Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, it became the Michigan State Normal College in 1899, then Eastern Michigan College in 1956, and finally Eastern Michigan University in 1959. The university is governed by a eight-member Board of Regents, who are appointed by the Governor of Michigan for eight-year terms. The school belongs to the Mid-American Conference and was re-accredited by the North Central Association in 2001. Its mascot, since 1991, has been the Eastern Eagle.

Facts related to EMU

• The Bruce T. Halle Library has one of the largest collections of children's literature in the United States.
• Legendary cartoonist Winsor McCay attended business classes at EMU when it was called the Michigan State Normal College.
• Noted as "the most elaborate pop hoax in history," the "Paul Is Dead" myth has generated more rumors and speculation for the Beatles than for any other group. It all started on Sunday, Oct 12, 1969, Russ Gibb, working on WKNR-FM heard from an Eastern Michigan University student about a series of clues that seemed to point to Paul's death. The story took on a life of its own, both on Keener and WKNR-FM and Russ received credit for making it a national story. The documentary 'Who Buried Paul McCartney?' by Wouter van Opdorp explores the origin of the Paul-is-dead story.
• EMU is home to one of the nation's foremost Forensics (competitive speech) teams, with 10 team national championships, and a host of individual national championships. They are also the only program in the country to place in the top ten at every national championship since they began in 1971, with a 34 year streak of excellence.
• EMU has also produced a number of successful performing artists (especially actors), including Dan Florek and Michael A. Garcia, both of whom are alums of the EMU Forensics Team. In his time on the team, Garcia won eight individual national championships, a record unbroken to this day. James R. Siterlet and Micheal T. McLoughlin (then known as "M. Thom McLoughlin") were nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan Award competition while in the drama school at EMU. (Siterlet eventually became an academic while McLoughlin went on to become a lawyer and was a White House intern in Fall 2000.) Jeff Daniels attended the EMU drama school in Summer 1976, to participate in a special Bi-Centenniel Repertory programme; and his younger sister, Patti Daniels, graduated from the drama school in the early 1980's.