this campus first began in 1935 when the old marinette high school and its 25 students had some class offers from the university of wisconsin extension. the need for education was dramatically increased as the end of world war ii was approaching. with the teamwork of the city of marinette and the uw–extension, they both managed to offer college freshman classes at marinette vocational school (now called lincoln school). in the years 1951–1963, joe gerend was the director of the uw–extension marinette center. then, in 1963, lon w. weber became the next director.