Whitman Hall Dedication, Open House Dec. 1

Northern will dedicate Whitman Hall during an open house from 4-6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1. The dedication ceremony at 4:30 p.m. will feature drumming by the Center for Native American Studies, brief remarks and the unveiling of a plaque. Visitors will also be invited to tour the facility.

Willard M. Whitman School first opened its doors in 1954 to accommodate kindergarten through 6 th grade. NMU purchased the building in 2001, after it had been closed by Marquette Area Public Schools due to shrinking enrollment. Interior and exterior work was required to convert the 39,000 square-foot building to faculty offices and classrooms, and to provide a 285-space parking lot to serve the facility.

Whitman Hall houses the School of Education , the dean of the College of Professional Studies , the charter school program, the Center for Native American Studies, the Center for Upper Peninsula Studies, the International Affairs Office, and the Modern Languages and Literatures Department.

Its namesake, Willard A. Whitman (1884-1955), served 34 years as superintendent of Marquette Public Schools. He played a major role in expanding the district through additional buildings and extensive programming. He is also credited with creating the student health protection program, introducing art, drama and music into the classroom, and developing the adult education programs. Whitman taught classes at Northern for several summers.