MSU’s 167th Anniversary: 1855-2022

MSU TIMELINE:

February 12, 1855 - College is founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan

1857 - Joseph R. Williams first college President

1859-1869 College survives six threats to close down

1860 - First campus bridge over the Red Cedar River

1861 - First M.A.C. students go to war, becoming soldiers in the Civil War

1861 - College name changes to State Agricultural College

1865 - First baseball team formed

1868 - First student newspaper is published

1870 - First women students are admitted

1873 - "The Rock" was given to the college

1873 - Beal Botanical Garden created

1879 – The first female graduates

1887 – Green becomes a school color

1893 - Concrete sidewalks appear on campus

1896 - First official football season has four games

1896 - Mary A. Mayo pushes for courses for women

1901 - College yearbook is named “The Wolverine”

May 31, 1907 - Theodore Roosevelt delivers Commencement Address

June 2, 1909 – Name is changed to Michigan Agricultural College

1913 - Gideon Smith becomes one of the first two African Americans to play college football, as well as one of the first in professional football

August 18, 1922 - WKAR radio broadcasts for the first time

1923 - First time a Michigan State football game is broadcast

May 1, 1925 – Name change to Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science

1926 - "Spartans" becomes the new college nickname

1938 - Sigma Delta Chi founded.

June 1945 – The "Sparty" statue is dedicated

1954 - WKAR-TV begins July 1

1955 – Name change to Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science

1962 - Case Hall becomes the first coed dorm

January 1, 1964 - Name change to Michigan State University

1972 - MSU Marching Band admits its first two women members

1976 - Jud Heathcote and Darryl Rogers become coaches

1976 - Smoking is banned on campus

1977 - Earvin "Magic" Johnson signs up

1982 - James Blanchard, MSU alumnus, elected Governor of Michigan

1982 - Wharton Center opens

November 9, 1989 – Dedication of the Breslin Center

August 25, 2005 – Campus gets a new “Sparty” Statue

February 7, 2014 - President Obama comes to MSU and signs the Farm Bill

February 4, 2020 - Football coach Mark Dantonio retires

March 11, 2020 – Due to Covid-19. MSU suspends in-person instruction

HAPPY 167th, MSU

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