Millennium Student Center at UMSL (Photo by August Jennewein)

This year is one of reflection and aspiration for the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The UMSL community will look back and ahead as it celebrates the university’s 50th anniversary. And that’s exactly what the St. Louis Beacon did with its comprehensive article published Jan. 31.

In “At age 50, UMSL looks back and ahead,” Beacon reporter Dale Singer interviewed key individuals in the university’s relatively young history, including Chancellor Tom George, Chancellor Emeritus Blanche Touhill, Shirley Martin, founding dean of the College of Nursing and Wayne Goode, chair of the Missouri Board of Curators. His article touched on UMSL’s humble beginnings as it opened the doors to its first building, Benton Hall, while it was still under construction. It also explored UMSL’s evolution into a 350-acre campus, looked at legacies of past and present leaders and hinted at what the next 50 years hold for the university.

To convey UMSL’s current status, George pointed in the article to UMSL’s successful Gateway for Greatness Campaign that raised $54 million more than the initial $100 million goal.

“Even 10 years ago we could not have done a campaign like that,” George told the Beacon. “Now we have an alumni base that has matured, people who have resources to give. That’s an excellent gauge that we have really matured.”

Visit the St. Louis Beacon website to read the entire article, which includes a list of notable UMSL alumni.