UMSL Ceremonies and Dedications
The University of Missouri St. Louis celebrated many different “firsts” as a campus, from its initial dedication to expanding with a second campus. With its humble beginnings in an open house for local residents, the University of Missouri – St. Louis continued this trend of community-centered celebrations as the university expanded and developed. All of these celebrations were done with and for the community to highlight the future opportunities that UMSL would provide to its students and faculty. These ceremonies involved not only the local community, but important University of Missouri board members and government officials of Missouri, creating a varied audience at each celebration.
Open House Invitation - Normandy Residence Center
Before the University of Missouri – St. Louis the campus we know today, it was a single building known as the University of Missouri Normandy Residence Center, originally the Bellerive Country Club. This school was a two-year liberal arts undergraduate program that was advertised to Normandy School District Residents through the use of preregistration in May and an open house on October 2, 1960.
Open House Pamphlet - Normandy Residence Center
The Open House for the University of Missouri Normandy Residence Center was a great way for the university to advertise scholarly opportunities to local residents, with potential to gain funding from new students who would apply. At the Open House visitors were shown the building, its classrooms, and its active student life.
Dedication Ceremony Invitation for the University of Missouri St. Louis
In 1963, the Normandy School District sold the Bellerive Country Club property to the Board of Curators who then established a full University of Missouri Campus on the property. On September 15th, 1963, a dedication ceremony was held to signify the transfer in ownership from the Normandy School District to the University of Missouri St. Louis.
Dedication Ceremony Pamphlet for the University of Missouri St. Louis 1963
At the dedication ceremony 1,500 attendees came to celebrate the new University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). Three years following the school’s initial opening, the campus had been operating at attendance capacity, presenting the need for a four-year curriculum and larger campus. This ceremony would be the beginning of a continuous development of UMSL.
Elmer Ellis at the Campus Dedication Ceremony 1963
At the dedication ceremony, the president of University of Missouri system, Elmer Ellis (pictured), gave a speech in which he emphasized that the future of the university was in the hands of its next generations of students. Along with Elmer Ellis, other important figures were present such as John M. Dalton, the governor of Missouri, and James Bugg, UMSL’s new dean of faculty.
"Missouri University Taking Title To Normandy Site in Ceremony" St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Along with the students and faculty of the university, the rest of the community celebrated the university’s success, with mentions of this transfer being found in newspapers such as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The expansion plans for the university opened more opportunities for its students, many of whom were from the region.
Governor Warren E. Hearnes at the Benton Hall Dedication Ceremony June 12, 1966
With the university now under UM System control, James Bugg began to expand and develop the school as an urban research university. Part of this expansion plan was the building of Benton Hall, the first new building for the campus. When it was completed in 1966 a dedication ceremony was held on June 12, 1966 where Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes gave a speech to underscore the significance of the new campus to the state’s development.
Marillac Campus Dedication Ceremony Audio 1976
As the university continued to expand in its academics and numbers, the problem of overcrowding became a serious concern. Opportunity knocked on the door with the purchase of the Marillac Campus, which would later be known as the South Campus. The Marillac Campus was originally owned by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul, but as their enrollment declined, they sold the campus to UMSL for $5 million in 1976. A dedication ceremony was held to celebrate the significant expansion for the university.