Emporia State University

Ellen Plumb, right, and Mary J. Watson, left, the first graduating class of the Kansas State Normal School in 1867

The origins of the university date back to 1861, when Kansas became a state. The Kansas Constitution provided for a state university,[11] and from 1861 to 1863 the question of where the university would be located—Lawrence, Manhattan or Emporia—was debated. In February 1863, Manhattan was selected as the site for the state's land-grant college, authorized by the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Act–what evolved into Kansas State University. Lawrence and Emporia were therefore left as the only candidates for a state university. The fact that Amos Adams Lawrence had donated $10,000 (plus interest), as well as 40 acres (160,000 m²) to the city of Lawrence had great weight with the Kansas Legislature, and Lawrence was selected by one vote over Emporia as the location of the University of Kansas.[11] On March 7, 1863, the Kansas Legislature passed the enabling act to establish the Kansas State Normal School, which would one day become Emporia State University; it did not open until February 15, 1865.[12] The first class graduated two and a half years later; it consisted of two women, Mary Jane Watson and Ellen Plumb.[13] Ellen was the sister of US Senator Preston B. Plumb.

Allison Garrett, ESU's current president

In 1876, the Kansas Legislature passed the "Miscellaneous appropriations bill of 1876".[14] As a result, Leavenworth Normal and Concordia Normal were closed so the state funding for normal schools could be directed to Emporia.[15] Then, in the early 20th century, KSN branched out with satellited campuses in Pittsburg and Hays. The Hays campus opened June 3, 1902 as KSN's "Western Branch." It became an autonomous college in 1914 as Fort Hays Kansas State Normal School, and has since developed into Fort Hays State University. The Pittsburg branch was opened as the Manual Training Auxiliary School in 1904; it became a four-year school named Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg in 1913. Today it is Pittsburg State University.[16]

In February 1923, the name of the school was changed to the Kansas State Teachers College. In July 1974, the name was changed to Emporia Kansas State College. On April 21, 1977, the college became Emporia State University.

Dr. Michael Shonrock became Emporia State's 16th president on January 3, 2012.[17] On April 9, 2015, it was announced that he was stepping down to become president at Lindenwood University, effective June 1.[18] Former Butler Community College president Jackie Vietti became interim president.[19] On October 22, 2015, Allison Garrett was selected as Emporia State University's 17th president, effective January 4, 2016.[20]

Founded in 1868, the School of Business is located on the main campus. It has more than 30 faculty members and approximately 300 students.[34]

The School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The programs have been thoroughly reviewed and found to be of the highest quality. This distinction is found with less than 5% of business schools worldwide.[35]

The School of Business opened the Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics, which is a center made up of classes that focuses on entrepreneurial management.[36] The Center was funded through grants of $750,000 from the Fred Koch Foundation, as well as Koch Industries.[37]

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in numerous fields, with an emphasis on health professions and related programs, biological and biomedical sciences, and social sciences. Courses are offered at the main campus, online, and at satellite campuses.[34]

The School of Library and Information Management (SLIM), which was founded in 1902,[38] is the "oldest school of library and information studies in the western half of the United States" and has branches in six different states.[39] SLIM is the only accredited American Library Association program in Kansas,[40] and the School Library Media Licensure program is also accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).[41] The School of Library and Information Management also offers Emporia State University's only PhD: a doctorate in Library and Information Management.[42]

The one-room schoolhouse on the Emporia State University campus

The Teachers College at Emporia State University is an "Exemplary Model Teacher Education" program as named by Arthur Levine in 2006.[43] In 2011, The Teachers College was featured in a video produced by the U.S. Department of Education highlighting the use of professional development schools.

The Jones Institute for Educational Excellence is a non-profit organization provided by the Jones Trust in Lyon County. In August 1982, the office was established as part of the Teachers College for research to better education in the state of Kansas.[44]

The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) is a non-profit organization that honors exceptional school teachers and was established in 1989 by Emporia State University, the City of Emporia, the local school district, and the Chamber of Commerce. The NTHF has a museum on Emporia State's campus that honors the inducted teachers. It also has a teacher resource center and a program which recognizes five of the nation's best educators each June.[45]

The Hall of Fame annually honors five teachers who have demonstrated commitment and dedication to teaching children. The first induction was held in June 1992, and, 115 teachers have since been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Inductees cover more than three-quarters of the United States and Washington D.C.[45]

Memorial for Fallen Educators with the one-room schoolhouse in the background

On June 13, 2013, NTHF executive director, along with former university officials, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran's staff, and local government leaders broke ground by the one-room schoolhouse located on the campus to build a memorial for teachers who have fallen in the "line of duty". The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was the main inspiration for the memorial.[46] On June 6, 2014, the granite memorial markers were placed along with granite benches.[47] The official dedication was held on June 12, 2014.[48]

On September 21, 2015, United States Senator Moran of Kansas introduced a bill to the United States Congress to designate the memorial as the "National Memorial to Fallen Educators".[49] Should the bill pass by both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the memorial would then need to be signed by the President of the United States. The memorial would not become a part of the National Park Service, nor would it receive Federal funding.[50]

Emporia State University–Kansas City is the branch campus of Emporia State, located in Overland Park.[51] The campus offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.[33]

On August 29, 2014, Emporia State announced that it had received $1 million additional funding from the Governor's office for the school's first-ever Honors College.[52][53][54]

Most academic buildings at Emporia State University are dedicated to someone or are an important part of the school's history.[55]

Beach Music Hall, named in honor of former professor Frank A. Beach, houses the Music Department. It was built in 1926, and contains classrooms, a recital hall, and practice studios.[56]

Within the science building, Bruekelman Science Hall houses the Biological Sciences department and mathematics and economics departments, while Cram Science Hall houses the Physical Sciences department[57] and classrooms for chemistry, physics, and earth science. Inside the science building are two museums – Johnston Geology Museum[58] and the Richard H. Schmidt Museum of Natural History,[59] along with the Peterson Planetarium.[60]

Named after former president Thomas W. Butcher, the Butcher Education Center houses the Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime & Delinquency Studies Department on the north side.[61] On the south side of the building is the ESU Center for Early Childhood Education, a daycare center which also serves as a preschool.[62] In the basement is home to the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Cremer Hall contains the School of Business.[63] The building opened in 1964 and is also home to the Kansas Business Hall of Fame and the Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics.

The HPER Building, officially known as the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building, is home to the Athletics and physical education department.[64] Inside the building are five gyms, locker rooms, classrooms, administrative offices, and a swimming pool.[65]

Inside John E. King Hall, named after the 11th president of ESU, are the Theatre Department, and the Arts and Communication Departments. Also inside is the Karl C. Bruder Theatre.[66]

Preston B. Plumb Hall

Plumb Hall serves as the administration building, and houses President's office,[67] Academic Affairs,[68] Fiscal Affairs, Financial Aid services, Human Resources, some classrooms, Social Sciences and English departments, and the Graduate School. The building is named after Senator Preston B. Plumb. Also inside is Albert Taylor Hall, an auditorium named after the 5th president of ESU.[69]

Roosevelt Hall, previously a high school in Emporia, once served as the home of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences dean's office.[70] Inside are classrooms primarily for English, Modern Languages, and Journalism classes, as well as a theatre.[71]

John E. Visser Hall, named after ESU's 12th president, is home to the Teachers College. It also houses the Teachers Hall of Fame.[72]

The William Allen White Library is home to the School of Library and Information Management. Inside are a computer lab, the University Archives, and the Academic Center for Excellence and Success.[73]

The Emporia State University Memorial Union is the student activity center. It opened on Founder's Day in 1925 as a memorial to the KSN students who died in World War I. It was the first student union west of the Mississippi River.[74][75] Inside the Union are the bookstore, admissions office, Sodexo dining services, and Division of Student Affairs office.[76]

The Sauder Alumni Center houses the Emporia State University Foundation and Alumni Association.[77][78] Cora Miller Hall houses the School of Nursing, and is located next to Newman Regional Hospital.[79]

At ESU, all incoming freshmen students must live in the Towers Complex (North & South Towers, Singular, and Trusler), unless they already live within a 30-mile (48 km) radius of the campus.[80] Upperclassmen have the choice to live in Morse Hall Complex.[81]

Morse Hall Complex consists of four wings: Northeast Morse, Central Morse, South Morse and Abigail Morse. Northeast, Central and South are all upperclassmen residence halls. South Morse is used for office purposes such as the TRIO Program and Student Wellness Center are located in South.[82]

The Towers Complex is made up into four residence halls: North and South Towers, and Singular and Trusler Towers.[80] Trusler went under renovation in the fall of 2013,[83] with Singular going under renovation in the spring of 2014.[84]

In November 2017, construction started on a new residence hall[85] which will be named after Emporia State's 14th president, Kay Schallenkamp.[86] Set to open in August 2019, it will replace Central and Northeast Morse Halls, and is the first new building on campus since 2002.

ESU has eight fraternities[87] and six sororities.[88]

The school newspaper of Emporia State University is ESU Bulletin, established in 1901.[89] It is published once a week on Thursdays, and is distributed free of charge in all campus buildings. Supported by student fees and advertising, The Bulletin is written and operated by student staff members.[90]

Sunflower, the university's yearbook, is published each spring as a chronicle of the year's events and activities. It is funded by student fees and distributed during finals week of the spring semester. Students who choose to be included in the yearbook are photographed at no charge during the fall semester.[91]

Emporia State's official school colors are black and gold.[6] These have been the colors since the school was founded in 1863. Until recently, the gold was "old gold".[115]

Corky the Hornet at an Emporia State football game

In 1923, the teams were known as the "Yaps", but it was not a popular name. Men's basketball coach Vic Trusler[116] recommended to a reporter of the Emporia Gazette that the name should be changed to "Yellow Jackets". Due to the lack of newspaper space, the reporter changed it to "Hornets".

In 1933, the Teachers College held a contest in which students and staff could design a mascot for the college. Sophomore Paul Edwards, who graduated in 1937, designed Corky. Although hundreds of drawings were submitted, Edwards' Corky, a "human-like" hornet, was selected and published in The Bulletin, the student newspaper for Emporia State University.[116]

Now & Forever Campaign logo

In February 2013, when the University turned 150, it announced a campaign to raise $45 million in five to seven years.[118] The campaign's slogan is "Silent no more."[119] After the announcement of a donation, big or small, the university rings a bell called Silent Joe.[120] The bell, which is located just south of Francis G. Welch Stadium, was originally rung only after a football team won at home.[121] The campaign ended in February 2017, having raised $58.03 million, the largest in the university's history.[122]

The Parking Department is a division of Police and Safety, and issues permits for students, faculty/staff, and visitors.[125]