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T N N E O FR nd C a By Jeff Murphy, ’80, ’95
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hat do legendary actor-comedian Bob Hope, country singer Johnny Cash, former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev and the great trumpeter-composer Louis Armstrong have in common? They all appeared on a University of Central Missouri stage to inform, enlighten or entertain.
This role has been amplified by outside organizations, including Missouri Boys State and Girls State, which have chosen UCM as a host site for their annual event, bringing a combined 1,700 young people to campus each summer in recent years. For nearly 70 years the university has hosted Boys State and a wide variety of high-profile political leaders that continue to come as guest speakers.
To enrich the overall campus experience for students, a strong tradition of live events — from guest speakers to Broadway shows to concerts of all kinds — was born early in the history of UCM. While such activities provide an important avenue for bringing students, faculty and staff together, they also help the university build connections with alumni and the community. Over time these events have helped solidify UCM’s role as an important cultural and artistic hub for the region.
Nothing brings a community together like live stage performances. An article that appeared in a 1931 issue of the campus newspaper, then called The Student, captures this timeless sentiment while providing a glimpse of what it was like to
enjoy a magical evening with a world-class musician 90 years ago. Pianist Ignacy Paderewski, who served earlier in his career as the prime minister of Poland, came to what was then known as Central Missouri State Teachers College to close out the Artists’ Course with an April concert in the College Auditorium. The venue was renamed Hendricks Hall after Eldo L. Hendricks, the university’s eighth president, in 1933.
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Spring 2021 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine
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