Oct. 1: Minnesota State Mankato to Host 'An Evening with Patty Wetterling' During Homecoming Week

Thursday, October 1, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Ostrander Auditorium

Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato’s MSU Office of Alumni Relations will host “An Evening with Patty Wetterling ’71: A Conversation on Hope and Resilience” Thursday, Oct. 1 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the MSU Centennial Student Union’s Ostrander Auditorium.

On Oct. 22, 1989, Wetterling’s 11-year-old son, Jacob, was abducted near home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. For nearly three decades, Patty and her family lived with uncertainty while continuing to search for answers.

The public is invited to join Patty and Alumni Association Director Brian Zins on Oct. 1 for a thoughtful conversation about Patty’s time as a student at Minnesota State Mankato, the experiences that shaped her leadership and the enduring power of hope in the face of adversity.

The event is free, but registration is required at: https://www.mnsu.edu/alumni/alumni-events-calendar/alumnipatty/. Free parking will be available in the visitors pay lot (lot 4) across from Centennial Student Union.

Prior to the event, attendees who bring their own copy of Patty Wetterling’s book, “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope,” will be able to get their books signed by Wetterling during a 30-minute book signing outside Ostrander Auditorium from 5:30-6 p.m. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library Fund.

For more information, contact Minnesota State Mankato’s Alumni Association by email at alumni@mnsu.edu.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 15,721 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 26 colleges and seven universities.