Alumni Association

The St. Cloud State Alumni Association was established on April 28, 1881. That year there were two hundred and six graduates of St. Cloud College who were eligible to join the association. The Alumni Association has dedicated itself to keeping graduates of the school connected with their alma mater and also on raising funds for resources and items such as scholarships and memorials.

The alumni association was established on April 28, 1881, where Professor Thomas Gray was elected president. Others elected at that time include:

Vice President : Flora M. Truman

Corresponding Secretary: Mary L. Upham

Recording Secretary: W.H. Alden

Records are sparse from the early period of the Association’s history but continue to grow in size as the years progress.

On March 26, 1932, the Alumni Association was incorporated in the state of Minnesota. The bylaws called for the association to be run and managed by a Board of Directors. Board members were to be elected for terms of office.

In 1965, an alumni executive director was hired to help plan and expedite events and services offered through the Alumni Association. Though its not clear how this position related to the director of alumni relations position, its likely it was the same person doing two different but related jobs.

In the 1966 Handbook for Chapter Coordinators, it states that the general purposes of the Alumni Association are:

• To promote the objectives of St. Cloud State College through the establishment and maintenance of contact between the college, its graduates and its students.

• To promote effective interest in and loyalty to St. Cloud State College on the part of its alumni and the public in general.

• To foster and encourage good scholarship and to offer awards and appropriate means of recognition for excellence in all forms of educational endeavors of various kinds contributing to the welfare of St. Cloud State College.

The specific purposes of the Alumni Chapters and Coordinators are:

• To be a communication link between the Alumni Association and the graduates.

• To sponsor annual alumni reunions.

• To assist the Alumni Office in the updating of alumni records.

• To serve in the advisory capacity to the Alumni Board of Directors.

• To identify potential leadership among Alumni Association members.

• To assist in the growth of the Alumni Association program.

In 1963, the association began presenting the Distinguished Alumni Awards to former outstanding students. The awards were (and still are) made during the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner on Homecoming weekend.

Also taking place during Homecoming is the annual meeting of the Alumni Association. The membership is given the financial statement of the Association and program reports are given by both the Alumni Director and Alumni President. Every two years, Association officers are elected at the annual meeting.

St. Cloud State University procured the house that is now known as the Alumni House on November 17, 1972. The house was designed by a local architect named Louis Pinault and built in 1924 by Hubert Hansen. The house was built for Dr. Claude Lewis, who was a prominent surgeon and was also the brother of famous author Sinclair Lewis. After the death of Dr. Lewis, his second wife sold the house to L. Ferne Atwood in 1964. The state then purchased the Lewis-Atwood home due to the accelerating growth of the university grounds.

A notable event that was presented by the Alumni Association was the 125th Anniversary of St. Cloud State University. The official kick-off took place on September 10, 1994 at the Capitol grounds in St. Paul. The festivities included a relay-style event called “Journey to St. Cloud” which featured various modes of transportation from the steps of the Capitol to the campus in St. Cloud. According to Bob Dinndorf, SCSU Alumni Association Executive Director, “We want the transportation in the journey to mark progression from historical to modern. The journey will take place along Highway 10. We would like to feature special events in the communities along Highway 10.” (Letter, dated April 19, 1994)