University of Minnesota Duluth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 46°49′10″N 92°04′54″W / 46.819513, -92.0817 The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota System located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 12 bachelor's degrees in 75 majors, graduate programs in 20 fields, a two-year program at the School of Medicine, a four-year College of Pharmacy program, and a Doctor of Education program.

The chief executive officer of UMD is Chancellor Kathryn A. Martin. She has been Chancellor since November 1995.

[edit] History

Although the University of Minnesota Duluth didn’t officially make its appearance until 1947, plans to make a strong college in the Duluth area started in the 1800s. The state legislature made blueprints and gathered supplies to build a teaching school for women and in 1895 they announced the starting of the Duluth Normal School. In 1896, the City of Duluth donated six acres of land to serve as a foundation for the Duluth Normal School, and the state legislature donated an additional $5,000 to build the school. The main building of the Duluth Normal School cost a total of $75,000 but these funds were not available until 1900. In February 1901, a large fire caused extensive damage to the school leaving only a couple of walls and doorways standing. Although money had been lost in the creation of the Duluth Normal School, the legislature decided to rebuild.

After the school had been rebuilt, many new additions were made, including new faculty and a new president. In April 1901, Eugene W. Bohannon was appointed president of the Duluth Normal School. In 1902, the school opened for business. Women came to the school to be trained for a highly sought-after degree in education. By 1903, seven women received their diplomas from Duluth Normal School. In 1906, the first ladies dormitories were established and opened, costing the school around $35,000 to build. Living on campus was much cheaper and much easier for everyone. Throughout the next few years, more dormitories, two new wings, and an auditorium were added to the school. By the time these additions were finished, tuition was increased and requirements, such as having a high school diploma, were put in place in order to apply to the school.

In 1921, the Duluth Normal School was renamed to the Duluth State Teachers College, also known as DSTC. Shortly after the renaming, bachelor’s degrees and four-year degree programs were added to the school. In 1929 men began to come to the DSTC, and along with them, the first sports teams including hockey, football, and basketball. All of these generated money for the school, and attracted many more students to the school over the years. By 1937, people were fighting to make DSTC a University of Minnesota branch to increase funding and the overall reputation of the school. It was not until 1947 the DSTC became part of the University of Minnesota system and was again renamed, this time to the University of Minnesota Duluth, or UMD.

[edit] Campus

Today, the UMD campus consists of more than 50 buildings on 244 acres (98.7 hectares) overlooking Lake Superior. Most UMD buildings are connected by concourses or hallways. UMD is also home to the Tweed Museum of Art, the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium, Weber Music Hall, and the Marshall Performing Arts Center. Other UMD facilities include the Research and Field Studies Center, Glensheen Historic Estate, the Lower Campus, Minnesota Sea Grant, the Large Lakes Observatory, and the Natural Resources Research Institute.

UMD has experienced a revamping of student amenities and subsidized research facilities over the past seven years, beginning in 2000 with the completion of a new library. Additional buildings built since 2000 include the Weber Music Hall, Swenson Science Building, Sports and Health Center addition, and the new Labovitz School of Business. With the construction of these new buildings comes a plethora of new art on campus. All new public building projects in Minnesota must comply with the state's “One Percent for Art” law, passed by the State Legislature in 1984, which mandates that all such projects in Minnesota costing over $500,000 must devote at least 1% of their total construction budget towards incorporating public art into these building's public spaces. A little over 1% of the library's $28 million construction costs went toward the purchase and installation of a glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly that hangs from the ceiling of the two-story library lobby. 2005 saw the completion of the Swenson Science Building, a new student dining facility and a revamped UMD themed gift shop as well as the replacement of the famed coffee cart with the Northern Shores Coffee Shop. An 89-foot (27 m) high outdoor sculpture adjacent to the Swenson Science Building makes reference to elements of Duluth's surrounding native American Ojibwe culture. The sculpture was designed by John David Mooney and is called "Wild Ricing Moon," and represents the traditional wild rice harvest. "Wild Ricing Moon" was completed on June 2, 2006.

Construction of Wild Ricing Moon.

The new Swenson Science Building at UMD.

The colleges and schools at the University of Minnesota Duluth are:

• College of Liberal Arts
• Swenson College of Science and Engineering
• School of Fine Arts
• Labovitz School of Business and Economics
• College of Education & Human Service Professions
• Graduate School
• Medical School
• College of Pharmacy

[edit] Buildings

Tweed Museum of Art

In the 1920s and early 1930s, a man by the name of George P. Tweed and his wife Alice began collecting European and American paintings from the 19th and early 20th century. After Mr Tweed's death in 1946, Mrs. Tweed saw the potential educational resource that her husbands collection possessed for the community. And in 1958 helped fund what is today the University of Minnesota Duluth's Tweed Museum of Art. Today the museum holds over 5,000 works of art.

Marshall A. Alworth Planetarium

The Marshall A. Alworth Planetarium was built by Marshall A. Alworth, a benefactor to the school for many years. Marshall grew up in Duluth and attended Duluth Central High School and later also attended Dartmouth College. Marshall has donated many scholarships and which to this day are worth over $35 million.

The Marshall A. Alworth Planetarium has a 30 ft (9.1 m) dome and a Spitz A3P star machine. The planetarium can seat up to 70 people, projects approximately 1500 stars. The planetarium also holds a historical telescope that once belonged to John H. Darling.

Weber Music Hall

The relatively new Weber Music hall which was built in 2003 by famous architect César Pelli, is considered the "gem" of UMD. The state of the art hall has amazing acoustics and can seat 350 people.

[edit] Athletics

Champ, University of Minnesota Duluth mascot.

UMD's athletic teams are called Bulldogs (after the 148th Fighter Wing). The school competes in the NCAA's Division II in all sports except ice hockey. Both the men's and women's hockey programs compete in the Division I Western Collegiate Hockey Association. They are also known for having a strong club sports program, especially in ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, rugby, and ice hockey.

In 2008 the undefeated Bulldogs won the NCAA Division II National Football Championship -- the first Division II championship in any sport at the school. ^[1]

Men's
Cross Country, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Track, Baseball

'Women's
Cross Country, Soccer, Hockey, Basketball, Track, Softball, Volleyball, Tennis

The UMD women's hockey team has won 4 Division I National Championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, & 2008.

On December 13, 2008 the UMD Bulldogs won their first NCAA Division II football championship.

[edit] Programs offered at UMD

Intramurals
Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Flag Football, Ultimate Frisbee, Bowling, Golf, Table Tennis, Broomball, Hockey (4 on 4), Basketball (Co-Rec., 3 on 3), Curling, Volleyball (4 on 4)

Sports Clubs
There are many UMD organized sports clubs that both men and women may join together. Some of the clubs include: Alpine Skiing, Badminton, Dance Team, Dodgeball, Martial Arts, Rowing, and Table Tennis. Men's clubs include: Lacrosse, Hockey, Rugby Football, Soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee (Northern Lights). Women's clubs include: Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Rugby, and Ultimate Frisbee (Lake Effect).

Greek Life
There are several Greek Organizations students can join ranging from local to national, service and social. Organizations include Gamma Sigma Sigma, Beta Lambda Psi, Phi Sigma Sigma, Alpha Phi Omega, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Nu Omega, Phi Kappa Psi and Greek Council. Students must be an active member of a fraternity or sorority in good standing before serving on Greek Council.

Outdoor Clubs
Bike Club, Kayak & Canoe Club, North Shore Climbers, Outdoor Educators Club, and Wuda Wooch!

Outdoor Events/Races
Paddling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: paddle your way through the majestic lakes of BWCA Climb Devil’s Tower: climb the Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming Backpack Porcupine Mountains: backpack the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan The Rock Hill Adventure: trail running and canoeing, or kayaking Trail Running/ Trekking: run 3.5 miles (5.6 km), while paddling the Circumvent Rock Pond 15 times Homecoming 5K Trail Run: participate in the annual 3.1 mil trail run in the Bagley Nature Area

Fitness
There are a variety of group fitness programs at UMD. These programs are open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. You must first purchase a group fitness pass before participating in any of the classes. These classes include; Butts & Gutts, Cardio Mix, Circuit City, Hip Hop, Kardio Kick, Pilates, Piloga, Pump & Tone, Power Yoga, Spin & Core, Step, Step & Sculp, Vinyasa Yoga, and Yoga Inspired Stretch. Massage therapy, personal training, tri teams, and kinesis are also available at UMD.

Events
Wild Mushroom Exploration: learn interesting facts about mushrooms
FYI Duluth by Van: explore wild historical areas of Duluth, while aboard a 15-passenger van
Eyes on the Skies: discuss the basics of Raptors, their identification, and experience live Raptors upclose
Catt’ in the Louie: learn about fishing and invasive species
Apple Cidering: gulp down a glass of cider while learning the interesting facts about it
Bog Walk: Learn about and hike in a local bog.
Road Bike to Two Harbors: take an invigorating tour towards Two Harbors
Buckthorn Pull: volunteer to help Bagley Natures Area forests
Rollerblade Munger Trail: rollerblade your way through the nearby Munger Trail
Lumber Jill: Tandem log sawing, axe throwing, yolk racing, pancake eating, and campfire building
Superior Hiking Trail Day Hike: get out and experience the wonderful trails of Duluth
Strangers in the Night: learn about owl migration and their interesting facts
Paper Mill Tour: take a tour of the Paper Mill in downtown Duluth

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Politics

• Michael S. Berman - Longtime Washington lawyer and lobbyist, deputy chief of staff for Walter Mondale
• Mike Hatch - former Minnesota Attorney General and 2006 candidate for Governor
• Donny Ness - current mayor of Duluth

[edit] Business

• David Oreck - Founder of the Oreck Corporation
• Robert Senkler - President and CEO of Securian Financial Group, Inc.
• Craig P. Omtvedt- CFO of Fortune Brands Inc.

[edit] Sports

• Mark Pavelich and John Harrington were members of 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey gold-medal team that beat the USSR in the Miracle on Ice game.
• Dan Devine - head Football coach for the Missouri Tigers, Green Bay Packers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Jay Guidinger - former center for the Cleveland Cavaliers
• Brett Hull - former NHL Player
• Tom Kurvers - Hobey Baker Award winner and long-time NHL player
• Junior Lessard - Hobey Baker Award winner, right wing for Atlanta Thrashers
• Chris Marinucci - Hobey Baker Award winner
• Jeff Monson - Grappling and MMA fighter
• Derek Plante - former NHL Player
• Bill Watson - Hobey Baker Award winner and former NHL player
• Matt Niskanen - Currently playing in the NHL for the Dallas Stars
• Mason Raymond - Currently playing in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks

[edit] Other

• Jim Brandenburg - renowned National Geographic nature photographer
• Lorenzo Music - the voice of Garfield and Carlton the Doorman on Rhoda

[edit] Notable Donations: James Swenson

James Swenson, a University of Minnesota Duluth Alumnus, has donated more than $21 million to the school, with his most recent donation of $10.7 million toward the College of Science and Engineering. $3 million of this will be set aside for the new civil engineering building and the remaining $7.7 million will be given as scholarships for students in science and research programs. This donation will help to continue to support the scholarship programs the Swenson family started in 1994. Since the program began, UMD has awarded scholarships to over 200 students, and had another 160 Swenson scholar students graduate. Because of his generous donations over the years, the school has renamed the College of Science and Engineering to be the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. “It’s nice to have our names on buildings, but there’s a lot of gratification in helping these young people,” said Swenson. The Swenson’s are natives of northern Superior, and have since relocated to California after James completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1959 at UMD. He then made millions in the computer industry with his circuit shop Details Inc., which he sold in 1997.

[edit] References

"A Brief Historical Perspective Marshall W. Alworth". Marshall H. and Nellie Alworth Memorial Fund. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.

"About the Tweed Museum". University of Minnesota Duluth. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.

"Athletics, Sports, & Recreation". Retrieved on 2007-09-05.

Moran, Ken (1996). UMD Comes of Age; the First One Hundred Years. Duluth: U of Minnesota. 

"Music Facilities". University of Minnesota Duluth. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.

"Recreational Sports Outdoor Program". Retrieved on 2007-10-23.

"UMD Facts". University of Minnesota Duluth. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.

[edit] External links

• University of Minnesota Duluth
• University of Minnesota Sea Grant
• Glensheen - The Historic Congdon Estate