Nostalgia Home
MAA's First 150 Years
Timeline written for MAA's Sesquecentennial.
1839
Boone County wins its bid to locate the University in Columbia.
The Geyer Act establishes the University, the first publicly supported higher education institution west of the Mississippi River.
1843
Robert L. Todd, and Robert B. Todd become the University’s first alumni.
1849
First course in civil engineering offered.
1853
Alumni Society (Association) forms with Odon Guitar as first president. Robert L. Todd gives first alumni oration at commencement.
1867
Normal School, now the College of Education, established. Mary Gillett graduates from the Normal School. As was the case at MU, she was not allowed to complete courses for a bachelor’s degree.
1870
Federal Morrill Act makes MU a land-grant university and spurs establishment of College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.
1872
Law department established.
Anna Ware becomes first female to graduate with a four-year bachelor’s degree.
1883
Alumni vote to raise $10,000 to endow the association.
1888
Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station established to conduct research and share knowledge.
1889
At the association’s annual meeting, alumni resolve to create an Alumni Annual containing the annual oration and information on all alumni.
St. Louis chapter formed.
1891
Kansas City chapter formed by this year.
The endowment committee raises enough subscriptions to create a $3,000 fund.
1894
Academic department established (forerunner to College of Arts and Science).
1899
First doctor of philosophy degree awarded.
1900
Department of Household Economics, now the College of Human Environmental Sciences, established.
1904
First nursing class graduates. In 1920, the Department of Nursing is established within the School of Medicine, and it becomes the autonomous School of Nursing in 1975.
1906
Boone County is among the 39 new Missouri county chapters.
1907
Boonville Weekly Advertiser writes that 3,276 men and women have graduated from the University.
There are 50 alumni chapters by 1907.
April 19, 1907 - First celebration of Founders Day.
1908
School of Journalism established.
New chapters in California, Chicago and Seattle.
1909
New York City chapter forms.
1910
Plea made for regular reunions at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years after graduation.
1912
Washington, D.C., chapter forms.
1913
Portland, Ore., chapter forms.
1914
School of Commerce established (forerunner to College of Business).
1915
North California chapter forms.
1916
New chapters in New Mexico and Cleveland.
1917
Twin Cities and Tulsa chapters form.
1921
It is estimated that there are 30,000 - 40,000 former students and alumni of the University.
Groundbreaking for Memorial Tower. MUAA plays a key role in the fundraising campaign for both Memorial Union and Memorial Stadium.
1923
Alumni vote to begin having an alumni dinner at Homecoming.
1924
Executive committee of MUAA meets in Jesse Hall and becomes a board of directors, including representatives from each academic unit at MU. Board recommends creation of MUAA-sponsored placement office, and committee on alumni gifts and scholarships.
Alumni luncheon held at Missouri State Fair.
Late 1920s
Medical school alumni association forms.
1931
Class reunions held at Homecoming instead of commencement on trial basis in hopes that attendance and enthusiasm will improve.
Journalism School Alumni Association forms.
1933
MUAA chartered.
1945
William Albrecht collects a soil sample from Sanborn Field that provides the golden mold used to make the penicillin-like wonder drug aureomycin.
1946
College of Veterinary Medicine established.
April 12, 1949
University appoints Guy “Bus” Entsminger, assistant director of alumni activities. He becomes vice chancellor for development and alumni relations in 1967. Many consider him the father of alumni relations at MU.
1968
Alumni Alliance forms to support the University of Missouri System. “Alliance of Alumni Associations” name adopted in 1970; bylaws adopted in 1972; bylaws revised and name changed to Alumni Alliance in 1999. Alumni
Association and Alumni Achievement Fund combined to become Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
The association awards the first Faculty-Alumni Awards recognizing the achievements of distinguished faculty
and alumni.
1972
Gifts to University by alumni increase to $570,380, up $75,000 from 1971.
1973
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching publishes its first classification of American colleges and universities. MU is grouped among the nation’s best universities that confer the most doctoral degrees and participate in the most federally funded research.
1974
Alumni Association Student Board founded.
1977
Alumni Association Student Board holds first annual Alumathon, a cross-country race benefiting the Alumni Scholar Program.
1978
The School of Health Related Professions established.
1979
Black Alumni Organization forms.
Franklin County chapter forms.
1980
Alumni College begins, co-sponsored by the association and University Extension.
1989
Truman Conference on U.S.-Korean Relations forms, partly to keep in contact with Korean alumni.
1994
The association establishes the Faculty Development Incentive Program, now the Dr. Richard Wallace Research
Incentive Grants.
1999
The Seal of Excellence is awarded to the association’s Homecoming celebration as part of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s (CASE) Circle of Excellence awards. The association continues to be selected for a national CASE Circle of Excellence Award each year for the next five years.
2001
The association’s student membership program is expanded and re-branded as True Tigers.
The Columns Recognition Program focusing association volunteer support through alumni chapters is launched.
2002 (Homecoming weekend)
Alumni and friends of the University gather on the South Quad for the dedication of Tiger Plaza.
2005
MU reaches $600 million fundraising goal and raises the bar to $1 billion.
The association honors students in their senior year with a strong commitment to community service by recognizing the first class of Mizzou ‘39 at a candlelight ceremony on Francis Quardrangle.
The association marks the second-best membership gain in 12 years bringing membership to an all-time high of 37,550.
More than $220,000 is awarded in student scholarships through the association and its affiliated organizations.
2006
Across the country, 45 alumni chapters kick off the association’s 150th anniversary on January 16 by watching the men’s basketball Tigers beat the Jayhawks 89-86 in overtime.