Winona Daily News Campus Connection
New history exhibit celebrates Minnesota State College Southeast's 75th anniversary
By Katryn Conlin, February 22, 2024
At a public meeting in April 1948, John Fuhlbrugge, the director of vocational education at Winona High School, made clear his ambition to see an area vocational school established in Winona.
His original typewritten agenda for that meeting is now on display at Minnesota State College Southeast as part of an exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the college.
Filling four large glass cases in the Winona campus main lobby, a collection of old documents, photos, yearbooks, newspaper clippings, and college "swag" tells the story of more than seven decades of service to the Winona community.
Fuhlbrugge did not want Winona to be left behind as vocational schools were springing up across the state at the end of the 1940s.
"I do not wish to assume responsibility for the criticism which is bound to be directed at the people responsible for the administration of education in Winona when the facts become generally known that Winona has been completely left out of the Area Vocational School Organization of the State of Minnesota," he warned.
His determination paid off. When Winona Area Vocational School launched in 1949, it was the third vocational school established in the state, after Mankato and St. Cloud.
By 1964 the vocational school had outgrown its home at the high school. A unanimous decision by the Winona City Council authorized the construction of a new high school on Gilmore Avenue and a separate vocational school on Homer Road.
New Winona campus opened in 1967
A full-page story in the Winona Sunday News in October 1967 featured photos of students in Cosmetology, Machine Tool and Die, Practical Nursing, and Civil Engineering Technician classes along with the headline "Open House for $2 Million Technical School -- Over 1500 Students Use New Facilities."
Winona Technical College merged with Red Wing Technical College in 1992. While there isn't much material preserved from those days, the history exhibit includes a rare diploma cover bearing the name "Red Wing/Winona Technical College" embossed in gold.
The awkward combination of city names didn't last long. In 1999, President Jim Johnson held press conferences on both campuses to introduce a unifying new name. A local newspaper headline read: "Southeast Technical becomes official name."
"As we enter our 50th year of service to southeastern Minnesota, you can be sure that even though we are changing our name, we will continue the solid tradition of training for occupations and workforce development to meet the needs of employers in our region," he proclaimed.
New name, new program, new mission
Yet there was change ahead for the college. The final glass display cabinet features a clipping from the front page of the Winona Daily News dated Thursday, June 23, 2016. The banner headline reads: "New name, new program, new mission."
In announcing Minnesota State College Southeast's new mission, President Dorothy Duran stated, "We are now a comprehensive technical and community college."
She explained that adding the Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences to the college's career, trade, technical, and health care programs would broaden students' educational opportunities, making transfer to four-year colleges and universities easier.
The exhibit is rounded out with some of today's college "swag," including a water bottle, a fleece blanket, and a tiny stuffed toy eagle wearing a "Minnesota State College Southeast" t-shirt.
The announcement of the College Opportunity Program, the student literary journal Highway 61, Revised, and a photo of the college's national championship Advanced Manufacturing/Welding team bring the history exhibit up to the present day.
Visit the 75th Anniversary History Exhibit at Minnesota State College Southeast (1250 Homer Road, Winona) during school open hours between now and the end of 2024.
There will be celebrations on campus, including a luncheon, campus tours, and an Alumni & Friends Mixer, on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Everyone is welcome to join us! (RSVP appreciated but not required.) For more information about the college's 75th Anniversary Celebration, go to southeastmn.one/anniversary.