The University of Maine at Farmington will commemorate its founding 150 years ago, when it become the first public higher education institution in Maine, with a Charter Day celebration Oct. 9.

The university plans to hold a full-day celebration as part of a yearlong series of commemorative events in honor of the day the Legislature approved the school’s charter, according to college spokeswoman April Mulherin.

The events Oct. 9 are open to the public and will include a ceremony featuring dignitaries, an array of cultural events, a picnic, a ribbon-cutting for local service projects and an evening reception with art and performances at the Emery Community Arts Center and the UMF Art Gallery, Mulherin said in a news release.

The anniversary also will be observed with a host of other events, exhibits and forums throughout the school year including a monthly exhibit of historical character and the Farmington Forum Series.

An exhibit about a different person from the university’s history will be on display at the UMF Mantor Library each month. The exhibits will tell the stories of influential administrators, professors and alumni through artifacts and photographs from the university’s library archives, according to the news release.

The Farmington Forum Series will feature events focusing on six key academic disciplines of education, psychology, English, biology, mathematics and history. The events include lectures by visiting scholars, film and research presentations, art exhibits, panel discussions and alumni receptions.

Days and times for the events in the series are not set yet, Mulherin said.

A full calendar of events and their details is available at 150.umf.maine.edu.


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