Since the end of World War II, Lake Superior College has been meeting education needs in Duluth and beyond.

“When folks came back from the war, they needed to learn their trades,” LSC President Patricia Rogers said. “And so the beginnings of LSC really were around auto body, auto service, and electronics. And then shortly after that, they had their first nursing class in partnership with Miller Dwan.”

That was between 1945-46. Lake Superior College is celebrating 80 years in 2025. It’s gone through numerous name and location changes in that time.

Now, computer and technology are the main areas of focus, including AI.

“We are very responsive to the business and industry needs in the region,” Dr. Rogers said. “And so whenever something is happening out there, we definitely try to respond to that. Now if we can’t build a full-on program immediately, we do that in the way that we did way back in the day. And that was with customized training.”