UConn’s 125th anniversary to start with celebration, exhibit in Wilbur Cross

Faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and members of the Mansfield community are invited to the University of Connecticut’s 125th anniversary kick-off celebration Jan. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the atrium of the Wilbur Cross Building.

The celebration marks the start of a yearlong series of events and activities highlighting the institution’s history since its founding as Storrs Agricultural School in 1881.

During the Jan. 25 event, an exhibit celebrating the University’s history will be unveiled, followed by a short speaking program and a reception for all guests. The exhibit will focus on some of the University’s most significant moments and milestones, using film, photographs, and text. Part of the exhibit is a video kiosk with film footage relating to the founding of the University, the growth of the Storrs campus, student traditions, and early and recent athletics.

“The 125th anniversary events give us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the University’s many accomplishments and the individuals who contributed to our progress,” says President Philip E. Austin. “During the past century and a quarter, we have grown from a small agricultural school to one of the nation’s outstanding public universities, and in the process have become one of our state’s greatest assets. We are excited to share our story with the UConn community and the citizens of Connecticut.”

UConn history professor Walter Woodward, Connecticut’s state historian, says, “This is a celebration in which all the people of Connecticut can take part, and take pride. The sustained commitment to education by the people of this state over a period of 125 years sets the University of Connecticut apart from other universities.

“Today, thanks to years of support and sacrifice, we are realizing the dream of generations – for the University of Connecticut to become a great university, not just for some, but for all of us.”

Speakers will include Austin, Mansfield Mayor Betsy Paterson, Woodward, and Alfred Rogers, ’53, an African-American who was a student in the early 1950s and was confronted with bigotry. Rogers wanted to join a UConn fraternity but his admission was rejected by the fraternity’s national organization. As a result, the UConn fraternity terminated its national affiliation and Rogers became a brother.