Northwest Foundation - Northwest History

Hundreds of alumni, with the help of the Northwest Foundation, helped to secure a permanent home for alumni activities and services, now known as the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends. The historic home, which exudes a warm welcome to all Northwest alumni, was purchased from the Townsend family in 1980, and is located on College Avenue across from the main entrance to the campus and the Gaunt House.

The Colden Pond Pavilion (also known as the Water Pavilion), which was built in 1999 with the help of the Northwest Foundation, is prominently located along the bank of Colden Pond. The Pavilion was designed to remind the Northwest community of their responsibility to put aside hate speech and violence toward others simply because they might be different.

The Kissing Bridge stands near Colden Hall. According to tradition, it is said that a female student isn't officially a co-ed until she has been kissed on the bridge before the first snowfall.

The Kissing Bridge received a makeover and a new location in the late 1990s when it was rebuilt closer to Colden Hall.

Man-made streams that drain into Colden Pond and a water feature with rustic pump and bucket were added to enhance the Kissing Bridge and its surroundings.

The quest to build the Northwest Bell Tower in 1965 only using donated funds was the impetus for the formation of the Northwest Foundation. The mission of the Northwest Foundation, Inc., develops and stewards philanthropic resources for the benefit of the Northwest Missouri State University and its students.

Established in 1971, the Foundation operates independently of the state institution as a separate 501(c) 3 not-for-profit corporation governed by its own board of directors. From the Campaign for Northwest in 2002, which raised more than $32 million, to campus projects like the International Plaza, the Northwest Foundation has become a strong and positive influence in the lives of alumni and a support entity non-parallel for Northwest preservation and growth.