By Jeff Murphy,
April 15, 2021
Rekindling the exciting news that rang through the community 150 years ago this month,
students, faculty and staff at the University of Central Missouri are invited to attend
UCM's 150th Birthday Bash from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 27.
Campus members will gather at the quadrangle and enjoy a free picnic lunch of hamburgers,
hotdogs and other options, birthday cake, live music from a DJ, and a short program
recounting the history of the official founding of the university, then known as State
Normal School No. 2. This event is open to all campus employees and students, and
will also include performances by the Mulekickers, Marching Mules and UCM cheerleaders.
President Roger Best will serve the birthday cake, and mule-drawn carriage rides will
be given after the Birthday Bash. Free T-shirts and commemorative bells will be distributed
while supplies last.
The Birthday Bash is one of many events planned during the next several months to
commemorate a significant milestone in the life of UCM. With the theme, "150 Years
of Education for Service," the university's Board of Governors has officially designated
2021-2022 as the university's sesquicentennial.
The sesquicentennial is an opportunity to retrace and celebrate the steps UCM has
taken from its humble beginnings as an institution dedicated to training Missouri
teachers. It has since become a major comprehensive, technologically advanced university
that serves students from across the globe.
A planning committee that includes members of the campus and Warrensburg communities
has been meeting for more than a year under the leadership of Amber Clifford-Napoleone,
Ph.D., professor of anthropology and director of the McClure Archives and University
Museum, to coordinate activities honoring the university's 150 years of serving students.
A list of these special events, including archival exhibitions, historical costume
exhibition, special music performances, alumni gatherings and much more, can be found
at 150.ucmo.edu.