Bush
First President to Visit NMU
The
Bush rally marked the first time a sitting president had visited
Northern since it first opened its doors as Northern
State
Normal
School in 1899, according to
Russ Magnaghi (History). President William Taft
came to Marquette
in 1911, but there is no indication that he visited campus during
his stay.
“Other
presidents and vice-presidents have visited Northern either before
or after their terms in office,” Magnaghi added.
Here
are some of the national politicians or government officials who
visited campus to receive honorary degrees, attend political rallies
or deliver a speech. The information is based primarily on what
Magnaghi gleaned from the book he wrote titled, A Sense of Time:
The Encyclopedia of Northern Michigan University (honorary
degrees listed in parentheses):
•George
H.W. Bush, 1973 (Laws)
•Gerald R. Ford, 1978 (Laws)
•Hubert H. Humphrey, 1966 (Humane Letters)
•
U.S.
Senators Robert Griffin, 1970 (Education); and William Proxmire,
1990 (Laws)
•Head of Peace Corps and ambassador to Norway:
Loret Ruppe, 1981 (Public Service)
•Al Gore, 1992 and 1996 (as vice president), attended political
rallies
•Eleanor Roosevelt, 1956, lectured on "Changes in the United
States in the Past 50 Years."
•Secretary of State and Gen. Alexander Haig, 1984, for the McGoff
Distinguished Lecture Series
“These
are just the national political figures,” Magnaghi said. “We have
also had several state government officials visit and there were
convocations in the early days of NMU that attracted famous people
to campus.”
|