1949

News broke of the new university, then to be called Alaska Methodist University, in an Anchorage Times article.
1954

1955

1956

The Anchorage Daily Times ran four front page articles about the university.
1957

In the late 1950s, signs like this one photographed in 1957, were put in place with the permission of the territorial police marking the college site for promotional purposes.
1958

1959

The Grant Hall cornerstone laying ceremony was held on Sunday, July 12, 1959. The following year that building would see it’s first batch of students.
1960

The Anchorage Times published this photo in 1960 of Peggie Steinauer, Henry Meyer, and Richard Augustine looking at blueprints for campus buildings. This was the year the school officially started teaching classes.
1961

APU is known for having some unique classes (we’re looking at you Expedition Alaska). In 1961, one year after opening, the school taught a class on fencing.
1962

This 1962 photo from the Consortium Library archives shows a young Grant Hall. The building was named for Bishop Raymond Grant, a former chairman of the board of trustees.
1963

The university had plenty of spirit in 1963. Check out this picture from one of the original cheer squads!
1964

According to a 1964 issue of the university’s student newspaper, the school lost $300,000 in damages during the 1964 earthquake.
1965

In 1965 Miss AMU, Mary Ruth Nidiffer, was named Miss Alaska. The history major’s talent portion included performing a song from the Broadway Show “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.”
1966

From the 1966 yearbook: students taking notes in a science class.
1967

A 30-meter ski hill and Paul Crews Jump was built in 1967 on a hill with a vertical 80° slope.
1968

What’s not to love about this 1968 of three faculty members sharing a laugh?
1969

Students hunkering down to study for finals in 1969.
1970

Professor Leonard Freese giving an anatomy lesson in 1970.
1971

Check out that camera from this 1971 graduation picture!
1972

Community members bump, set, and spike during a summer picnic.
1973

Our favorite snapshot of life here in 1973? This picture of AMU students getting really into their karate lessons.
1974

If we didn’t know better, we might think this picture from 1974 was from today.
1975

From 1975: Students, faculty, and staff participate in a luncheon.
1976

Throwing it back to this retro picture of Atwood center from 1976.
1977

From 1977: Students studying in the Consortium Library. It was 1970 that legislature passed a bill funding the construction of a library to be shared by APU and UAA. The building opened in 1973.
1978

Who remembers the world that used to be on Grant Hall, like in this picture from 1978? Also, this was the year AMU became APU.
1979

From 1979: APU community members pet a sled dog.
1980

In 1980 APU cosponsored student Clarence Shockley in the Iditarod sled dog race to Nome and he practiced with his dogs on the APU trail system.
1981

From 1981: APU students taking notes during a lecture.
1982

From 1982: A pair of moose hang out outside of Grant Hall.
1983

In 1983 the Mlakar President’s House was built by Frances Mlakar in memory of her husband, John Mlakar. John was a committed board of trustees member and Frances is a trustee emeriti.
1984

From 1984: APU students showing that the school has a long history of outdoor education.
1985

Our favorite photo from 1985? This non-traditional student at graduation.
1986

Can you believe how much the U-Med District has changed since 1986?
1987

Throwing it back to 1987 and this stylin’ graduate.
1988

Did you know APU had a wrestling team in 1988?
1989

…And a volleyball team in 1989. Here they’re pictured at the Wisconsin Invitational.
1990

APU had some quality marketing photos taken in 1990.
1991

1991

From 1991: Professor Carey during a math lesson.
1992

APU community members marching in the 1992 Fur Rendezvous parade.
1994

An APU staffer measures the distance between a Frisbee and a flag during a staff picnic in the summer of 1994.
1995

1995

1995

From 1995: Students greeted the new President, Dr. North, at the airport with a few housewarming gifts: an APU banner, an APU ski cap, a fruit basket, an Anchorage map, and an APU mug with hot chocolate.
1996

Students and faculty chat over lunch in Atwood Center in 1996.
1997

From 1997: students work in a computer lab.
1998

From 1998: Students practice on the rock wall in the basement of Atwood Center.
1999

From a 1999 article in the Anchorage Daily News about new funding for APU. The caption read: “Caitlin Yarborough tutors lab partner Lars Flora as they review quiz results during a chemistry lab last week in Grant Hall.”
2000

From 2000: Students take a load off during class in the outdoors.
2001

From 2001: the Atwood Building fountain. The Robert Atwood Building was constructed in 1965 as the student union building. Atwood was the publisher of the Anchorage Times and a former University trustee. His wife, Evangeline, was the author of books on the history of Anchorage and Alaska. Following her death, Robert had the fountain added to the building in 1988.
2002

From 2002: A student sets up their tent during a class expedition.
2003

In 2003, APU switched from chlorine and implemented the salt-based pool system in Moseley Sports Center.
2004

From 2004: a kayaking class unloads their vessels on the beach.
2005

The APU Journal published this piece in October 2005 about a student from New Orleans who was awarded a free semester at APU following Hurricane Katrina.
2006

From 2006: Philanthropists N.E. “knobby” and Mary Segelhorst donated funds to build a 24 bed apartment style residence for students.
2006

2007

In 2007, Anchorage Daily News ran a story titled “Beloved Brooks. APU registrar signs off after 46 years with university.” Jeanette Brooks, then 75-years-old, started working at APU in 1961, the year after the school opened.
2008

From 2008: Some students spend their weekend glacier climbing with Outdoor Programs.
2009

“It’s a big challenge. But the Olympics are all about seeing what you can do,” student Kikkan Randall said in a New York Times article in 2009. That year she also took second in the World Championships, the first U.S. skier to do so since ’82. This year will mark Randall’s fifth and final Olympic attempt.
2010

From 2010: Students showing that sometimes life is better above the tree line.
2011

From 2011: Students prepare for the Zombie Walk by learning the moves to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” from Dean of Students Ben Hahn.
2012

Climbing Systems students reach new heights in 2012.
2013

Students rafting down the Yukon River in 2013.
2014

From 2014: Doctoral students in Counseling Psychology post fall graduation.
2015

A student performs testing in the octopus lab in 2015.
2016

From 2016: “The ensemble is basically rock band fantasy camp for credit,” said Professor Eric Redding. Each semester, students learn multiple instruments to perform in show that serves as their final.
2017

From 2017: A handful of students traveled to Iceland as part of a class titled “Fire and Ice: Viking Saga, Icelandic Legacy.”