HIGHER EDUCATION
In addition to Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo
County has Kalamazoo Valley Community College,
and
Davenport College. Nazareth College, a Catholic school, closed in the
early 1990s. In addition, Kalamazoo was home to the Michigan Female
Seminary and Parson's Business College.
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WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Western
State Normal School,
May 27, 1903
Western
State Teachers College,
May 12, 1927
Western Michigan College of Education,
May 20, 1941
Western Michigan College,
June 2, 1955
Western Michigan University, Feb.
26, 1957 |
One of the most important events in the progress of Kalamazoo occurred when
a new institution of higher education, now known as
Western Michigan University , was founded in 1903 as memorialized in the
following historical marker:
click on images to enlarge.
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western Michigan university:
established by legislative
act in 1903 as western state normal school, the first classes were held
in 1904. the first permanent building completed in 1905, over-looked
the city from prospect hill. by the 1920's western had become one of
America's leading teachers' colleges. starting in 1934 general degree
work was offered. an expansion on the west campus began in 1944.
increasing enrollment and the addition of the new departments and
courses during the 1940's and 1950's made western a multi-purpose
institution and led to its designation as a university of the
legislature in 1957
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"This is one of the State's
teacher training colleges, but is also a general letters and
science college training for general education and professional
work."
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Western Michigan Normal
School
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East Hall, 1908
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East Hall, 1915
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East Hall with tram, 1931
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WMU campus aerial view,
1945
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Western Michigan
College Oakland Drive entrance,
1950's
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East Hall 1951
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Western's many names that reflect its growth from a teacher training school
to a major university:
click on image to enlarge it
McCracken Hall, 1960's
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Spindler Hall, 1960's
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Western Michigan University, along with the state hospital have provided
steady employment for large numbers of county residents.
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Kalamazoo College
Early View of Kalamazoo
College at its original Westnedge Avenue location and the historical
marker that designates the location.
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Kalamazoo College:
The first classroom building for the
Michigan And
Huron
Institute,now Kalamazoo COLLEGE, was
erected on this site between June and September of 1836. The
charter bill for the school had been introduced in the
Michigan Territorial Legislative Council on
January 18,
1833, and signed into law by Governor George B. Porter on
April 22, 1833. Village pledges supplied funds for the
two-story frame classroom structure, which was the start of
Michigan's first church-related college
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Kalamazoo College:
This school, Baptist in origin, was
chartered in 1833 by the Territory of Michigan as the Michigan
and Huron Institute and held its first classes in 1836.
Instruction of college level has been given here longer than
at any other Michigan school. In 1845 the present campus was
purchased. The right to confer degrees was granted in 1855.
This pioneer school has won national renown as a liberal arts
college with special honor in teaching of the sciences.
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click on images to enlarge.
Kalamazoo College
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1905
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Treadway Gymnasium on Academy
Street, 1913 |
Treadway Gymnasium on Academy
Street, 1940's |
Bowen Hall, 1920 |
Bowen Hall, rear view
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Dormitories, 1926
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Stetson Chapel
Wedding, 2000
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MICHIGAN FEMALE SEMINARY
An
early Kalamazoo institution of higher education was the
Michigan Female Seminary that was incorporated in 1855, but closed in
1907.
A bronze marker near St. Mary's Catholic Church that was built partly with
materials from the closed Michigan Seminary:
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INCORPORATED 1855 CHARTER 1856 MICHIGAN FEMALE SEMINARY ESTABLISHED BY
MICHIGAN PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD. MODELED AFTER MOUNT HOLYOKE SEMINARY,
MASSACHUSETTS SITUATED BACK ON THE HILLS AROUND THE NATIVE OAKS,
CORNERSTONE LAID IN 1857. THE BUILDINGS WERE COMPLETED AT THE
CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR,
DOORS WERE OPENED TO HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
TRAINING OF YOUNG WOMEN, MENTALLY, MORALLY, PHYSICALLY AND
SPIRITUALLY TO OCCUPY PLACES OF USEFULNESS, DIPLOMA ACCEPTED FOR
ADVANCED STANDING BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND OTHER
COLLEGES.
PREPARATORY DEPARTMENT WAS OPENED IN 1895, THIS SCHOOL THAT HAS
STOOD FOR CULTURE AND EDUCATION IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT
THIS STATE FOR FIFTY YEARS CLOSED ITS DOORS IN 1907. BUT ITS
SPIRIT LIVES ON ETERNALLY. PLACED BY ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION, JUNE 27, 1929
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NAZARETH COLLEGE
A Catholic
women's college, Nazareth College, was founded in 1871 and closed July
1992.
Nazareth College
1920 |
Aerial overall view of campus - 1970s ? |
Albers Hall,
activities building, Immaculata Hall, student residence -
1970s ? |
click on image to enlarge it
A vocational school important to many men and women in Kalamazoo during the
late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Parson's Business College, 1894
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See
Kalamazoo Educational Facilities
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KALAMAZOO BECOMES A CITY
In 1884 the
Village of Kalamazoo finally became a city with a population of
16,000.
Also see: the
Chronology of Township, Village and City Formation page
click on image to enlarge it
An 1883 panoramic view of
the Village of Kalamazoo
click on image to enlarge it
In 1929 Kalamazoo celebrated its centennial with a
parade, pageant, and many speeches - see the
Centennial Program Pages.
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KALAMAZOO MALL
In
1959 the City of Kalamazoo embarked on an innovative scheme to save its
central shopping district, a pedestrian mall that involved tearing up three
blocks of Burdick Street and gained the title "Mall
City" - See the
KALAMAZOO MALL PAGE
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