November 22, 2021
Gratitude … that is what the members of the Mayville State University Alumni Association feel for the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center. They are grateful for the building, and also for the many people who have made it possible to call this special and historic building “home.”
“We are grateful for the support provided by alumni and friends, and for the members of the Mayville-Portland community,” said Doug Anderson, a 1974 Mayville State graduate and member of the MSU Alumni Association board.
Northwest Hall opened in December of 1911 as an infirmary for sick students on the campus of Mayville Normal School. Over the years, the building has served as dormitory space, the Mayville State president’s home, and housing for families.
Mayville State alumni expressed the need for an alumni center in 2001. Their dream was to have an alumni center that would serve university and community needs, provide a home for the Alumni Association, display historical collections, and be a source of much Comet pride.
Physical work and fundraising to rehabilitate the then-vacated Northwest Hall for use as an alumni center began in 2003 and was completed in 2013. Since that time, the building has been the site for Alumni Association and MSU Foundation board meetings, community meetings, classes for students, luncheon and dinner parties, reunions, socials, and even bridal and baby showers.
Doug Anderson played an integral role in the rehabilitation of the historic Northwest Hall, now known as the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center. It was his vision and determination to raise the funds needed that drove the project from beginning until end. Kelly Morrison, 1976 Mayville State graduate, joined in the mission and helped to see it through.
“As we enter the holiday season, gratitude fills our hearts,” said Doug Anderson. “This year, we are especially grateful, not only for the support our alumni and friends provide for our beloved alma mater, but also for our wonderful alumni center which is now 110 years old.”
The Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center is truly a source of much Comet pride, university and community history, and tributes to local people and alumni who have been honored through naming rights within the building as well as on the grounds.
The icing on the cake for the beautiful Mayville State alumni center made up of landscaping projects on the grounds that honor military veterans, teachers, current and former Mayville State employees, alumni, community leaders, and friends of the university. Recent work includes incorporating historical architectural elements and sculptures representing Mayville State’s heritage that have been incorporated into beautiful garden settings.
“The Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center is a treasure,” said Beth Swenson, Director of Alumni Affairs. “The corner of Third Avenue and Stan Dakken Drive is a gem on the Mayville State University campus and truly a gift for which our alumni and friends are grateful.”
The alumni center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to stop by and take a look any time. The coffee pot is always on! The facility is available for use by alumni and community groups for meetings, parties, and more. For more information, contact Stacy Buchl at 701-788-4864 or stacy.buchl@mayvillestate.edu.
Top. The Mayville State University Alumni Association board members hosted a birthday party for the Edson and Margaret Alumni and Leadership Center on Wednesday evening, Nov. 17. Alumni and friends gathered to celebrate their gratitude for the beautiful facility which is “home” on the Mayville State campus for alumni and friends. Several Mayville State Collegiate DECA students assisted the board with hosting duties. Pictured from left to right are Collegiate DECA members Cole Dukart, McKinley Kartes, Brooke Roeges, and Taylor Stegman.
Bottom. A view of the Edson and Margaret Larson Alumni and Leadership Center from the north.