Humboldt State University - History

History

Humboldt State Normal School was established as a teacher's college on June 16, 1913, by then-California Governor Hiram Johnson. The cities of Arcata and Eureka competed with one another to host the new campus. It opened on April 6, 1914 in the former Arcata Grammar School building with 78 students and 5 faculty. The school was put under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education, renamed Humboldt State Teacher's College and Junior College, and moved to its current location in 1921. In 1924, the Associated Students and the Alumni Association were organized and The Foghorn, the first student newspaper, was published. Bachelor's degrees began being offered in 1927. The school was renamed Humboldt State College in 1935 and the next year the Lumberjack was adopted as its mascot. In 1937, the students opened a cooperative bookstore and soda fountain, which would exist for the next 40 years as the center of student life.

During World War II, Founder's Hall, which is visible from the Pacific Ocean, was camouflaged so Japanese submarines would not use it as a navigational aid. An air observation post was also set up atop the art shop to watch for Japanese air strikes. The observation post was primarily staffed by wives of faculty members. The post was removed in 1953.

Graduate programs began being offered in 1947. The same year, KHSC, the first state college radio station in California, was established (later to become KHSU). In 1960, the college joined the newly-formed California State College system. The junior college program, terminated at HSU in 1962, was re-established in 1964 at College of the Redwoods (CR) located at the southern edge of Eureka. Located only seventeen miles south of HSU, both institutions maintain a close working relationship, with many students transferring to HSU following graduation from CR.

Student activism on campus rose through the 1960s and early 1970s, peaking in a protest against the Vietnam War with about 800 students (out of 3,600) participating in demonstrations on October 15, 1969. This was followed by another protest with nearly 3,000 students who planned a strike after the Cambodian Incursion. With similar events across the state, Governor Reagan shut down the CSC system in May 1970 for the rest of the year. The 1970s also saw the rise of feminist, cultural, and LGBT groups, and though the Women's Center would be the only one to survive through the 1980s, most groups would reappear by the mid 1990s. The campus currently hosts a United Students Against Sweatshops group that is active in lobbying for ethical products and services on campus.

In 1967, the Humboldt Film Festival started and it is now one of the oldest student-run festival in the world. In 1996 the annual Explorations in afro-cuban dance and drum workshop began being held on the campus every July. The workshop is the largest assemblage of Afro-Cuban folkloric masters in the United States, drawing students from across the country and around the world.

In 1972, the college was renamed California State University, Humboldt, and was further renamed Humboldt State University two years later. Enrollment first reached 7,500 in 1974, and though it has increased to near 8,000 in years since, the university remains one of the smallest in the CSU system. Through the 1980s, mature students became a large part of Humboldt State's student body, and in 1986 40% of the students were over the age of 25. The number has since decreased to 30%.