Mayville State University’s 125th anniversary will be celebrated during the Alumni Association’s annual Alumni Days activities planned for June 20 and 21. The festivities are being held in conjunction with Mayville-Portland’s Summerfest. The May-Port Lions Club members are organizing and coordinating Summerfest activities to be held June 19, 20, 21, and 22. Mayville State University was established November 2, 1889, and Mayville State has been celebrating its tradition of personal service during the past several months, leading up to the official 125th anniversary on November 2, 2014.

Festivities at Mayville State will kick off with the official grand opening of the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 20. The program will be held on the lawn outside the Larson Center, beginning at 11:30 a.m. This will be immediately followed by the Alumni Days kickoff celebration and picnic, which is being sponsored by the First and Farmers Bank of Mayville and Portland. Everyone is welcome!

A preview of the Homecoming 2014 art show, featuring the work of alumnus Doug Anderson, 1974 Mayville State graduate, will be on display in the Levon West Gallery, located in the MSU Classroom Building, throughout the Alumni Days celebration. Anderson is a public school educator in Cavalier, N.D.

There will be departmental open houses and campus tours from 2:00 to 4:00 the afternoon of June 20. The public is encouraged to check out all the great facilities updates that have been made at Mayville State, and visit with faculty and staff in the various departments. Formal campus tours will leave from the front of Old Main at 2:00 and 3:00 p.m.

Among the special honored guests during Alumni Days are this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, Joe Dunn, Bemidji, Minn.; Richard Davison, Bismarck, N.D.; Ronald Gibbens, Grand Forks, N.D.; Michelle Worner Kommer, Fargo, N.D.; and Jackie Puppe Wotipka, Edmonds, Wash.; and Distinguished Service Award recipients, Cindy Petersen, Kim Lauf, and Shireen Grinager, all of Mayville. These individuals will be honored at a reception at the Larson Center Friday afternoon, June 20, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Their awards will be presented at the annual Alumni Association Awards Dinner which will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. A gathering of the “greats,” all past recipients of the Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Service Awards, will be held during the dinner. This will be a great opportunity to visit with many of Mayville State’s distinguished alumni and friends.

A long-time Mayville State dream will come true when former members of Francis Colby’s jazz bands will gather and provide musical entertainment in the Campus Center Luckasen Room beginning at 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 20. These musicians were, and still are, some of the best in the country. Several instrumentalists have indicated that they will be there and are ready to play. One can expect to see and hear from Kirk Overmoe, Steve Faison, Dennis Connelly, Conrad Miska, Kurt Vandermeer, Brian Weimer, Lynn Schroeder, Kris Eylands, John Pederson, Jeff Grefsheim, Herb Thomson, Doug Barta, Cordell Bugbee, Wendell Van Wechel, Scott Greenwood, Jeff Jacobsen, Kelly Wilwand, Merlyn VanBruggen, Steve Michels, Dick Barta, and more! This is your opportunity to once again hear the players who gained Mayville State regional and national attention in music performance in the 1960s and 1970s. Former director Francis Colby will also be in attendance.

A couple of reunions will take place at the MSU Larson Alumni and Leadership Center on Saturday. The Red Caps will gather from noon until 2:00 p.m., and there will be a reception for friends and former students of Terry Kemmer from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Those planning to attend these gatherings should RSVP to alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu.

All former employees of Mayville State icon Bob Brown are invited to gather for a reunion in the Campus Center Heritage Room Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00. During his tenure, Bob worked in the campus bookstore, athletic training, the swimming pool, financial aid, and athletics, so he associated with a large cross-section of students over the years. All are welcome! Please RSVP to papenfussbradlaurie@hotmail.com.

The Mayville State University Alumni Association will host an all-class reunion on Saturday afternoon from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. under the tent on the north side of the Larson Center. A meal including pulled pork and all the fixin’s for a great picnic meal will be available. This gathering is open to all alumni, friends, and current and former faculty and staff.

Highlights of the Summerfest celebration include the Mayville 10k Run and 5k Run/Walk which will be held Thursday evening, June 19. It is sponsored by Sanford Mayville, and more information is available at www.mayville5k.com. The Masons will host a breakfast at the Masonic Lodge (former Sons of Norway Lodge) Saturday morning. The Summerfest parade is planned for 10:30 a.m. that day, followed by food, fun, and games at Mayville’s Island Park. The Mayville Fire Department’s street dance will be held outside of Heros & Legends Saturday evening. An all faiths worship service on Sunday morning, June 22, will round out the four-day celebration. The service will be held at Island Park.

Details about all of the Alumni Days plans can be found at www.mayvillestate.edu/alumnidays. Reservations are required for the Alumni Association Awards Dinner and the all-class reunion. Tickets may be purchased at the website. Reservation deadline is Monday, June 9. If you have questions or need more information, contact the MSU Foundation at 701-788-4750 or alumni.mail@mayvillestate.edu.