UNAIR NEWS – Among historical things which bore witness to Universitas Airlangga’s establishment on November 10, 1954, there is a vintage microphone as seen in the picture. It is one of historical evidences which are well-kept from the monumental event in history. The microphone is older than UNAIR itself and it is the microphone used by  Ir. Soekarno, First President of Indonesia who made a speech in UNAIR establishment.
From its outer look, the microphone is a Shure 51 Sonodyne Dynamic Microphone Deco Mild Century. It was a vintage microphone popular in the fifties. From many references, this Shure microphone is indeed a legendary microphone with classical look. The design was based on supercardioid acoustic microphone type, with vintage and luxurious touch.
At this moment, the antique microphone is one of invaluable historical collections kept in Faculty of Medicine Museum, Campus A Universitas Airlangga. It is well kept in a glass box.
Referred to the history of Universitas Airlangga, it closely related to a sacred momentum of the establishment: November 10, 1954, the commemoration of the ninth Heroes Day. According to the ceremony rundown, the establishment was started with the opening of the cover of Vhisnu’s statue (the cover was yellow, gold and blue) by President Soekarno, followed with the establishment document’s signing and the speech.
When the university wanted to have a flag, in a meeting of high officials, Prof. H.R.M. Soejoenoes suggested the statue’s cover colors as the official colors of university’s flag. It was agreed and so the colors are yellow which means greatness and blue which means knighthood and profound soul.
Universitas Airlangga was started from the establishment of Nederlands Indische Artsen School (NIAS) by the Dutch in 1913. NIAS then became Faculty of Medicine, while School Tot Opleiding van Indische Tandartsen (STOVIT) established in 1928 became Faculty of Dentistry.
After the independence upheaval, in 1948, the Dutch established Tandheelkunding Instituut as a branch of Universiteit van Indonesie Jakarta. NIAS then re-established as Faculteit der Geneeskunde which was also the branch of Universiteit van Indonesie Jakarta. Indonesian government officially established Universitas Airlangga Surabaya as the first higher education institution in the eastern part of Indonesia in 1954 based on Government Decree Number 57/1954.
When it was established, UNAIR had already had five faculties, Faculty of Medicine (FK), faculty of Dentistry (used to be a branch of Universitas Indonesia), Faculty of Law (used to be a branch of Universitas Gadjah Mada), Faculty of Literature (in Denpasar, but in 1962 it separated from UNAIR and be the origin of Universitas Udayana). One more faculty was Faculty of Teaching and Educational Science (FKIP) in Malang. It separated from UNAIR in 1963 and became  Institute of Teaching and Educational Science (IKIP) Malang and then later became Universitas Negeri Malang (UM).
Over times, Universitas Airlangga developed and year after year it established more faculties until today there are 14 faculties and one Postgraduate school. (*)
Author: Bambang Bes and Sefya Hayu Istighfaricha
