University Bids Farewell to Students, Germany

By Scott Schonauer
Stars and Stripes European edition

MANNHEIM, Germany — The University of Maryland's only overseas, two-year residential campus graduated its last class of students on Saturday night before closing its doors forever.

The university, which provided a full-time college education for mostly children of servicemembers stationed in Europe, ends 55 years of history in Germany when it closes on May 31.

Alumni and former faculty members gathered at Mannheim's downtown art gallery to honor the final class and bid farewell to a campus where many students got a jump-start on their college education. The evening was bittersweet for the 34 students dubbed the Omega Graduating Class of 2005.

Eddrea Philmon, 20, a graduate of Heidelberg American High School, said it was strange to earn a degree and lose an alma mater in one night.

“It's kind of surreal — I guess that would be the word,” said Philmon, who plans to attend college in Texas and pursue a journalism degree.

The University of Maryland-University College campus, which offered students the chance to study at an American-run school close to their families, is closing due to the planned decrease of American military forces in Europe. Its history dates to 1950, when the first co-ed, residential, full-time college program for family members was established at McGraw Kaserne in Munich.

Claire Schwan, a 1951 graduate who came up with the idea of creating the program, is recognized as the “founding student” of the Mannheim Campus. She explained its inception during Saturday's ceremony.

As a military dependent in Germany during the height of the Cold War, she pleaded with Army officials for a college program fit for family members. Schwan had recently graduated from high school at the time, and the University of Maryland had started offering nighttime college courses for soldiers.

“I got to thinking, ‘Hmm. If there are teachers that are coming here to teach in the evening, why can't they teach for the dependents of service personnel and have a full-time college here?'” she said. “I thought it sounded like an absolutely perfect solution to my problem, and I was sure there were other dependents that were in the same situation as I was in.”

Army officials agreed and a university curriculum was designed for family members. The program grew to a peak of 700 students. However, the campus moved as the number of forces in Europe shifted. The campus relocated to Augsberg's Reese Kaserne in 1992 and to Manheim's Turley Barracks in 1994.

Mary Feidler, the resident dean, has overseen most of the campus changes through various administrative positions. Saturday's commencement ceremony marked the end of her 30-plus years with the program.

“Of course, it's very, very difficult … I'm just happy we ended on such a high note tonight,” she said.

More than 22,000 students have attended the school's various campuses over the years. Since the early 1990s, students have passed through the campus of seven red brick buildings in Mannheim.

A final decision has not been made as to what the U.S. military will do with the buildings. But professor Diane Jones-Palm urged graduates, faculty members and alumni to keep the school alive in their hearts.

“I hope you will take a little bit of the Mannheim Campus home with you and keep it alive,” she said before ending the ceremony.