By Hannah Harris

Students gathered in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union on Wednesday to celebrate the birthday of the late Jim Henson, University of Maryland alum and creator of “The Muppets.” 

The university paid tribute to the puppeteer and filmmaker for his birthday, dubbing it “Henson Day,” as attendees celebrated with arts and crafts. 

Henson attended the University of Maryland from 1954 to 1960, according to the Research Guide at University of Maryland Libraries.

He began his academic career at the university as a studio art major and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in home economics, according to University of Maryland library archival collections.

Henson took a puppeteer class in the home economics department during his freshman year, according to University of Maryland’s Innovation Gateway. 

The puppeteer honed his craft in this course and met his future wife and business partner in it, according to the Jim Henson Company website.  

Henson won his first Emmy in 1958 for a show titled “Sam and Friends” while attending the University of Maryland, according to the Research Guide at University of Maryland Libraries. The show aired twice nightly on WRC-TV, the station where Henson worked, and featured elements of Henson’s later work.

Henson was best known for his puppet characters in “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show,” according to the University of Maryland’s Special Collections in Performing Arts collection on him. 

According to JSTOR Daily, “Sesame Street” prepared children for preschool and revitalised the art of puppeteering in modern entertainment. 

“I like that there’s a whole day dedicated to him because he did have an impact on culture and media,” sophomore communications major Sophia Weise said.

“It teaches lessons to little kids, and that’s a good message that young kids and adults should value and follow and live by,” added Weise when talking about “Sesame Street.”

“I hope that when I have kids–in the very far future–they’ll be able to know about Jim Henson, his work, and all the things I’ve grown up on and all the topics that were discussed in the movies,” sophomore neuroscience major Laila Carroll said. 

Both Kermit the Frog, a notable Muppet character, and his creator can be found commemorated by a bronze statue outside Stamp Student Union. 

“I like how many Kermits there are,” freshman Eunice Cha, who is enrolled in letters and sciences, said when asked about the presence of Henson’s characters on campus.

Green balloons and party hats decorated the statue on Wednesday to celebrate the alum. Students who stopped by had the opportunity to snap a photo and enter a raffle contest. 

Terps After Dark hosted students in the basement of the student union to create felt magnets of both Henson’s characters and Testudo. 

“I hope that the legacy of the Muppets in general keeps going on and kids can just tune into cute little puppets talking,” Carroll said.

“Just spread positivity,” sophomore communications major Sophia Weise said when asked how students can continue to celebrate Henson’s legacy on campus. 

Featured Image: Green balloons tied to the Jim Henson statue in front of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union. Photo by: Miller Rogers-Tetrick