First established in 1854 as the Millersville Academy out of the since demolished Old Main,[4] the Academy specialized in a series of workshop-style teacher institutes in response to the 1934 Free School Act of Pennsylvania.[5]
History
Millersville University was established in 1855 as the Lancaster County Normal School, the first state normal school in Pennsylvania. It subsequently changed its name to the Millersville State Normal School in 1859 and Millersville later became a state teachers college in 1927. It was renamed Millersville State College in 1959 and officially became Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1983.
The original Old Main of 1854
In November 1852, the Lancaster County Educational Association met in Strasburg resolving to form an institute for teacher training. The first institute, which led to the Lancaster County Normal School and received major support from Thomas H. Burrowes, was held in January 1853. While the Association was working to organize, Lewis M. Hobbs, a popular teacher of the Manor district, lobbied heavily in Manor township for a more permanent training facility for teachers. Jacob Shenk, a local farmer, donated a tract of five acres (present-day site of Ganser Library, Biemesderfer Executive Center, and Dutcher Hall) with Hobbs collecting investments from local residents.
On April 17, 1855, Lancaster County Normal School opened with James P. Wickersham as Principal and a peak of 147 teachers in attendance. President of the school was Thomas H. Burrowes and Vice President was Lewis M. Hobbs. November 5, 1855 marked the start of the first full session, with a new expansion off of the original Academy building that made 96 rooms available for nearly 200 students and their teachers.[6]
Completed in 1894, the Biemesderfer Executive Center, also known as the Old Library, is the centerpiece of Millersville University's campus. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees designated $27,500 for the construction of the library in 1891 with the contract awarded to Lancastrian D.H. Rapp, who submitted the lowest bid in a blind auction.[7]
The Millersville University Library is housed in Ganser Hall. In September 2011, the University closed Ganser Hall for two years in order to complete renovations.[8] On August 26, 2013, the Ganser Library reopened as the McNairy Library and Learning Forum at Ganser Hall.
Campus
Location
Located in Millersville, Pa.; population: 8,168 (2010 Census)
250 acres of gently rolling landscape at Millersville campus
Downtown Lancaster campus - The Ware Center is located at 42 North Prince Street
Millersville is located 3 miles from Lancaster city
1 1⁄2 hours from Philadelphia
2 1⁄2 hours from Washington, D.C.
3 hours from New York City
3 1/2 hours from Pittsburgh
Housing
Student Lodging, Inc. is in the process of building the final phase of a three phase project comprising eight new residence halls at Millersville University.[8] Once the new halls are complete, the University will maintain Bard and Gilbert Halls as overflow housing with Gaige Hall planned for demolition in the spring of 2016. Other housing options include Shenks Hall, Reighard Hall (formerly the Inn at Millersville), Brookwood Court and Healthy Living apartments.
Theme areas: First Year Experience, Honors College, International Students, Center for Service Learning and Leadership
1,228 live in local off-campus housing
5,365 (approx.) commute from home
New facilities
Lombardo Welcome Center
On August 29, 2015, local community members Samuel and Dena Lombardo announced a gift to Millersville University of $1.2M for the creation of the University's new Welcome Center and first state-of-the-art Net-Zero energy building on campus. This building, named the Lombardo Welcome Center, will produce as much energy as it consumes and represents the University's largest single-donation to date.[9] On the grounds of former Hull Hall, once complete the Lombardo Welcome Center will house the offices of Admissions, Housing & Residential Life, Marketing and the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Francine G. McNairy Library & Learning Forum
McNairy Library at Millersville University
Originally built from 1965-1967 on the grounds of Old Main, the Helen Ganser Library closed its doors in 2011 for an extensive 2-year renovation project and re-opened in 2013 as the Francine G. McNairy Library & Learning Forum. The entire complex is named after Millersville's 13th President, Dr. Francine McNairy, who began her career at Millersville first as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs before becoming President in 2003.[10] Ganser Hall, named for Helen A. Ganser (1911-1952), librarian and head of the Library Science Department,[11] is the 9-story building that houses the University's academic collection. Serving as the academic heart of campus for over 40 years, Ganser Hall's beginning with the two famous "Bookwalks" of 1967.
During the renovation, Library Services was temporarily relocated to Gerhart Hall (22 East Frederick Street). A network of conveyor belts wound around the 9-story stairwell at the beginning of the project so the general collection could be boxed and shipped for temporary storage. Renovation of the building not only brings the academic heart of campus up to ADA Compliance, but also includes redesigned smart classrooms, natural lighting and a café serving Starbucks.[12] On Monday August 26, 2013 the new library finally opened its doors to the Millersville University community as a new, dynamic home for over 500,000 books, 100,000 periodicals, and dozens of other resources, including a brand new reading room as well as a room with garden views of campus.[13]
Currently, the Library offers a laptop borrowing service for students, has rooms available for reservation, is home to a 24-hour study room[14] and is a part of the EZ-Borrow network, where students, faculty and staff can request a book from another library and arrives in as little as four days to the circulation desk.[15] The Library also hosts several student-worker positions each semester.[16]
Winter Visual & Performing Arts Center
Millersville University Music Students utilizing the tech in the piano lab.
Built as an expansion of Lyte Auditorium in Alumni Hall,[17] the new Charles R. and Anita B Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center has a new entrance off Cottage Avenue in Millersville. The grand opening occurred on Friday, October 12, 2012 after two years of renovations to the original structure, Lyte Auditorium. Named for local philanthropist Charles Winter, whose daughters are both Millersville graduates,[18] The new Visual and Performing Arts Center, a $26 million construction and renovation project, enhances the original 29,041-square-foot building of 700 seats with a 59,452-square-foot addition.[19] Part of the University’s master plan to effectively use and reuse existing land, facilities, and infrastructure, the new Winter Visual & Performing Arts Center houses features a concert hall, recital hall, performance hall, classrooms, a recording studio, piano lab, a music library, faculty offices and more.[20] Known by students as the VPAC (for Visual and Performing Arts Building), other features of the state-of-the-art building are a scenery shop, soundproof classrooms, several sitting areas, a music library and approximately 20 Soundlok rooms, which are modular sound-isolation rooms for practicing.[17]
Academics
Millersville University has 8,725 students with a student-faculty ratio of 19.6:1 and an average class size of 27.
Degree programs and certifications
According to the 2011-2012 undergraduate course catalog Millersville University offers:[21]
55 bachelor's degree programs
2 associate degree programs
According to the Graduate and Professional Studies catalog, Millersville University offers 62 graduate programs:[22]
^Local philanthropist Dr. Charles Winter, a retired orthopedic surgeon, donated $1 million to Millersville University in 2007 to support renovations and additions to Lyte Auditorium. Two of his daughters graduated from Millersville.
Pond
Biemesderfer main entrance
The oculus of Biemesderfer
