College - Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public college located indays, took the same scientific agriculture courses as
East Lansing, Michigan. It is a land-grant university andmale students. In 1896, the faculty created a
was the first agricultural college in the United States."Women Course" that melded liberal arts and
Michigan State University(MSU) has a fantasticsciences, with a home economics curriculum. That
hospitality school and the study abroad program issame year, the College turned the old Abbot Hall
the largest of any single-campus university in thedorm into a women's dormitory. However, it was not
nation, offering more than 200 programs in moreuntil 1899 that the State Agricultural College admitted
than 60 countries on all continents. Following theits first African American student. The first African
introduction of the Morrill Act, "MSU" becameAmerican student, William I. Thompson, went on to
co-educational and expanded its curriculum beyondteach at what is now Tuskegee University. In
just agriculture. "MSU" is currently listed as theSeptember 2005, current university president Lou
six-largest university by enrollment. As a researchAnna Simon called for "MSU" to become the global
university, Michigan State University is a member ofmodel leader for Land Grant institutions by the year
the Association of American Universities.In 1855,2012.The Athletic teams, all 22 of them, are named
Governor Kinsley S. Bingham signed a bill to establishthe Spartans and dress in green and white colors.
the nation's first agriculture college, the AgriculturalMichigan State offers 14 varsity sports for men and
College of the State of Michigan. Classes began in15 for women. The men's basketball team has won
May of 1857 with three buildings, five facultythe national championship twice, once in 1979 and
members and 63 students. The first designedanother in 2000. The 1979 championship team was
curriculum was one that required more scientificled by the well-known NBA great, Earvin "Magic"
study than any undergraduate institution of the era,Johnson. Football has a long tradition at Michigan
balancing liberal arts, sciene and practical training.State, starting as a club sport in 1884, but football
After the Reorganization Act of 1861 was passed,gained varsity status in 1896. The team won the
Colleges had a four-year curriculum and the power toRose Bowl in 1954, 1956 and 1988. The basketball
grant master's degrees. That same year, the schoolgames are played at the Jack Breslin Student Events
changed its name to State Agricultural College and itsCenter and the football games are played at Spartan
first class graduated. However, there was not muchStadium, in the center of the campus.Michigan State
for an elaborate graduation ceremony, most of theUniversity is one of the many fine schools to attend
alumni were drafted into the American Civil War thatafter high school in the United States. The academic
followed soon after. The college first admittedprogram and athletic program of the university meets
women in 1870, although at that time there were nothe requirements to become successful beyond
female dormitories. Females, even from the earlygraduation.