by local residents and soon thereafter located on the Maple Grove knoll in what is now Huntington, W.Va. Since its humble beginnings as a subscription school, Marshall University has grown to become West Virginia’s second-largest institution of higher learning and one of the region’s leading universities.
Marshall today boasts more than 14,000 students, an impressive research pedigree, an award-winning medical school, a beautifully landscaped 100-acre main campus in Huntington, another campus in South Charleston and academic centers in Point Pleasant, Beckley, Logan and Gilbert, W.Va. Marshall’s academic offerings now extend well beyond its original purpose as a teacher’s academy. Thirteen individual colleges offer two associate programs, 44 baccalaureate programs and
46 graduate programs. Marshall also participates in NCAA Division 1 athletics as a member of Conference USA. Male student athletes compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf and soccer. Women’s sports include basketball, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, cross country and volleyball. The Thundering Herd teams, proudly wearing the famous Kelly green and white uniforms, are led by mascot Marco the bison.
Marshall has certainly experienced triumph and tragedy in its rich history. While the university witnessed dramatic change in its first 150 years, its growth became more rapid after achieving university status in 1961. Led by stalwart President Stewart Smith, Marshall fought political battles for many years to earn the title of “university.” In their darkest days, Marshall and Huntington experienced unthinkable tragedy with the loss of the entire football team, coaches
and supporters in a November 14, 1970, plane crash that killed all 75 aboard on approach to Tri-State Airport. The story of the community’s painful, yet remarkable, recovery was shared with audiences around the world through the 2006 major motion picture, “We Are Marshall.” In recent years, under the leadership of President Stephen J. Kopp, Marshall and its Huntington campus have undergone record growth in student enrollment, infrastructure and academic
program offerings. Since 2005, more than $200 million in capital investments have changed the look of campus, with the construction of ultra-modern academic, student and alumni buildings. And, 2012 will be marked by more than anniversary celebrations. More than $100 million in additional new construction began in January and is already well under way. We’re proud of our heritage and even more excited about the future. It’s a great time to be at Marshall.