Happy birthday, UW-RF

A series of celebrations begins this week to pay tribute to the founding of what is now called UW-River Falls. This Wednesday noon, April 22, the celebration got underway with bell-ringing throughout the city of River Falls.

In 1874, 125 years ago, ground was broken for construction of the River Falls State Normal School. In 1999 this is the site of the university's South Hall - just one of many buildings scattered about the campus.

First-year enrollment at River Falls State Normal School was 130 led by a faculty of 7. Today the enrollment figure at UW-RF is edging toward 6,000 and about 600 people work at the university.

Today and throughout the next year we commemorate this institution because of how it embodies and defines us.

Geographically, UW-RF's presence dominates our fair city of 12,000. With its many brick buildings, woods, wetlands, trails, footbridges, stream, amphitheater, cultivated and athletic fields, the campus also offers an aesthetic landscape.

Economically, it's not only our community's major employer but also a source of brainpower for area businesses and companies. It's our link to educational trends and training, and provides untold cultural, artistic, sports and recreational opportunities.

The founding of this institution reflects our community's history and cohesion. It took a united front from area citizens to persuade the state Legislature to locate a school in little River Falls. It also took a financial commitment from surrounding towns, Pierce County and community leaders to make the new school's construction feasible.

That cooperation is an example worth noting today as River Falls and surrounding towns try to plan for and manage growing populations, especially as this growth spreads into the countryside.

A list of upcoming 125th anniversary events will be available this summer. This yearlong celebration is a worthy reminder of what the UW-RF heritage has meant for us. We who live here now benefit from that history.