University of Maine at Fort Kent

The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMaine Fort Kent or UMFK; French: Université du Maine à Fort Kent) is a public college in Fort Kent, Maine. It is the northernmost campus of the University of Maine System. It is an academic center for Acadian and French American culture and heritage, and French-speaking Mainers from throughout the state. It currently has an enrollment of 1,557 students. The Saint John Valley region is a center of French American culture, and the majority of adults in the region are bilingual in French and English. The college offers academic programs leading to associate and bachelor's degrees. It is classified among "Baccalaureate Colleges - General". History On February 21, 1878, Governor Selden Connor signed an act establishing a teachers' school in the northern border region of the state (then known as the Madawaska territory) in an effort to Americanize the French settlers of the area. This became known as the Madawaska Training School. The institution held its first classes on September 30, 1878. In 1955 the name was changed to "Fort Kent Normal School" to more accurately reflect its location. The name would change three more times, beginning in 1961 to become "Fort Kent State Teachers College" and then "Fort Kent State College". The institution adopted its current name in 1970.