FORT KENT, Maine — The University of Maine at Fort Kent will mark a century and a half of higher education in 2028, and officials are already planning a celebration.
From its beginnings as the Madawaska Training School, the campus has grown to serve students in northern Maine and beyond.
The school began as a teaching training institution, with the first classes held on Sept. 30, 1878. Officials held two sessions on Thursday to highlight the institution’s history and show a series of photos that will be featured during the anniversary event. Planners seek more photos as well as community input on important moments in the school’s history.
Alexis Violette, a recent UMFK graduate who now works as a project assistant at the school, hosted the sessions. The school will display 10 photos for each 50-year period, she said.
Violette showed pictures that may be used in this final display. The photos were shown chronologically as she described the university’s history.
The Maine Legislature on Feb. 21 of 1878 signed into law the establishment of the Madawaska Training School, Violette said.
“The legislature created the school with the goal of Americanizing Valley students by teaching them English, helping them become less isolated and encouraging them to blend in with the wider population,” she said.
The school’s curriculum remained largely unchanged for its first 50 years, and continued to focus on preparing students to become teachers.
The school changed its name in 1955 to Fort Kent State Normal School, and six years later became Fort Kent State Teacher’s College. It was named Fort Kent State College in 1966, and in 1968 the campus became known as Fort Kent State College at the University of Maine.
Finally, in 1970, the school changed its name to the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
Other recent milestones, such as astronaut John Glenn speaking at a 1983 commencement, coach Lowell “Ozzy” Osgood renaming the school’s mascot to the Bengals, and the state of Maine passing a law in 2005 that prevents the university from being shut down, and an extreme flood in 2008 that damaged files stored in the basement will also be highlighted during the school’s anniversary, Violette said.
In 2028, Sept. 30 falls on a Saturday, and planners hope to hold a weekend event for the 150th anniversary that also incorporates its annual homecoming event.
Residents offered to bring in yearbooks and diplomas from the last century, and one asked where the photographs will be displayed. Violette said they are planning to use a wall at the Blake Library on campus to show large versions of the photos highlighting the school’s history.
A staff and employee session about the university’s history was also held Thursday, and included a strong dialogue and connection to the presentation’s images, Violette said.
“One thing I appreciate about this job is that every day I learn something new that deepens my understanding of our University,” she said.
Anyone with images they would like to share can email Violette at [email protected] or mail them to Alexis Violette at 23 University Drive, Fort Kent ME 04743.
