Northwest Missouri State University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | A Higher Form of Higher Learning |
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| Established | 1905 |
| Type | Public, secular |
| President | Dean L. Hubbard |
| Staff | 239 |
| Undergraduates | 5,494 |
| Postgraduates | 1,080 |
| Location | Maryville, Missouri, USA |
| Campus | Rural |
| Athletics | NCAA, MIAA |
| Nickname | Bearcats |
| Mascot |  Bobby the Bearcat |
| Website | http://www.nwmissouri.edu |
Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri.
Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it is primarily a liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate classes. Its most unique and highest ranked curriculum are in quality, alternative fuels and geographic information science.
The campus based on the design for Forest Park (St. Louis) at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair is the official Missouri State Arboretum.
The university is governed by a state-appointed Board of Regents and headed by President Dr. Dean L. Hubbard.
Northwest competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division II) and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association for men's and women's sports. The mascot is a Bearcat. The Bearcats have won two NCAA Division II national championships (1998 and 1999) and finished as runner-up (2005) in football.
[edit] Famous alumni
- Jean Jennings Bartik - Among the first programmers of the ENIAC and inductee into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame
- Gary Gaetti - major league baseball player
- Dan Loeffert - Arena Football League Free Safety
- Tony Miles - Canadian Football League wide receiver;school's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
- June P. Morgan - Supreme Court of Missouri Chief Justice
- Mel Tjeerdsma - Northwest's national champion winning coach
- Seth Wand - National Football League offensive lineman
- Steve King - Congressman from Iowa's 5th District
- Jamaica Rector - National Football League wide receiver and punt returner for the Dallas Cowboys.
- Steve Williams - National Football League defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Clint Prange - 4X National Champion in Track/Field. Holds furthest Shot-Put mark in NCAA D-II History
[edit] History
[edit] Missouri Fifth District Normal School
In 1905 the Missouri Legislature created five districts in the state to establish teaching standards or norms (hence the original name Normal school) in a state teacher college network.
Maryville won the competition for the Northwest district with an offer to donate 86 acres (on coincidentally the northwest corner of town) and $58,000 on the site of a Methodist Seminary. The other districts in the network were to be at Kirksville (Northeast - now Truman State), Cape Girardeau (Southeast), Springfield (Southwest - now Missouri State), and Warrensburg (Central - now Central Missouri).
The original mission of the school was to teach elementary school teachers. Classes began on June 13, 1906 with a lab school teaching Maryville's children (that was eventually named the Horace Mann school) in kindergarten through third grade. The school was eventually expand to a full fledged high school before dropping back to its current configuration of kindergarten through sixth grade.
[edit] Northwest Missouri State Teacher's College
In 1919 the school was granted the name Northwest Missouri State Teacher's College, and with that the ability to grant baccalaureate degrees. In 1949 the name was shrunk to Northwest Missouri State College by the Board of Regents.
[edit] Rivalry with Missouri Western in St. Joseph
In 1969, Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes pushed for switching St. Joseph Junior College from a two-year school into a four-year state college. At approximately the same time, authorities decided against a plan to continue routing Interstate 29 north of St. Joseph along Highway 71 through Maryville and Clarinda, Iowa (instead picking a a route to Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska along the sparsely populated Missouri River bottoms).
Opening a new four-year state school within 45 miles of Maryville (along with a delay in converting U.S. Route 71 to Maryville to four-lane status until ultimately 2002) was perceived in Maryville as an attempt to kill the school (and the town with which it is intertwined).
Those fears came to the forefront in 1988 when Shalia Aery, commissioner of higher education under Governor John Ashcroft announced a strategy to close the school. The plan was ultimately withdrawn.
Northwest and Missouri Western continue a shaky relationship off the field. On the field the two schools pack the crowds for their sports events.
[edit] Northwest Missouri State University
On August 14, 1972, Northwest was elevated to university status so that it could offer masters graduate degrees. Its name changed to Northwest Missouri State University.
One point of pride for the university is its Missouri Quality Awards. The university currently holds three of these prestigious honors, the first granted in 1997, the second in 2001, and the third in 2005. Northwest is the only educational institution to receive multiple Missouri Quality Awards.
[edit] Administration Building Fire
[edit] Construction inspired by 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
The defining landmark of the campus is the Administration Building that is nearly identical to Brookings Hall which is the defining landmark of Washington University in St. Louis. That building was the Administration Building of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The master St. Louis design is by Cope & Stewardson which was famed for designing schools throughout the country based on the style Oxford University.
The Collegiate Gothic structure with its central tower keep design evokes Tattershall Castle and lords over the campus with the motto "And the truth shall set you free" literally engraved in stone (the term "Tower" is evoked frequently throughout the campus including the name of its yearbook).
Work on the building began in 1906 and continued in fits and starts until classes began in it on October 3, 1910. The architect of record for the Maryville building is John F. Felt.
On March 15, 1919, a tornado ripped the roof off its auditorium and blew out most of its windows.
[edit] 1979 Fire
On July 24, 1979, a fire destroyed 60 percent of the building on the central and west wing as well as the north wing housing the auditorium and Little Theater. However the east wing survived with relatively little damage. Many thought the building was going to be razed.
However a $13.8 million capital program repaired most of the building and changed made extensive changes to the campus layout. The building ceased to serve as classroom space, with the exception of 3rd floor, which houses the Family and Consumer Sciences Department. The theater and music departments moved out of the building to the new Mary Linn Performing Arts Center west of the Bearcat Stadium (and the north wing of the Administration Building was torn down and sealed although the outline of the wing is still visible against the bricks on the north). The former Wells Library (now Wells Hall) was turned into a classroom area and home for the National Public Radio affiliate radio station KXCV-FM and the library was moved to its current location in the new B.D. Owens Library.
[edit] Country's First Electronic Campus
In 1987, Northwest revealed its unique Electronic Campus Program. This put computers in all residence halls as well as faculty offices.
The VAX computers were command line driven and included access to programs such as Wordstar.
Brit Hume visiting the college during this period on a speaking engagement wrote a guest column in the Washington Post proclaiming Northwest the first country's first electronic campus.
In 1997, the program was upgraded and all of the faculty members received powerful laptop computers, while highly network machines were implemented in each residence hall room. Recently, all students staying in the residence hall were given a laptop. Most of the campus is now connected via WiFi.
[edit] Missouri State Arboretum
Main article: Missouri State Arboretum
Northwest has long billed itself as the "most beautiful state university campus" in the state of Missouri thanks its landscaped tree lined campus sporting more than species of trees. The campus design was inspired by the Forest Park design for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair which evolved into the campus for Washington University.
In 1993 when the state legislature designated Northwest the official Missouri State Arboretum.
[edit] Mel Tjeerdsma and national championship football
Main article Mel Tjeerdsma
In 1994 Mel Tjeerdsma (pronounced ‘church-mah’), who had earned a masters in physical education from Northwest in 1977, began his first year as football coach. The Bearcats went 0-11.
[edit] NCAA Division II championship games
In 1998 the Bearcats won the NCAA Division II national football championship by going 15-0 -- the first time a Division II school had gone undefeated in the competition history and the first time a Northwest school won a national championship in any sport.
In 1999 Northwest defeated Carson-Newman College 58-52 in four overtimes to defend the title. The game was the longest in terms of the number of extra periods in NCAA football playoff history, surpassing six contests that were extended by three overtimes. The broadcast analyst on ESPN called it the most exciting game in history. The game solidified ESPN interest in Division II football prompting ESPN coverage to now even include the semi-final games.
In 2005, the Bearcats were a Cinderella team being ranked 22nd at the start of the playoffs but winning all of its playoff games on the road until reaching the finals with Grand Valley State University. It led the game until the closing minutes and still almost pulled the game out. The Cinderella nature of Northwest coming from 22nd to challenge the #1 team in the final has been evoked as a weakness of the Bowl Championship Series where such a run would be impossible.
During the Tjeersma run through 2005, Northwest has made seven post-season appearances and won five MIAA titles.
[edit] Bearcat Stadium
Main article: Bearcat Stadium
The championships have rocketed Northwest into high visibility. The St. Louis Rams donated their private jet to the team to fly the Bearcats to the 1999 champsionship game in Florence, Alabama. Interest in Northwest has prompted it to play one game a year at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri with Pittsburg State University. When Tjeersma teams began their championship run, conditions were so bad at Rickenbrode Stadium that the Bearcats were unable to play some home playoff games to which they were entitled. This spurred $5 million in renovations to the stadium including the additions of luxury boxes and a color replay video board. The renovated stadium opened in 2002 under a new name of Bearcat Stadium. It is quite literally "the house that Mel built."
[edit] Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing
In 2000 Northwest began offering an on campus course for gifted high school students who spend their junior and senior years of high school living on the campus completing their high school courses as well as two years of college work.
About 50 students have been enrolled in the program although it has capacity for 128. The program is called the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing.
[edit] Thwarted Initiatives
[edit] University of Missouri - Northwest
In 2004 Northwest entered into an agreement to become the fifth campus of the University of Missouri and to change its name to University of Missouri - Northwest.
Northwest approached the University of Missouri noting that University of Missouri–Columbia is the only state school north of the Missouri River to offer doctorate degrees while six state schools south of the river offer the degrees (the schools in Kansas City, Rolla and St. Louis along with the state universities at Cape Girardeau, Springfield and Warrensburg).
Northwest was motivated to approach the system after Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Missouri proposed changing its status so that it could offer masters degrees -- a move that was perceived to encroach on Northwest's master's turf since the two schools are close geographically.
Northwest proposed to offer doctorate degrees initially in quality, alternative fuels, and geographic information science.
The move required enabling legislation. In 2005 the Missouri Legislature approved the expansion of Missouri Western but let the agreement for Northwest sunset in early 2006.
The move would have required Northwest to increase tuition, raise entrance requirements and increase staff pay.
[edit] Battle With Anheuser-Busch Over Ventria Biopharming
In November 2004 Ventria Bioscience entered into an agreement with Northwest to create a facility near the university and to relocate its operations, research and production to the state. Shortly thereafter Ventria added Northwest alumnus Melvin D. Booth, former president of MedImmune and university president Dr.Dean L. Hubbard to its board of directors. Hubbard receives no compensation for his service on the board of directors.
On April 12, 2005 Anheuser-Busch, the number one buyer of rice in the United States said it would not purchase rice grown in Missouri if genetically modified rice were to be grown in the state. This decision was prompted by Ventria's intent to grow 200 acres (800,000 m²) of genetically it's protein producing rice in southeast Missouri. A compromise was brokered by Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO) and Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) which would have allowed Ventria to grow its rice with a buffer zone of 120 miles from other Missouri rice crops. Anheuser-Busch and Ventria both agreed to this proposal, but in December 2005 Ventria withdrew from the agreement with Northwest due in part to a dramatic reduction in the amount of financial support offered by the state government. Ventria has previously planted in California, Iowa, and North Carolina, and has been approved by USDA-APHIS to plant in North Carolina again in 2006.
[edit] Campus lore
- Mike the Dog - Although the team mascot is a bearcat perhaps the school's touching monument is a small memorial to a dog in the east end of the Administration Building. Mike (which appears to resemble a Cairn Terrier) was a campus fixture from 1916-1917 and wore a green blanket with an "M" on it. Mike died after drinking arsenide of lead mistaking it for water. Students raised money for the memorial.
- Roberta Hall ghost - On April 28, 1951 a gas tanker car stored on a siding of the Wabash Railroad tracks behind what was then Residence Hall exploded sending steel chunks several blocks away. The ensuing fire destroyed much of Residence Hall and injured Roberta Steel who was to die from the wounds in 1952. The Hall was rebuilt and renamed for Roberta. A persistent story says that she haunts the building throwing hair brushes.
- Bobby the Bearcat - Northwest initially did not have a formal mascot and had been nicknamed the "Normals." In 1916 a Drury College coach asked the Northwest coach if his bearcats were ready to play. The name stuck.
- Kissing Bridge - The small wooden kissing bridge was over small usually dry creek leading to Colden Pond to the southwest of Charles J. Colden Hall. Legend said a female student isn’t officially a co-ed until she has been kissed on the bridge before the first snowfall. Another legend says that if you cross the bridge you will visit the campus again. The bridge has been moved from its original location closer to Colden Hall.
- University Seal in the Bell Tower - The university seal which is also the seal of the State of Missouri is at the base of the Bell Tower. According to legend if you walk across it, you risk flunking. In a 2004 restoration of the tower, the seal was moved to a display case.
- Bell of 48 - A gift from the class of 1948 the bell is rung to announce athletic victories, in memory of any member of the University community, and to announce other events deemed important by Student Senate and the administration. The bell is rung at 8:00 AM (the time classes usually start) on the Friday before the homecoming game in order to signify Walk-Out Day. The seniors used to ring the bell some time in the day to "release" the other students from classes. Each year it became earlier until the University made it a tradition by cancelling classes that day.
- Hickory Stick - The hickory stick is given to the winner of the Northwest and Truman State University (Kirksville) football game. The hickory stick says, "This Hickory Stick was grown on a farm in the Maryville District on which Eugen Fair, President of Kirksville was born." The first recorded game score is from 1908. Also noted on the stick is 1942, '43, '44 and '45 "WAR NO GAME." By tradition, the winning team repaints the metal tip with their school color.
- School colors - The school colors are green (Pantone® Solid Coated 3435) and white. The original colors were red and white. Northwest shortly changed them to green and white to differentiate the college from Maryville High School which had the same colors. Ironically, the high school eventually changed its colors to match the college green and white colors.
- World's Shortest St. Patrick's Parade - Starting off as a joke for the downtown watering hole The Palms, it is an ever diminishing tradition of having of the world's shortest Saint Patrick's Day Parade. Originally going a block on Buchanan from Fourth Street to Fifth Street. The parade has gotten shorter and shorter each year to maintain the record. It was 86 feet in 2006.
[edit] University Presidents
- Frank Deerwester (1906-1907)
- Homer Martien Cook (1907-1909)
- Henry Kirby Taylor (1909-1913)
- Ira Richardson (1913-1921)
- Uel W. Lamkin (1921-1945)
- J.W. Jones (1945-1964)
- Robert P. Foster (1964-1977)
- B.D. Owens (1977-1984)
- Dean L. Hubbard (1984-Present)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Northwest Missouri State University
- Extensive history information on 100th anniversary
- Northwest Missouri State Athletics
- The Northwest Missourian
- KXCV
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
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| Central Missouri • Emporia State • Fort Hays State • Missouri Southern • Missouri Western • Northwest Missouri • Pittsburg State • Southwest Baptist • Truman • Washburn |
