November 8, 2004 – A new historical, educational, and training center partially funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is being dedicated at 2 p.m. today at the Michigan Career & Technical Institute (MCTI) near Plainwell.

The occasion also marks the 60^th anniversary of the school, founded in 1944 by W.K. Kellogg as a vocational training school for disabled World War II veterans.

“We are very pleased to celebrate six decades of serving Michigan citizens with disabilities in conjunction with the dedication of a building devoted to our school’s history,” said MCTI Director Dennis Hart. “We are proud of this history and want to share it with our students and the community.”

The Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG) currently operates MCTI, which provides job training and a wide range of support services for persons with disabilities from throughout the state. It is located on Pine Lake in southwestern Barry County.

The new building has been named the Kellogg-Chapman House for W.K. Kellogg, an early benefactor of the school, and Lloyd G. Chapman, director of the school from 1957 to 1975.

Among those attending the anniversary celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony are State Sen. Patricia “Patty” Birkholz and State Reps. Gary Newell, Fulton Sheen, and Jacob “Jack” Hoogendyk; Greg Lyman, senior vice president, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; and Allan Hunt, assistant executive director, W.E. Upjohn Institute.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation contributed $35,000 in late 2003 to begin construction of the facility, which showcases photographs and memorabilia from the school’s earlier days and the work of current MCTI students. The lakeside building, constructed around a stone fireplace and chimney dating from the 1930s, will provide expanded educational and training opportunities for MCTI students, staff, and the community.

The Pine Lake Fund, a 501©3 nonprofit organization created in 1981 to support the mission of MCTI, has provided the leadership for making the Kellogg-Chapman House a reality and has spearheaded the fund-raising drive initiated by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant. Students and staff have volunteered more than 1,500 hours to build the structure.