2019 Annual Report The Bemidji Pioneer • D1 | Sunday, July 28, 2019
100 years old and ready for more Bemidji State honors its past, prepares for the future
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n June of 1919 a new school for teachers opened its doors in Bemidji, Minnesota. Nestled alongside Lake Bemidji, the Normal School (for “norms,” or educational standards) registered 130 students. But problems remained. There was not one book on campus (no library yet), plus no place for the students to live. But faculty members brought books, and the Dean of Women, working with the downtown Bemidji Women’s Civic Club, found rooming accommodations for all the students, most of whom were young women. This partnership in problem solving — school working with community — continues to this day. Bemidji State University began as a need to be filled. After achieving statehood in 1858, Minnesota developed rapidly but not equally. Rural areas, particularly “up north,” fell behind — especially in education. Country schools and small towns badly needed teachers. Training for more teach-
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ers was needed, everyone agreed, but where to put such a school: Cass Lake? Bemidji? Park Rapids? Thief River Falls? Walker? All were in the running for the new school, and a not always friendly contest dragged on. However, thanks to lobbying efforts by local civic leaders plus political maneuvering, the Normal School landed in Bemidji. As Art Lee, retired BSU history professor, writes in his book University in the Pines, “One set of politicians gave life to Bemidji Normal School, a second set nursed it and named it Bemidji Teachers College and sent it on its way.” The way forward was not always smooth. There were lean years during the Great Depression of the 1930s when state funding and student enrollment waned. Boom
years when “the boys came home” after World War II, and enrollment surged. Fun years, 19611965, when the Minnesota Vikings “to beat the heat” held their summer training camp on campus. Turbulent years during the Vietnam era, including the death of BSC President Harry Bangsberg in 1967 from a plane crash in Vietnam. And, in the 1970s, came an identity crisis of the best kind. While still known as a “teacher’s college,” Bemidji State found itself graduating 80t percent of its students in nonteaching pre-professional
degrees. These included business, nursing, political science and more. An increasingly diverse and accomplished faculty developed curricula that greatly expanded academic offerings. A “Eurospring” studyabroad program offered students life-altering travel and educational opportunities. New programs in Environmental Studies, Indian Studies, English and Music all added more academic heft. In 1975, perhaps catching up to its own success, Bemidji State College rebranded itself as Bemidji State University.
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Current enrollment is about 5,000. Along the way, Bemidji State presidents came and went. Each brought his or her own personality and predilections. Lowell “Ted” Gillett (1982-1990) pushed for the popular campus-community “rec center,” now named the Gillett Wellness Center. James Bensen (19942001) championed technology. Jon Quistgaard (2001-2010) promoted student diversity, internationalism and Division I hockey. Reacting to budget constraints, Richard Hanson (20102016) eliminated the Theater Department plus down-sized music and the arts. Current university president Faith Hensrud advocates for BSU sustainability initiatives and Indian Studies. “This was once Native American land,” Hensrud said of the campus and its popular American Indian Resources Center, “and we are proud to honor that heritage.” Looking beyond its 100th year, challenges remain for Bemidji State.
“Working with the Minnesota State Legislature on a stable funding formula is crucial,” says Hensrud, who is also concerned with rising student debt, a problem nationwide. But problemsolving “is what we do,” Hensrud adds. With a firm understanding of its past coupled with a strong vision for the future, BSU seems more than ready to begin its second century. Happy birthday, University in the Pines! Will Weaver is a Bemidji State University Professor Emeritus of English and was the recipient of BSU’s 36th Distinguished Minnesotan honor. He has written more than a dozen novels and non-fiction books, including “Red Earth, White Earth,” which was adapted into a television movie, and his recent memoir, “The Last Hunter.” His 2016 short story collection “Sweet Land” includes “A Gravestone Made of Wheat,” which has been adapted into the feature film “Sweet Land.” He lives on the Mississippi River east of Bemidji.
We’re proud of our Bemidji State University graduates and students!
Congratulations on 100 years, BSU! 333-9200