This Day in History January 16, 1899

Tweet

Anyone from Arizona?  My grandmother (who is no longer living) used to live in Phoenix and Tucson.  And I have two uncles and aunts that spend the winter in Yuma.  Arizona is indeed a beautiful state, and the feature today centers on this lovely state in our Union.

It was on this date in 1899 that the governor of the territory of Arizona (it wasn't even a state yet!) recommended that old building that had been erected in Flagstaff in 1893 become a normal school.  So Henry Ashurst introduced House Bill 44 February 6, 1899, and thus, Northern Arizona Normal School was "born."  Their first term began September 11, 1899.  Twenty-three students actually enrolled the following week.  In 1901, the school had its first graduating class which consisted of four women who received life certificates to teach in the state of Arizona.

There have been several name changes throughout its history:
Northern Arizona State Teacher's College (1925)
Arizona Teacher's College of Flagstaff (1928)
Arizona State College of Flagstaff (1945)
Northern Arizona University (1966)

And look at the current statistics:
U.S. News College Compass Best Colleges 2012
20,194 students enrolled
740-acre rural campus
More than 35 sites across the state
Home to several energy-efficient buildings

Here's a picture of the original building:

Here's their modern skydome:

For more information, check out these sites:
http://home.nau.edu/studentlife/handbook/history.asp
http://www.braintrack.com/college/u/northern-arizona-university
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/northern-arizona-university-1082