University of Southern Maine

University of Southern Maine

Former names	Gorham Normal School (1878–1945) Portland University (1921–1933) Portland Junior College (1933–1957) Gorham State Teachers College (1945–1964) University of Maine at Portland (1957–1970) Gorham State College (1964–1970) University of Maine at Portland-Gorham (1970–1978)
Motto	"The Joy and Power of Learning (Gaudium Visque Discendi)"
Type	Public university
Established	1878; 147 years ago (1878)
Parent institution	University of Maine System
Academic affiliations	CUMU Space-grant
Students	6,257 (fall 2024)
Undergraduates	4,455 (fall 2024)
Postgraduates	1,802 (fall 2024)
Location	Gorham and Portland , Maine , United States 43°39′45″N 70°16′34″W / 43.66250°N 70.27611°W / 43.66250; -70.27611
Campus	Urban, Suburban, 142 acres (57 ha)
Newspaper	The Free Press
Colors	Royal blue and gold
Nickname	Huskies
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III
Mascot	Champ the Husky
Website	usm.maine.edu

The University of Southern Maine (USM) is a public university with campuses in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston, Maine, United States. It is the southernmost of the University of Maine System. It was founded as two separate state universities, Gorham Normal School and Portland University. The two universities, later known as Gorham State College and the University of Maine at Portland, were combined in 1970 to help streamline the public university system in Maine and eventually expanded by adding the Lewiston campus in 1988.

The Portland Campus is home to the Edmund Muskie School of Public Service, the Bio Sciences Research Institute, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Osher Map Library, and the USM School of Business. The Gorham campus, much more residential, is home to the School of Education and Human Development and the School of Music.^[1]