USM History

History

On December 26, 1878, 700 people braved a snowstorm to hear 14 speeches, one of which clocked in at more than one hour, at the opening of Corthell Hall, the first university building in Gorham. The Gothic-style building was constructed at a cost of $23,170, and dedicated to the education of teachers, who were in short supply. (By comparison, USM's new residence hall, complete with apartment/suite style quarters, carries a $21 million price tag.)

Some 40 years later, soon after the end of World War I, Portland University opened on the second floor of a commercial building, located just off Monument Square in downtown Portland. The university was established in response to the lack of educational opportunities for accountants.

• These two events share two things in common:
• They celebrated the openings of institutions envisioned as doorways leading to successful careers, and

Both celebrated the openings of institutions that morphed into the University of Southern Maine. USM's history has many twists and turns, but there's one thread running through the past 130 years: inspired teaching that transforms lives.