Western Michigan University

College & Education

North America, United States, Kalamazoo County

Western Michigan University (WMU) is a public university established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo. When the school first opened, it was known as the Western State Normal School, but was renamed Western State Teachers College in 1927 and Western Michigan College of Education in 1941. On February 26, 1957 Governor G. Mennen Williams signed into law a bill making Western Michigan College the state's fourth public university. In its annual ranking of the nation’s 4,000 colleges and universities, U.S. News & World Report consistently lists WMU as one of the nation’s top 100 public universities. WMU's main campus is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. As of the Fall 2010 semester, the school has an enrollment of 25,045. The school's mascot is Buster Bronco, and the school colors are brown and gold. WMU's College of Aviation is one of the largest and prestigious aviation programs in the United States; the university is also noted for its Paper Engineering and Behavior Analysis programs, as well as for the Haworth College of Business Integrated Supply Chain Management and Army ROTC program. WMU's expansion projects include a new Business Technology and Research Park for research and economic development, a new engineering campus, a new health and human services campus, a new aviation campus in Battle Creek, Michigan, and extensive building renovation and restoration on the main Kalamazoo campus, as well as a new chemistry building and a visual arts center. WMU is the site of the annual International Congress on Medieval Studies.