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Events and Speakers

Events, Meetings and Speakers

September to April Monthly Membership Meetings: Second Monday, 1:30 PM MSUFCU, Mt Hope & Farm Lane, plus Zoom.
MSURA presents and records the monthly seminars via Zoom. Click here to View Previous meeting videos

How to attend MSURA Zoom meetings. (pdf) Or watch a video on how to attend https://, 2023youtu.be/NOY5OMwU1es

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025 2 PM WHARTON CENTER TOUR AND TALK BY ERIC OLMSCHEID, DIRECTOR OF WHARTON CENTER

You are invited to a special discussion and tour of the Wharton Center with MSURA on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The tour will start at 2 pm and end at 3 pm, with arrival starting at 1:30 pm.

Attendees will first meet in the Jackson Lounge for a short talk by Eric Olmscheid, director of the Wharton Center, and then a special tour of the facility.

To reserve a spot for this free event, please RSVP by Friday, January 17th and email your RSVP to Ralph Pyle at pyler@msu.edu."

With an Employee/Retiree Registered Parking Permit, parking is free in the Wharton Center parking ramp. If you need Retiree Parking Permission, see MSU Parking office website at https://parking.msu.edu/permits/retirees for details.

Monday, February 10, 2025 Program: Lansing Area During the Civil War

Matt VanAcker, who serves as director of the Michigan State Capitol Tour and Education Service, will be our speaker on Monday, Feb. 10. His talk is titled “To Our Country and to its Flag, Lansing and the Civil War.” The population of Lansing, Michigan in 1860 was three thousand citizens. By the spring of 1865, over five hundred men had enlisted from the Capital City to fight in the Civil War. These citizen-soldiers left the farms, factories, shops and schools of their youths to fight to uphold the Union and end slavery. Many of these mere boys would be wounded, captured or killed and those who were fortunate enough to return, came home changed, permanently maimed, and often haunted men.
Using primary sources, including letters and personal diaries, this is a story of uncommon valor and a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers, their families and the city they left behind.
Born and raised in Lansing, VanAcker is also the director and curator of Save The Flags, a project to research, display and conserve 240 battle flags carried by Michigan soldiers in the Civil War, the Spanish American War and orld War I. VanAcker has spoken and written extensively about the Michigan State Capitol and the Capitol Battle Flag collection, most recently as a 2024 featured speaker for the Gettysburg Foundation Sacred Trust. He received his BA from MSU in Secondary History Education and resides in West Lansing with his wife, Mary Kathleen, in an 1885 farmhouse where they raised their four children.
⦁ Turner WKAR Promo Tag Monday, March 10, 2025 Program: WKAR, Shawn Turner, General Manager, WKAR, What’s New at WKAR
⦁ Thursday, March 13, 2025 2-3PM StraightLine Financial Planning, StraightLine Quarterly Financial Planning Seminar
⦁ Monday, April 14, 2025 Program: MSU Police Canine Division, Sgt Mike Cantrell, How We Train the MSU Police Dogs
⦁ Wednesday, April 16, Learning CPR and AED Life Saving Skills: Wednesday, April 16th from 2:00-4:00 pm at MSUFCU Community Room Farm Lane Branch, the MSURA will offer a special event on how to save lives during episodes of cardiac arrest. Former MSU assistant basketball coach Mike Garland and his nonprofit Champions of the Heart Foundation will teach us how to recognize a heart attack, how to provide CPR, and how to use an AED (assisted electric device) during a heart attack. These are critical lifesaving skills. This is a hands-on session and will not be telecast. Participation is limited to 40 people and space is filling up fast. Please sign-up by emailing Chris DeFouw at defouw@msu.edu.
⦁ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 11:30am, MSURA Annual Luncheon at University Club, Guest Speaker, Scholarship Winner Introductions, Elections and More
⦁ Thursday, June 12, 2025 2-3PM StraightLine Financial Planning, StraightLine Quarterly Financial Planning Seminar

MSU RETIREES ASSOCIATION MONTHLY INFORMAL LUNCH AT BRODY HALL

These are held on the second Friday of the month at MSU's Brody Square from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. This is an informal social event hosted by MSURA with no program. This being MSURA's 75th anniversary year, it's time to hold lunches so that retirees can reconnect. Please attend and invite your friends.

The Brody Square dining hall is located on the second floor. An elevator and stairs are located near the front entrance. Meals can be purchased in advance for a discount at EatAtState.msu.edu or for full price in person. Daily menus are available on the EatAtState.msu.edu website.

Parking is available at Jenison Field House or Kellogg Center parking ramp with your MSU Retiree Parking permit or Pay-By-Plate. MSU Retiree Parking Permits may be ordered for free on the MSU Parking Office website, https://parking.msu.edu/. From the menu at the top of the page, select “Permits” and “Retiree” and follow instructions there using your MSU NetId and password. If you do not know your MSU NetId and password, contact MSU IT Services Help Desk at Ph. 844-678-6200 or 517-432-6200.

MSU Retiree Id cards are available at the MSU ID Office in the MSU International Center. Meals purchased on the EatAtState.msu.edu website are recorded on your MSU ID card.

Board Meetings: Board Meeting Minutes

Members of MSURA are persons officially designated as retired by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, and their spouses or surviving spouses, (b) upon their written request, persons retired from other employment who had formerly been employed or appointed to adjunct positions by Michigan State University, and their spouses or surviving spouses, and (c) active Michigan State University employees who pay an annual subscription fee as set by the Board of Directors of MSURA.