Wayne State Celebrating 150th Birthday With Kickoff Event

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Wayne State University is turning 150, and the Detroit school is preparing to kick off a yearlong Sesquicentennial Celebration.

An event next Friday in the Community Arts Auditorium will include a representation of the university's history through student performances, a commemorative video and a birthday cake for attendees. It begins at 2 p.m.

Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson says the event offers a chance to "celebrate the scholarship, research, innovation and creativity" during the school's "first 150 years."

A predecessor of Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical College was founded by five Civil War physicians in 1868, marking the first milestone in WSU's 150 years.

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