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January 20, 2006

Official ULM 75th Anniversary Kick-off Celebration Begins on Jan. 24

On Jan. 24 the University of Louisiana at Monroe will commence its 75th Anniversary festivities in the building where it all began. ULM will celebrate Sept. 28, 1931, when 416 students began their first session at ULM, then known as Ouachita Parish Junior College, in T.O. Brown Hall.  

ULM President Dr. James E. Cofer Sr. encourages the community to attend the upcoming anniversary events. “Celebrating milestones like this one gives us opportunities for reflecting on the many accomplishments of the past, and fuel our drive for still greater achievements in the future.  I look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.”

The official 75th Anniversary Kick-off Celebration will start with a separate lunch and evening social in Brown Gym. The jambalaya lunch social will take place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and is provided free for students and faculty/staff with valid ID. Opening remarks are scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Students will have the opportunity to inscribe messages to the future on a large group scroll. The scroll will then be buried in a 75th Anniversary time capsule, dedicated for the new Student Union Building.

There will also be a slide presentation and photo boards on hand. Each era of the university will be represented with a collage of photos that will be turned into a series of commemorative posters throughout the year. The event includes a promotional item and door prizes.

The more formal evening social will occur from 6-8 p.m. A jazz ensemble will entertain audience members. Guests will receive commemorative champagne flutes and sketches of the historic Brown Hall.

The Chamber of Commerce, Ouachita Parish School Board and the Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs will be recognized for their involvement in the planning of the institution. Champagne and hors d'euvres will be served, as gathered guests acclaim ULM’s past, present and future successes.

The completed presidential portraits will be present at both events, and will artistically celebrate the legacy of ULM’s seven presidents. Local artist and ULM alum Adam Davenport, whom ULM commissioned for the works, will also be honored at both events.

ULM’s Office of Student Life and Leadership will sell 75th Anniversary t-shirts for $5 in the Student Union Building, Room 145 starting Tues., Jan. 17 for students, community members and faculty/staff members who would like additional shirts.

To serve the expanding community of Monroe and surrounding areas, ULM has followed a course of vigorous growth in its transition from a junior college to a 4-year institution. With over 55,000 alumni and an annual enrollment of approximately 8,500 students, ULM continues its 75-year history of exemplary education.  

The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a multipurpose, state-assisted institution of higher education. ULM offers superior quality academic and experimental opportunities to meet the academic, cultural, vocational, social, and personal needs of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students.   

For further assistance, contact Amy Robinson at 318-342-5435 or 318-237-6765 or arobinson@ulm.edu

For more information on this and other 75th Anniversary events at ULM throughout the year, go to: www.ulm.edu/75th

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