History of San Diego State University facts for kids
The history of San Diego State University is about how this big school started and grew. It began in the late 1800s in San Diego, California. The school first opened on November 1, 1898, with 135 students. It was called a "normal school" back then, which meant it trained teachers.
Over time, the school got bigger and changed its name several times. By 1921, it became San Diego State Teachers College. This meant it could give out degrees, not just certificates. Because more and more students joined, the college moved to its current spot in Mission Valley in 1931. During the Great Depression, government programs helped build many new buildings on the campus.
Big events like World War I and II affected how many students were enrolled. Many students and teachers even joined the military. By the late 1950s, the school had 10,000 students. It was then called San Diego State College and was one of the biggest schools in California. In the 1960s and 1970s, even more students came. The school also started having professional programs. On January 1, 1974, it got its current name: San Diego State University (SDSU). By 1987, almost 36,000 students were there, making it one of the largest universities in the country.
Today, SDSU works to be a top school. It offers many different degrees. The university is also building new facilities and updating older ones.
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Starting the School: San Diego Normal School
In the late 1890s, leaders in San Diego wanted a "normal school" to train teachers. This would help the city grow. It was expensive for people to travel to other cities for teacher training. So, San Diegans wanted a school closer to home.
San Diego had to compete with other cities like Fresno and Los Angeles. At first, California Governor James Budd said no to the idea in 1895. But on March 13, 1897, Governor Budd changed his mind. He approved $50,000 to start a state normal school in San Diego. It was planned for University Heights. By 1905, the school had received over $333,000 in total funds.
The first group of leaders for the San Diego Normal School met in June 1897. They chose Samuel T. Black as the first president. He had been the state's Superintendent for Public Instruction. The school building was designed by the firm Hebbard and Gill. Architect Irving Gill created the design.
Construction started on August 1, 1898. While the building was being built, the first classes were held in a temporary spot downtown. Classes began on November 1, 1898. In May 1899, classes moved to the new Normal School building, even though it was still being finished. By the end of the first year, 135 students were enrolled. Most of them were women. By 1910, enrollment grew to 400 students.
In the summer of 1899, San Diego Normal School was the first normal school in California to offer summer classes. The first class graduated on June 21, 1900, with 23 women and three men. More rooms and facilities were added over the next few years. By 1906, students needed a high school diploma to get into a normal school. This was the same rule as for the University of California.
In 1910, Samuel Black left, and Edward L. Hardy became the new president. He hired more teachers to handle the growing number of students. By 1910, the school was running out of space. So, it stopped offering high school programs. Most students at the school were from the San Diego area.
World War I and College Status
World War I greatly impacted the school. Students were asked to say the Pledge of Allegiance as a requirement. Many male students left to join the war. Enrollment dropped a lot. In 1918, there was only one male student left. Some teachers also joined the military.
Students and teachers on campus helped the Red Cross. They also organized drives to sell bonds and sent packages to soldiers.
During this time, President Hardy wanted the school to become a college. In 1921, the California government made the school a four-year teacher's college. It was renamed San Diego State Teachers College. This meant it could now give out degrees. Before this change, the school had trained 1,500 teachers. It also helped the city's growth.
In 1921, the San Diego Junior College moved to the campus. It stayed there until 1947. In 1923, the college could start giving Bachelor of Arts degrees in many subjects. By 1928, it could also offer teaching credentials for high school.
Moving to a New Campus
The first Normal School building was built for only 600 students. By 1922, it was clear a new campus was needed. President Hardy suggested a new location, but voters said no. In 1925, the state allowed a move if San Diego bought the old building and provided a new site. Several locations were suggested and rejected by voters.
Finally, in June 1928, a company offered 125 acres at Mission Palisades. This spot was about 10 miles from the old site, on the east side of Mission Valley. Voters approved buying the old site. The old Normal School building later became a junior high school. It was torn down in 1955.
George B. McDougall was chosen as the main architect for the new campus. Construction began on October 7, 1929. Students were even dismissed from classes to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. The first classes at the new Montezuma Mesa campus began in February 1931 with 1,220 students.
The Great Depression actually helped the college. The government provided money for construction projects to create jobs. This led to new buildings like a stadium in 1936 and an open air theater in 1941. Programs were also created to give jobs and financial help to students.
...The idea that San Diego State College was a place of opportunity, a friendly place...where the individual student was the important, chief concern of the College.
In 1935, Walter R. Hepner became the new president. The bell tower on campus was later named after the previous president, Hardy. On September 15, 1935, the school's name changed again to San Diego State College (SDSC). This was because the state removed "teachers" from the names of state colleges. The college also started offering engineering courses.
World War II and Growth
World War II had a huge impact on the college. Just four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, many students left to join the military. Student enrollment dropped a lot. By spring 1943, only 860 students were left, and most were women. Many teachers also left to serve. In total, 3,500 people connected to SDSC joined the armed forces, and 135 lost their lives. Many joined the Navy, as San Diego is a big naval city.
In 1942, the campus became a War Information Center. It helped boost morale and practiced air raid drills. Things like sugar and gas were rationed on campus. Classes changed to focus more on science and technology. Most sports were canceled, and drives were held to send supplies to troops.
As the war ended, enrollment went up again. By 1946, there were 2,000 students, and almost half were veterans. These veterans received money to help with housing and tuition. Sports and activities returned to normal. By the end of the 1940s, the number of teachers had grown to 230.
...exists in its present form because the people of our community and our state have recognized the tremendous importance of teaching and of the increased need for teachers of broad education and high professional competency. Its present program has developed, also, because of the demand and need for college education that is economically available to every high-school graduate of demonstrated ability regardless of occupational goal.
In 1946, President Hepner organized the school into seven main areas of study. In 1950, the college gave out its first master's degree. By the end of the decade, it offered master's degrees in 38 subjects. In 1947, Governor Earl Warren made SDSC an official four-year liberal arts school.
After the War: Big Changes and Expansion
In 1952, Malcolm A. Love became the new president. At this time, the college had over 4,800 students and 222 teachers. It offered 27 different majors.
By the end of the 1950s, the student population was over 10,000. This made it the fourth largest state school in California. It was also bigger than 96% of colleges in the U.S. In 1957, new students' test scores were among the top 10% in the U.S. The college started using student ID numbers to help manage records for so many students. The size of buildings and classrooms also grew a lot.
In 1959, the school started offering classes in El Centro as part of its Imperial Valley branch. In 1960, it became the first California state college to have its own radio station, KPBS-FM.
More teachers with advanced degrees were hired to help the school become a university. By 1965, 68% of permanent teachers had doctorates.
During a time called the Red Scare, a professor was accused of being a Communist. He was later dismissed from his job.
On July 1, 1961, SDSC became part of the California State College system. This brought new rules and a statewide board. The school continued to grow, from 10,700 students in 1960 to 25,500 in 1970.
John F. Kennedy, who was the U.S. President, gave a speech at the graduation ceremony in 1963. About 40,000 people were there. He received an honorary degree. This made San Diego State the first school in California to give such a degree. A marker was placed where his helicopter landed. In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. also spoke at the Open Air Theater about civil rights.
In 1965, San Diego State started offering a doctorate degree in chemistry with University of California, San Diego. By 1991, the campus had eight different doctorate programs. Teachers also started doing more research. Federal research grants increased a lot.
In 1966, President Love was named one of the best college presidents. He changed the school's structure, creating professional schools. This helped SDSC become a university. He said, "Though we are called a college, we are in deed and in fact a university."
Student Protests and New Programs
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, students held many protests. They protested racism and the Vietnam War. In March 1970, 600 students held a week-long sit-in. They were protesting the school's decision not to rehire some teachers. Protests also happened against the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and military recruiters. Famous speakers like César Chávez, Jane Fonda, and Angela Davis visited the campus.
In April 1972, some students held ROTC students during an exam. They were released peacefully. In May 1972, some protesters broke windows and set fires in buildings. This caused injuries and damage.
The first women's studies program in the United States started at the college in 1970. This happened after a year of hard work by women's groups and students.
In early 1971, President Love retired. A new library was named in his honor. Brage Golding became the new president in 1972. He helped bring in skilled administrators who improved the school. He also started a research center for the city's history and a program for older students.
In 1978, Thomas B. Day became the sixth president. The school faced budget problems. President Day suggested cutting some departments and teachers. However, these cuts were later found not to be needed.
President Love had worked hard to change the school's name from a college to a university. In 1972, the state approved renaming it "California State University, San Diego." But school officials still wanted a different name. So, on January 1, 1974, it was finally renamed "San Diego State University" (SDSU), which is its name today.
Modern History of SDSU
In 1987, SDSU had its highest number of students ever, with almost 36,000. This made it the largest university in California. Because of so many students, the state decided to limit enrollment to 33,000. However, in 1993, enrollment dropped to 26,800 due to money problems.
In the 1980s, SDSU's business school was highly ranked. Its accounting program was the only one in California that was officially approved. Students from SDSU often scored very high on the Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) exam.
In 1987, a magazine ranked SDSU as the 3rd best party school. This made some school leaders upset, but students found it funny. Some students worried it would make their degrees seem less valuable. The ranking changed over the years.
The Graduate School of Public Health started in 1981. It was one of only 24 such schools in the nation. It trained students for jobs in hospitals and health agencies. President Day thought this was a major success for his time as president.
In the 1990s, the College of Business was one of the largest undergraduate programs in the U.S. By 1990, SDSU was giving out over 1,100 master's degrees and 10 doctoral degrees each year.
From 1991 to 1994, SDSU faced budget problems due to state government cuts. This led to protests by students and teachers. Students marched and protested against fee increases and class cuts.
During these protests, students used a wooden construction fence as a "Free Speech Wall." They put up protest messages and art. The school tried to paint over it, but students sat in front of the wall to stop them. Some students were arrested. Later, a permanent memorial to the wall was created in the student center.
When President Day retired in 1996, Stephen Weber became the new president. One month later, on August 15, a sad event happened. A graduate student shot and killed three professors. The student was sent to prison for life. In 2003, a memorial with trees, tables, and benches was dedicated to the three professors.
In 2005, a new trolley station opened on the SDSU campus. This helped students and teachers get around San Diego. It also helped with parking problems. The trolley station was part of many construction projects. New apartments, fraternity and sorority housing, and other buildings were developed. In 2003, a pedestrian bridge opened, connecting dorms to the main campus. The largest classroom, holding 500 students, was also completed that year.
In 2007, SDSU was named the number one small research university in the nation. This was based on how much research teachers did and how many grants they received. The university has about 800 studies happening at any time. A study in 2007 showed that SDSU adds $2.4 billion to the San Diego economy. This amount is expected to grow to $4.5 billion by 2025.
In 2010, President Weber announced he would retire. He was praised for improving the graduation rate. In 2011, Elliot Hirshman became the new president.
After the San Diego Chargers football team moved to Los Angeles in 2017, SDSU worked to get control of the city stadium and nearby land. This area is right across from the main campus. SDSU wanted to build a new stadium and expand the university. The plan, called SDSU West, was approved by voters in November 2017.
In May 2020, the city council agreed to sell 135 acres, including the stadium, to San Diego State for $88 million. SDSU plans to start building a new 35,000-seat stadium in August 2020. This stadium will host SDSU football games, other college games, professional soccer, and concerts. The entire project will cost $3.5 billion. It includes housing, offices, shops, hotels, and 80 acres of parks. This big project will be built in stages over 15 years.
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