: For Students, Faculty, and Staff 
Professor Alfred O. Nier leads University of Minnesota President O. Meredith Wilson in his inauguration procession, February 23, 1961. Nier is carrying the university mace which made its debut during Wilson’s inauguration ceremony. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:15100.
To celebrate today’s inauguration of President Rebecca Cunningham, take a moment to test your inauguration knowledge with a little trivia from the University of Minnesota Archives.
Inauguration Trivia
1. When was the first inauguration?
A. 1851
B. 1869
2. What number president is President Cunningham?
A. 18th
B. 25th
3. Which university president was the first to receive email congratulations?
A. Mark Yudof
B. Walter Coffey
4. What University of Minnesota president has buildings named after them on our campus and the University of Michigan?
A. Marion Burton
B. Eric Kaler
5. True or false, President Cunningham is the first president of the University of Minnesota to have an M.D. degree.
A. True
B.False
6. The longest serving president was in office how many years?
A. 18 years
B. 27 years
7. True or false, no alumni of the University of Minnesota has served as president.
A. True
B.False
8. Before becoming the president of the University of Minnesota, who served as a speechwriter for the President of the United States?
A. William Watts Folwell
B. Malcolm Moos
9. True or false, a University of Minnesota president also served as the University Librarian.
A. True
B.False
10. True or false, the mace given to the president has been a tradition since the first inauguration in 1869.
A. True
B.False
Answers below.
An estimated 8,000 faculty, staff, students, and alumni participated in a torch parade into Northrop Field Stadium for the inauguration of President George Edgar Vincent, October 17, 1911. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:1661.
Fireworks display in Northrop Field in honor of the inauguration of President George Edgar Vincent, October 17, 1911. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:2966.
President James Morrill visits the St. Paul campus during his inauguration in 1946. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:21237.
Congratulatory letters posted on display in honor of President O. Meredith Wilson’s Inauguration, 1961. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:21228.
Attendees arrived during a blizzard for the inauguration of C. Peter Magrath, November 26, 1974. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:21419.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Marlene Johnson introduces Nils Hasselmo as the President of the University of Minnesota, October 20, 1989. University of Minnesota Archives Photograph Collection, https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll175:12920.
Answers!
1. Answer: 1869. While the University of Minnesota was founded in 1851, it did not have its first president until William Watts Folwell arrived in 1869.
2. Answer: 18th. While there have been several interim or acting presidents, the number of University of Minnesota presidents is now 18.
3. Answer: Mark Yudof. Mark Yudof was the 14th president and served from 1997-2002. A special email account was created for well-wishers to send their congratulations.
4. Answer: Marion Burton. President Burton served at the University of Minnesota from 1917-1920. He then became the president at the University of Michigan from 1920-1925. Michigan’s Burton Memorial Tower is named in his honor. Burton Hall is named after him on the Minnesota campus.
5. Answer: TRUE. President Cunningham is the first president to hold a medical degree.
6. Answer: 27 years. Cyrus Northrop became president in 1884 and served in the role until 1911. President Lotus Delta Coffman was the second longest serving president at 18 years.
7. Answer: FALSE. Presidents Malcolm Moos (1967-1974) and Eric Kaler (2011-2019) were graduates of the University of Minnesota. Moos earned a BA and MA in political science and Kaler earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.
8. Answer: Malcolm Moos. Moos served as a speechwriter for President Eisenhower and is credited with coining the term “military-industrial complex” used in Eisenhower’s farewell speech.
9. Answer: TRUE. The university’s first president, William Watts Folwell (1869-1884), was also the University Librarian during his term. After he stepped down from the presidency in 1884, he continued to serve in the role as librarian for an additional 22 years until 1906.
10. Answer: FALSE. The mace was designed and made for the 1961 inauguration of O. Meredith Wilson.
