CARNAHAN HEADS SEMO'S PANEL FOR ANNIVERSARY

Gov. Mel Carnahan and Donald Dickerson, president of Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents, will serve as honorary co-chairmen of a committee to plan the school's 125th anniversary in 1998.

The committee will hold its first meeting in the next couple of weeks, said Jim Biundo, chairman of the committee. Biundo expects Southeast President Dr. Dale Nitzschke to receive a proposed schedule of events by the end of spring semester.

Last September, regents authorized Nitzschke to appoint a committee to plan a yearlong series of events to begin in August 1998.

The university was founded in 1873 as the Third District Normal School. In 1919, the name was changed to Southeast Missouri State Teachers College and in 1945 to Southeast Missouri State College. On Aug. 21, 1972, the name was changed to Southeast Missouri State University.

From its first graduating class of seven in 1875, Southeast has graduated about 55,000 students, school officials said.