Elementary Schools

Jefferson Elementary School

Opened in September of 1961, Jefferson Elementary was built at a cost of $625,803. Its original 400 students came from Lincoln School when that school was turned into a junior high. It has two levels, two kindergarten classrooms, and twelve regular classrooms. Its enrollment is between 300 and 400 pupils. At 39,752 square feet, Jefferson is the smallest school in the district that serves grades K-6.

Kennedy Elementary School

Kennedy was opened on East Main Street in 1966, with its dome added in 1971. It contained grades K-6 until 1991 when the sixth graders were transferred to Franklin Elementary due to over-crowding.

Washington Elementary School

Built in 1954 and dedicated in 1955, Washington is located in the hilltop area of Mankato, about a block from Immanuel-St. Joseph's Hospital. It opened with about 290 students and its enrollment has risen to its present 550 students. To accommodate growing enrollment, six new classrooms were added in 1970. Since that time, the school has been filled to capacity. In 1991, Washington's 6th graders were transferred to Franklin Elementary due to overcrowding.

Source
The Heritage of Blue Earth County. Curtis Media Corporation, 1990

High Schools

Mankato West High School (formerly Mankato High School)

The current Mankato West High School building was built at the end of World War II to replace the Mankato High School building, which burned down in 1941. After several years of debate, the new school was built on Memorial Field, known as the "slough" to local residents. It was completed enough to host graduation ceremonies in the spring of 1951. It opened with 690 students enrolled. The East Wing was added in 1959 and two more additions were made in the 1980's. In 1964, the enrollment was 1,175 in three grades (10-12) and the community decided to build a second high school. Mankato High School was split the in 1973 and the old Mankato High School became Mankato West High School. Because of overcrowding in the junior highs, ninth grade was moved into the high schools. In 1982, declining enrollment caused the junior highs to close and seventh and eighth grade were moved into the high schools. When Dakota Meadows Middle School was built in 1993, West High School became grades 9-12 once again.

Mankato East High School

Construction began on East High School in the spring of 1970. It opened in fall of 1973 with 1,130 students in grades 9-12, even though construction was still taking place. Part of the new building housed a junior high for students in grades 7 and 8. When East opened a friendly rivalry began between the two high schools. This lead to a yearly football game between the two schools in which the winner gets the trophy of the "Jug". The winner as well as the final score is inscribed on the Jug each year and the winner keeps the Jug in their trophy case.

Source
The Heritage of Blue Earth County. Curtis Media Corporation, 1990

Colleges

Mankato State University

An enrollment surge in the late 1950s strained the capacity of the early campus and construction of a new campus began on the hilltop overlooking Mankato. In April, 1957, "Mankato State Teacher’s College" officially became "Mankato State College." The first academic building for the new campus was the Wilson Campus School (1959). In the Valley Campus, the Lincoln Library (1958) and a Nichols Hall addition (1960) were completed. Students rode the intercampus bus between classes held both on the lower or "Valley" campus and upper or "Highland" campus. Because of acute housing shortages brought on by a surge in enrollment, additional residence halls were constructed such as Crawford (1959) and McElroy (1961). For the first time, with the completion of Armstrong Hall in 1964, both campuses were equal in number of classes.

During the James Nickerson presidency, from 1966-72, enrollment grew to more than 12,000 students. In 1970 and 1972 demonstrations against the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War caused much controversy both on and off campus. The college was spared tragedies which befell other campuses, suffering little property damage and no life threatening injuries to local demonstrators on either side of this painful national issue.

Douglas Moore was president for 1973-1978, and has been credited with the 1978-1979 transfer and consolidation to the highland area of all of the activities on the two campuses thus eliminating the need for the Valley Campus. Many of the buildings on the Valley Campus exist today though they serve different private or public needs. The old Main Annex no longer stands, nor does the Physical Education Building. However, the Nichols Science & Arts building, Lincoln Library and Old Main survived the wrecking ball and function today with remodeled interiors, changed names, and new owners. The "Old Main" administrative building on the Valley Campus resurfaced as "Old Main Village," a retirement community; the Lincoln Library was converted to the Blue Earth County Government Center; and Nichols is now a private sector office complex.

Enrollment expansion and Mankato State College’s growing reputation for academic excellence led to its "University" status in 1975. Margaret R. Preska became president in 1979. During her tenure, enrollment grew nearly 43 percent, resulting in a much-need expansion and remodeling of many campus buildings. That year the shift to the Highland Campus was finally completed with the construction of the Wigley Administration Building.

New and expanded programs, along with the availability of a master’s degree in several areas, contributed to MSU’s largest enrollment during 1989-90 and 1991-92 school years with over 16,300 on- and off-campus students in attendance.

Current president Richard R. Rush took the helm in 1992. Additions to the university’s curriculum included a new Master of Science degree in nursing and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. In late 1997 the College of Business achieved its long sought after goal of national accreditation. Graduates of the university’s College of Business can now be satisfied knowing that the International Association of Management Education recognizes the depth of excellence that exists within the college’s programs.

Enrollment currently is around 12,500 students with faculty and staff numbering 1,300. In addition to their excellence in teaching, the university’s faculty members continue to be recognized for their works in research and service. On the average, one member of the faculty is chosen as a Fullbright scholar each year.

The institution's most recent name change occurred September 18, 1998, when the MnSCU Board of Trustees agreed the name change better represented the university as "one of the premier higher education institutions in the state and region." While the change took effect immediately, it will be a few months before the university officially unveils the new name in a celebration of the change.

In late March and early April 1998, more than a thousand students, faculty and staff helped in the massive clean up of nearby tornado ravaged St. Peter, Gustavus Adolphus College and surrounding smaller communities. This kind of disaster relief also occurred in 1965 when Mankato State students and employees turned out in large numbers to sandbag against the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers which overflowed their banks flooding portions of Mankato and North Mankato.

Adding an extra dimension to what is offered in the classroom, students continue to enjoy a wide range of activities from performing in theatrical productions and music events; competing nationally in forensics; attending lectures and concerts; and participating in student government, Greek lettered organizations, clubs, societies, intramural sports, and community service projects.

While the academic side of the institution has gained public recognition, so, too, has MSU’s intercollegiate sport teams. These teams were called the Indians until 1977 when the men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic teams took "Mavericks" as a name. The Maverick steer mascot, for years known as "Hoofer," received its current official "Stompers" name just a couple of years ago.

Mankato State University is proud of its continuing efforts to provide equal opportunity in athletics to both its men and women students. New women’s programs include intercollegiate soccer and women’s hockey. With the exception of men’s hockey, all men’s and women’s intercollegiate teams compete in the powerful North Central Conference (NCC) of the NCAA’s Division II. Men’s hockey played its first full season as a Division I team in 1997-98 and has been accepted as a member of the prestigious Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference.

Wissink, the Pennington Foundation Building, an addition to the Memorial Library, and the Trafton Science Center east wing, represent some of the results of an attempt to address the stresses associated with the enrollment increases that occurred in the late 1980s.

Pending construction projects include a $3 million theatre addition funded from private donations matched with a large grant provided by Lowell and Nadine Andreas. A $15.5 million combination welcome center and 4,700 seat arena has been scheduled with total of $9.2 million donated by Glen Taylor, local businessman and MSU alumnus. One million dollars donated by Mankato native and Bresnan Communications President, Bill Bresnan, will pay for the arena. Also, Pepsi Corp. agreed to a $2.2 million donation towards construction on the arena building, in exchange for exclusive pouring rights on campus. Construction is proceeding on a $4 million third phase addition to the Centennial Student Union, which was paid for from student fees.

For a timeline of Minnesota State University-Mankato, click here.

Taken from the History of Minnesota State University, Mankato <http://www.mnsu.edu/dept/univops/history/> hosted by Minnesota State University-Mankato

Rasmussen Business College

The latest addition to Mankato's educational institutions is Rasmussen Business College which is located on Madison Avenue in the old Mankato Clinic building. With schools in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and St. Cloud, Rasmussen has earned a solid reputation for providing skilled professional personnel to local industries, commerce, and government. The school opened in 1983 with 11 degree programs available in day and evening classes. More than 1400 students have attended Rasmussen Business College-Mankato since 1983.

Source
The Heritage of Blue Earth County. Curtis Media Corporation, 1990

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