A Brief History of Utah State University
Founded in 1888, Utah's land-grant institution, the Utah Agricultural College, opened for instruction in September 1890. More than 637,000 students have since enrolled at the institution, which officially became Utah State University in March 1957. The modest college that began in the unfinished south wing of Old Main has since grown to encompass all of College Hill, with the additional Innovation Campus, associated research facilities, Extension offices and Continuing Education sites throughout the state.
Research has been a distinguishing characteristic of the university since the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station began its work with the institution's opening in 1890.
Research has been a distinguishing characteristic of the university since the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station began its work with the institution's opening in 1890. From land, water and space to life enhancement, research permeates all of the university's seven colleges and 42 academic departments. The university also supports a diverse number of specialized centers and laboratories in the sciences, education, business, arts, humanities, agriculture, natural resources and engineering.
The Utah Water Research Laboratory has provided valuable research on water resources since its inception in 1963. The lab's endeavors have not only impacted Utah, but have attained national and international reach and acclaim.
The university has maintained an international scientific presence since the aftermath of World War II, when it was selected to help develop the agricultural resources of Iran under President Truman's Point IV Program. International outreach has since been an integral part of the university's Extension philosophy.
Founded in 1914 as the Utah Cooperative Extension Service, University Extension continues to disseminate information through county Extension offices and through its Centers for Continuing Education. Through outreach, the University and its faculty are preserving the historical land-grant tradition of providing service and expertise to the state, nation and world.
USU expertise has had a major impact on the nation's space program, where the Space Dynamics Laboratory, associated with the Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, has worked closely with the National Space and Aeronautics Administration since the early 1960s. The university's current emphasis in space science and engineering research spans nearly five decades.
Many students have participated in research at the Space Dynamics Laboratory, as graduate students have historically made valuable contributions to the research mission of the University. The institution awarded its first advanced degree in 1916 and bestowed its first doctoral degrees in 1950.
Teaching remains the pre-eminent imperative for the university in addition to research, extension and ser-vice.
Teaching remains the pre-eminent imperative for the university in addition to research, extension and service. "This corps of loyal and devoted instructors," wrote historian Joel E. Ricks on the eve of the institution's semi-centennial, "sought ... to give the students the mental stimulus that ... would encourage them to face life unafraid." Ricks's declaration rings as true today as it did in 1938.
Classroom instruction, however, is only part of a student's experience at Utah State University. Since 1890, students have participated in both academic and social organizations. Students began publishing the student newspaper Student Life (forerunner to the Statesman) in 1902 and a student yearbook, the Buzzer, in 1910. In 1908, students drafted a constitution for student government, the predecessor of the Associated Students of Utah State University. The goal of the land-grant college, according to the institution's first president Jeremiah W. Sanborn, is not just to provide training for students, but to provide for their "liberal education as ... citizen[s]." All 15 of the University's presidents, from Sanborn through current President Stan L. Albrecht, have embraced that sentiment.
Athletic contests also became important early contributors in fostering student pride and Aggie spirit. The oldest football rivalry in Utah commenced on Thanksgiving Day 1894 when the "farmers" trounced the University of Utah 12-0 in a game played on a muddy, makeshift field that today is the university's Quad. Aggie athletics recently moved into a new era with membership in the Western Athletic Conference.
Other recent changes are evident, as well. The Innovation Campus continues to create marketable technology, new products, jobs and revenue for Cache Valley and Utah. A new Library opened in the fall of 2005. A world-class performance hall opens in early 2006, adding another dimension to the university's strong commitment to the arts and humanities.
Commitment has remained a constant during the university's 118-year history. Amidst the bustle of new construction and burgeoning enrollment costs, the commitment to the land-grant traditions of teaching, service, research and extension have remained unchanged since that first small faculty of nine men and women began their earnest work in September 1890.
Robert Parson, University Archivist
Utah State University
August 2005