Help Celebrate Fairmont State University`s Sesquicentennial

A Letter from Dr. Maria Rose, Fairmont State University President
Fall 2015
Help Celebrate Fairmont State University’s Sesquicentennial
ing the past 150 years of FSU, or modern,
showing a snapshot of campus life in 2015.
All submissions will be reviewed due to space
limitations and content; those whose items
are selected for use in the Time Capsule will
be notified.
For more information, call (304) 367-4135
or e-mail [email protected].
Apply for the New FSU
Specialty License Plate
Mound Dedication, 1929
Fairmont State University’s roots reach
back to the formation of public education in
the state of West Virginia. In 2015, students,
faculty, staff, alumni and the community will
celebrate Fairmont State’s 150th birthday with
special remembrances and events throughout
the year. The festivities will culminate in October with the dedication of a Sesquicentennial Time Capsule during Homecoming 2015.
We hope that you can join us.
Over the past 150 years, this University has
experienced many changes in name – from
the West Virginia Normal School at Fairmont,
to the Fairmont State Normal School, to Fairmont State Teachers College in 1931, to Fairmont State College in 1944, to Fairmont State
University in 2004. These changes indicate an
ongoing expansion of programs and purpose.
The University’s changes in location in
Fairmont also reflect its continued growth.
On February 27, 1867, the normal school became a state institution. Construction began
on a brick building on the northwest corner
of Adams and Quincy streets later that year.
In 1893, the school moved into a new building on Second Street and Fairmont Avenue. In
early 1917, the Fairmont State Normal School
moved to the building now called Hardway
Hall and became “The College on the Hill”
overlooking Locust Avenue. In fact, 100 years
ago in October 1915, a special ceremony
commemorated the placing of the cornerstone for Hardway Hall. Significant progress
continues. Earlier this year the Falcon Center,
the true central hub of campus, celebrated its
10th birthday.
Through the years, each of us has contributed to the story of this great institution. I
know this University has made a great impact
on my life. Watch for details about Sesquicentennial events throughout the year at fairmontstate.edu and on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter. This year, as always, we hope that
you will connect with us and share your Falcon memories. Here’s to the next 150 years!
Call for Items for the
Sesquicentennial Time
Capsule
You are invited to participate in the dedication of FSU’s Sesquicentennial Time Capsule.
The Time Capsule is a metal cylinder that
is 30 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter.
Jeremy Entwistle, Coordinator of the Sculpture
and Foundry Department of the School of Fine
Arts, has designed and created an iron marker
that will indicate the site of the Time Capsule,
which will be placed in the ground in front
of the Falcon Center during a dedication ceremony as part of Homecoming 2015.
Students, alumni, employees and community members are invited to submit items for
consideration for inclusion in the Sesquicentennial Time Capsule to the Office of University Communications, 207 Hardway Hall, by
Sept. 16.
Submitted items can be historical, reflect-
For the first time, Fairmont State University
alumni, Fighting Falcons fans, employees and
students who reside in West Virginia have an
opportunity to pre-order an FSU special license plate. Preliminary interest applications
are now being accepted by FSU.
“This opportunity has been something supporters of Fairmont State University have requested for a long time,” said Ann Booth, Vice
President for University Communications.
“We’re excited to make it happen. President
Maria Rose filled out the first two applications
on Wednesday. This is a great way to show
FSU pride during the University’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.”
Ordering a special license plate is a way
to show alumni and community pride and
support for Fairmont State. FSU must obtain
at least 250 preliminary interest applications
by Jan. 30, 2016, so that the Division of Motor
Vehicles may begin the design and production of the license plate.
For more information or to obtain a preliminary interest application, visit http://
www.fairmontstate.edu/licensetag. All applications should be submitted to FSU. Each
application should be accompanied with a
check for $70 made payable to Fairmont State
University.
Joe Retton Arena
Renovations
In the fall of 2014, the Fairmont State athletic department completed a $1.2 million
renovation to Joe Retton Arena, the home of
the men’s basketball, women’s basketball,
volleyball and acrobatics & tumbling teams at
Fairmont State.
The 2014 renovation of Joe Retton Arena
included a new gym floor, seating, lighting,
sound system and LED scorer’s table.
“The entire athletic department would like
to thank all of the donors that helped make
our Feaster Center renovation project possible,” said FSU athletic director Tim McNeely.
“With the recent upgrades, our arena is now
one of the premiere venues in the conference
and in Division II athletics.”
Joe Retton Arena was dedicated in 2000 to
Joseph “Jo Jo” Retton Jr., FSU basketball coach
from 1963-1982.
Groundbreaking
Ceremony Celebrates
Start of Construction for
University Terrace
A groundbreaking ceremony in the spring
celebrated the start of construction for FSU’s
new housing project, University Terrace.
Members of the Fairmont State Board
of Governors, FSU President Maria Rose,
former Fairmont City Manager Jay Rogers and
representatives of the project design team
and general contractor participated in the
symbolic groundbreaking.
“We are very excited for this new housing option for our students here at Fairmont
State University. Not only do students realize their educational goals and aspirations
here at Fairmont State, the University is also
their home and we want them to feel a real
sense of family and community here. This
new housing option will help to strengthen
those ties to the University,” said FSU President Maria Rose.
With a target opening date of fall 2016, the
three-building residence facility will include
345 beds, more than doubling the capacity
of the current College Park Apartments. The
estimated cost will be about $30 million to
construct and equip the new housing. University Terrace will include single apartments
with kitchens, double apartments with kitchens, quads with kitchens and semi-suites with
a shared bath. Buildings 1 and 2 will be connected by a glassed common area, building 3
will be freestanding.
All rooms will be furnished by the University. There will be wi-fi throughout the buildings. Community space for socializing and
studying will be emphasized. There may possibly be a “grab and go” type food service.
There will be a courtyard area with a small
amphitheater.
The current College Park Apartments, built
in the 1960s, were purchased by FSU in 2002.
The apartments will be phased out, torn down
and replaced with parking, as construction
progresses on University Terrace.
“University Terrace is going to be a very
pleasant place for students to live, a great addition to our other campus residence halls.
The more engaged students are on campus,
the greater the likelihood that they will be academically successful, which is the ultimate
goal for all we do,” said Vice President for Student Services Kaye Widney.
The project design team includes McKinley & Associates, AECOM and Triad Engineering, Inc. McKinley & Associates is a fullservice architectural and engineering firm
headquartered in Wheeling and Charleston.
Since 1981, they have designed educational,
commercial/retail, warehouse, industrial, governmental and institutional buildings and also
have completed historic preservation work.
Based in Los Angeles, AECOM is a premier,
fully integrated professional and technical services firm positioned to design, build, finance
and operate infrastructure assets around the
world for public- and private-sector clients.
With offices in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio, Triad Engineering, Inc. is
a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing
geotechnical and civil engineering, environmental services, land surveying, construction
testing and monitoring, drilling and construction materials laboratory services to a wide
range of clients.
Massaro Corporation of Pittsburgh is the
general contractor for the project. Since 1967,
Massaro has forged relationships with clients
in a vast array of industries, including higher
education, healthcare, non-profit, religious,
hospitality and recreation.
Football Games being
played on Thursday night
With the 2015 Fairmont State football season right around the corner, the athletic department is pleased to announce that four of
the five home football games this fall will be
played on Thursday night, under the lights at
Duvall-Rosier Field.
“We are thrilled to be able to showcase our
athletic department and wonderful campus
with four Thursday night football games this
fall,” said Tim McNeely, Director of Athletics
at Fairmont State. “In recent years, Thursday
night football games at Fairmont State have
created a great game day atmosphere and we
look forward to that continuing this season.”
The Mountain East Conference has also
announced that the Falcons will appear on
the conference’s Thursday night ‘Game of
the Week’ broadcast three times, including the West Liberty game on Sept. 17, the
West Virginia Wesleyan game on Oct. 8 and
the Shepherd game on Nov. 5. Each of these
games will be played at Duvall-Rosier Field at
7 p.m. The MEC ‘Game of the Week’ will be
streamed live on the West Virginia MetroNews website and live radio broadcasts of each
game will be heard by multiple radio outlets
throughout the state and region.
The Falcons will open the season under
third-year head coach Jason Woodman on
Thursday, Sept. 3 at home against West Virginia State, kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The FSU
homecoming game against UVa-Wise will be
played on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m.
2015 Falcon
Football
WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
SEPT 3 // 7PM // FAIRMONT, WV
at Concord University
SEPT 12 // 12PM // ATHENS, WV
WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
SEPT 17 // 7PM // FAIRmONT, WV
at Urbana University
OCT 3 // 12PM // URBANA, OH
WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
OCT 8 // 7PM // FAIRMONT, WV
at University of Charleston
OCT 17 // 1PM // CHARLESTON, WV
THE UNIV. OF VA. COLLEGE AT WISE
OCT 24 // 2PM // FAIRMONT, WV
at Notre Dame College
OCT 31 // 12PM // SOUTH EUCLID, OH
SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
NOV 5 // 7PM // FAIRMONT, WV
at Glenville State College
NOV 12 // 7PM // GLENVILLE, WV
University Terrace