Chancellor Dana Thomas invites you to celebrate UAF’s centennial, recall our rich history and welcome the next 100 years from 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, in Centennial Square.

There will be cake!

If you haven’t RSVP’d already, today is the last day to do so. If you can't make it to the square, you can watch the event on UAF's Facebook page live at 1 p.m.

Gov. John Strong reluctantly signed legislation creating the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, UAF's predecessor, on May 3, 1917. The Alaska Territorial Legislature's earlier approval of the college bill had been no sure thing either.

In fact, a news report in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner credited the bill's passage to a dust-up over an unrelated issue.

The Legislature had earlier killed a bill that would have given mining companies in Alaska credit for the federal taxes they paid on stamp mills. Rep. C.K. Snow, I-Ruby, led the charge to kill the credit. Snow also was a leading opponent of the college.

Rep. Monte Benson, R-Douglas, who sponsored the mining credit, got “sore” at Snow for killing his bill, the News-Miner reported on April 26, 1917. So, even though Benson also had opposed the college, he voted for it to spite Snow.

The House voted 9-7 in favor of the college bill. Had Benson voted “no,” House members might have tied at 8-8, which would have killed the bill. "Gosh, but we had a close call!" was the News-Miner's headline.