In 1954, journalist Eric Sevareid, himself a graduate of the University of Minnesota, wrote this description of his alma mater:

Even the citizens of the state think there are only three great cities in Minnesota—Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth. But there are four, and the fourth is the University of Minnesota…. It is a miniature of American life, faithfully accommodating the taxpayers of the state in all their ideas of what their children and their civilization should grow up to be…. I know of no state university which belongs so unquestionably to the state, none which the people of...

On november 13, 1944, the United States was still fighting in World War II. On that date, James Lewis Morrill, president of the University of Wyoming, sent a telegram to the chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, Fred B. Snyder, accepting the office of president. Morrill was to assume his new duties as the eighth president on July 1, 1945. Ten weeks prior to Morrill’s arrival to take up his office at Minnesota, Franklin Roosevelt died. Almost immediately, Roosevelt’s successor, Harry Truman, was presented with perhaps the most critical decision any U.S. president ever faced—whether to...

The 1960s began in a mood of renewed vigor and optimism with the election of John F. Kennedy as president in 1960. During this period, increasing numbers of young scholars joined the University of Minnesota faculty and created challenging new programs. For most of the period, funding was ample. Federal support, especially under the National Defense Education Act and from the National Science Foundation, continued at a high level, and post-Sputnikfunds for scientific research came from the Department of Defense as well as from a number of other federal agencies.¹

The University continued to grow. In March 1961,Time...

The decade between 1974 and 1984 was a time of marked contrasts. On one hand, there was a strong sense of pride in the accomplishments of the region and of the university. On the other hand, it was an anxious period unsettled by an increasingly uncertain economy. During this time, University of Minnesota administrators, like their counterparts at other universities, turned to long-range planning to help them deal with fiscal problems. Although a number of programs and initiatives were phased out, reallocation made it possible to start others. Faculty, staff, and students were all affected by the new economic realities...

By the middle of the 1980s, it appeared that constrained resources had become a permanent feature of university life. Although the university had considerable experience in setting priorities and making choices through the planning process set in motion by President Magrath, even more difficult decisions had to be made during the next twelve years. The role of the General College was reconfigured, resources were reduced for some colleges, and additional resources were made available for others. Between 1986 and 1996 , more than $100 million was reallocated within the university. Two of the more difficult decisions were closing the Waseca...

As the century ended, the University of Minnesota celebrated its 150th anniversary. Festivities began in June 2000 with performances of Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land at eight regional farms by students and faculty from the School of Music. Other events invluded a presidential lecture series, recognition at the State Fair, Homecoming, and the annual Martin Luther King concert; a celebration at the State Capitol; and the President’s Anniversary Tribute at Northrup. The grand finale planned for June 2001 was a return to the Twin Cities campus of the Minnesota Orchestra as part of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association)...

This history began in 1945, when the university consisted of the extension offices and eight branch experiment stations, a campus in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul. Over the next five decades, the university expanded to include campuses at Crookston, Duluth, and Morris as well as a presence, along with other postsecondary systems, at the University Center Rochester. With agriculture, engineering, and health science fields added to liberal arts programs and professional fields such as architecture, education, and law, the University of Minnesota continued to have one of the most comprehensive curricula in the United States.

The university grew from...