FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 5:00 p.m. CDT
Contact Jason Hogue, Peru State College Marketing and Communications, 402.872.2429
Peru, Nebraska- On June 20, 2017, Peru State College will host a Nebraska Sesquicentennial Commission
“Signature Event,” Peru State College’s Charter Commemoration: Nebraska’s Higher Education
Beginnings.
Dr. Sara Crook, Nebraska State Sesquicentennial Committee Chair, presented a certificate to the college's sesquicentennial committee. From left to right: Amy Mincer, Deborah Solie, Dr. Sara Crook, Dr. Dan Hanson, Ted Harshbarger, Dr. Dan Holtz, Kelly Kole and Jason Hogue.
NE150.org writes, “This Sesquicentennial Charter Event Celebration will mark the charter
date of June 20, 1867, of Nebraska’s first institution of higher education by the
Nebraska Legislature. The historic event will include an official program with a keynote
address, historical reenactment, musical entertainment, and more, followed by a social
reception time on the beautiful Peru State ‘Campus of a Thousand Oaks.’”
On June 20, 1867, the fledgling state government of Nebraska named Peru, Nebraska,
as the home of the state’s first college. The college was founded as a normal school
dedicated to training teachers.
The college is also planning the opening of a new Visitor and Interpretive Center
on campus with additional exhibits spread around campus. Faculty will present programs
in their fields that represent the long academic history of the college. Other events
include a special recognition at the May 2017 commencement and alumni activities.
Homecoming (October 28, 2017) will occur just days after the 150th anniversary of the first day of class on October 24, 1867.
Dr. Dan Hanson, president of Peru State College, said, “We have been planning the
sesquicentennial since 2011. I hope alumni and everyone in the region will be able
to visit campus at least once in 2017.”
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For more information, visit www.peru.edu or call 1-800-742-4412.
About Peru State College: Peru State’s “Campus of a Thousand Oaks,” an arboretum,
is nestled in historic southeast Nebraska. The state’s first college, Peru State offers
a unique mix of innovative online and traditional classroom undergraduate and graduate
programs, including online graduate degrees in education and organizational management.
It is a college of choice fostering excellence and student achievement through engagement
in a culture that promotes inquiry, discovery and innovation.