27 colleges and universities have contributed content about themselves and their history to the Minnesota Digital Library (MDL). This exhibit shares highlights from these rich collections of material to explore the establishment and growth of higher education in Minnesota.

While this exhibit focuses mostly on college and university development in the late 19th and early 20th century, there is much more higher education-related content in the MDL collection. To explore further, you can browse and search MDL by these topics and subjects:

• Education

• Universities and Colleges

• College Buildings

• College Students

• College Graduates

• College Teachers

• College Buildings

• College Publications

• College Student Newspapers and Periodicals

There are also missing narratives, in particular from and about people of color, as Minnesota's founding colleges and universities were primarily attended by white students at the turn of the 19th century. There is so much more to investigate and examine, and we hope this exhibit prompts further questions and additional stories.

Sara Ring, Exhibit Curator

Molly Huber and Stephanie Hess, Editors

For more information on this topic, please check out these additional resources.

Abicht, Anne E., "A Historical View of St. Cloud State University Women's Athletics" (2006). Culminating Projects in Kinesiology. 1. https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/pess_etds/1 (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Atkins, Annette. “Learning in the Land of Lakes: Minnesota’s Education History.” MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www.mnopedia.org/learning-land-lakes-minnesota-s-education-history (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Blegen, Theodore Christian. Minnesota, a History of the State. 2nd ed., University of Minnesota Press, 1975.

"A Brief History of Minnesota Higher Education 1947-1992.” House Research Department. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2007/other/070224.pdf (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Cameron, Harris. “Mankato Normal School controversy, 1873.” MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www.mnopedia.org/event/mankato-state-normal-school-controversy-1873 (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Carmichael, Oliver C. “The Roots of Higher Education in Minnesota.” Minnesota History, vol. 34, no. 3, 1954, pp. 90–95. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20175844. Accessed 7 June 2024.

Dunstan Tucker, O.S.B. and Martin Schirber, O.S.B., “Scoreboard: A History of Athletics at Saint John's University." Saint John’s University Archives, https://www.csbsju.edu/sju-archives/sjuhistory/booksaboutstjohns/scoreboardbook (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Francois, Sherick. “African American Students at Gustavus Adolphus College, 1963–1982.” MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www.mnopedia.org/event/african-american-students-gustavus-adolphus-college-1963-1982 (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Goetz, Kathryn R. “U of M English prof Maria Sanford was one of first female professors in U.S.” MinnPost, March 19, 2013. https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2013/03/u-m-english-prof-maria-sanford-was-one-first-female-professors-us (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Gout, Greg. “Winona Normal School.” MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www.mnopedia.org/thing/winona-normal-school (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Graham, Hugh. “The Beginnings of Teacher Training in Minnesota.” The Journal of Educational Research, vol. 20, no. 1, 1929, pp. 38–41. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27523884. (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Gray, Kristina. "Origins of the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA), 1905-1940." MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www.mnopedia.org/place/origins-northwest-school-agriculture-nwsa-1905-1940 (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Folwell, William Watts, William Watts Folwell: the Autobiography and Letters of a Pioneer of Culture. Edited by Solon J. Buck, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 1933.

“Hamline History: The foundation of Minnesota’s first university.” Hamline University. https://www.hamline.edu/about/mission-history/history (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Helland, Philip C. Establishment of Public Junior and Community Colleges in Minnesota 1914-1983. Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/NonMNpub/oclc20870687.pdf (Accessed 7 June 2024)

“A History of the State Department of Education in Minnesota.” Minnesota State Department of Education. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2010/other/101584.pdf (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Jarchow, Merrill E. Private Liberal Arts Colleges in Minnesota : Their History and Contributions. Minnesota Historical Society, 1973.

Lyman, Clara Cross. “The World and Minnesota in 1849.” Minnesota History, vol. 30, no. 3, 1949, pp. 185–201. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20175464. (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Mitau, G. Theodore. Minnesota’s Colleges of Opportunity : From Normal School to Teachers College and State University--A Century of Academic Change in Minnesota. Alumni Associations of the Minnesota State University System, 1977.

“Morrill Act: Primary Documents in American History.” Library of Congress, August 17, 2021. https://guides.loc.gov/morrill-act/introduction (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Ostrem, Walter M. “The Beginnings of Track and Field Sports in Minnesota.” Minnesota History, vol. 39, no. 1, 1964, pp. 18–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20176546. (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Post-Secondary Vocation Education at Minnesota's Area Vocational-Technical Institutes, February 9, 1983.” Office of the Legislative Auditor Program Evaluation Division, State of Minnesota. https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/1983/83-02.pdf (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Sanders, Sally. “Cyrus Northrop: From Weary One-Room Pupil to Major University President.” Ridgefield Historical Society. https://ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org/cyrus-northrop-one-room-pupil-to-university-president (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Steman, Tom and Stielow, Kayla. “From Normal to University: The St. Cloud State Campus Since 1869.” St. Cloud State University Archives. https://www.stcloudstate.edu/library/archives/digital/default.aspx (Accessed 7 June 2024)

Taylor, Joshua D. “History of Graduation Ceremonies and Other School Rituals.” June 18, 2015. https://daily.jstor.org/the-history-of-graduation-ceremonies-and-other-school-rituals-of-our-ancestors (Accessed 7 June 2024)

"Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Heading (TRUTH) Full Report." March 2023, TRUTH Project. https://mn.gov/indian-affairs/truth-project (Access 7 June 2024)

Whitford, Emma. “Merger Approved for 5 Minnesota Community Colleges.” Inside Higher Ed, March 16, 2022. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/03/17/merger-approved-5-minnesota-community-colleges Accessed 7 June 2024)

The Minnesota Digital Library is grateful to our contributing organizations for sharing the primary and secondary sources highlighted in this exhibit, including University of Minnesota Libraries, Hamline University, Winona State University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Carleton College, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Luther Seminary, St. Cloud State University, Bethel University, Macalester College, Saint Olaf College, University of St. Thomas, Concordia University, St. Paul, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, St. Catherine University, College of St. Scholastica, College of Saint Benedict - Saint John’s University , Rochester Community and Technical College, Bethany Lutheran College, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Southwest Minnesota State University Striegel Archives, Hennepin Technical College, and the Blue Earth County Historical Society.