By Office of University Communications, UW-Stout
The University of Wisconsin-Stout, which began as the Stout Manual Training School, turned 125 years old on Jan. 5.
Founded by James Huff Stout, the school opened as a branch of the Menomonie public school system on Jan. 5, 1891. It was housed in a two-story building near the intersection of Main and Broadway streets in Menomonie, where the current UW-Stout Administration building is located.
As course offerings expanded, the manual training school became Stout Institute in 1908 and Stout State College in 1955, when it joined the Wisconsin State College System. It is the only institution in the UW System named for an individual.
A Jan. 5 program on the campus marked the occasion. It was the first of a series of celebratory events that will be held throughout the year.
“This is as much a celebration of the vision of James Huff Stout and his dedication to higher education as it is an anniversary celebration of UW-Stout,” said Chancellor Bob Meyer. “James Huff Stout’s educational philosophy was to prepare graduates for successful careers and fulfilling lives. This institution did exactly that for 125 years and continues to do so today.”
Meyer said the fact that 97 percent of the university’s graduates are working within six months of leaving campus is concrete evidence of UW-Stout continuing to apply its founder’s career-focused philosophy.
James Huff Stout believed in a hands-on educational approach, Meyer said, which UW-Stout retains today. In 2007, the UW System Board of Regents designated UW-Stout as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.
“James Huff Stout was an innovator in the field of higher education,” Meyer said. “That innovative philosophy is ingrained in how we operate today.”
Meyer said James Huff Stout would be proud of, and probably a little surprised by, the growth of the institution he founded. It took until 1955 for enrollment to top 1,000. but 60years later a record 9,535 students are enrolled. Students had four majors to choose from 55 years ago; that number has grown to 48 undergraduate majors and 23 graduate programs.
Other anniversary events planned for 2016 include the grand reopening of Harvey Hall, which has been closed for remodeling, tentatively planned for Thursday, Sept. 22. Homecoming is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8. A history of UW-Stout’s first 125 years also will be published in 2016