It's official: MSU

“It’s an exciting time for the institution,” Nietzel said. “I think the name change was a well-earned recognition and designation for the university. It accurately describes the university and it gives us a goal to strive for.”

Or as state Rep. B.J. Marsh put it earlier this year, “Missouri State is an elite name for an elite school.” Marsh worked to get the name change approved in the Missouri House.

Marsh could have been referring to enrollment – 18,775 on the first day of the fall semester, making it the second largest state university in Missouri; campus expansions – $150 million in projects since 1993; or economic impact – $385 million locally this year, according to university studies performed by economics professor Tom Wyrick and his retired colleague Larry Cox.

From Missouri State Normal School …

It began July 6, 1905, when Springfield was the chosen site for Missouri State Normal School No. 4. Classes were first held at Cherry and Pickwick.

Its primary purpose was preparing teachers for public school systems in southwest Missouri’s 22-county region. Springfield residents funded the school, donating $15,000 and 38 acres on the corner of National and Grand. That first term enrolled 543 students.

By 1909, Carrington Hall was built and the first classes on the main campus were held. Greenwood School entered the picture in 1911, with a high school added two years later.

In 1919, the Normal School became Southwest Missouri State Teachers College and a second building was added two years later.

As the mid-1940s rolled around, additional programs were implemented at the undergraduate level. Development of graduate education grew, and the university became more educationally diverse. In 1945, the legislature approved a bill allowing state teachers colleges to change their names to state colleges, paving the way for Southwest Missouri State College.

More change came in the 1960s, with a residence center providing freshman- and sophomore-level courses opening in West Plains in 1963. It now serves as a second campus, offering a two-year general education program. The Mountain Grove extension was added in 1989, later followed by the branch campus in Dalian, China, in 2000.

As additional programs were added at the undergraduate level and the graduate education programs became stronger, another name change went into effect. The college became Southwest Missouri State University in 1972. Growth continued that decade, with athletic programs joining Division I and Hammons Student Center’s opening. By 1976, a name change already was being discussed in Jefferson City. In 2002, an attempt to change the name to Missouri State University failed.

“It was an extremely long process,” said Missouri Sen. Norma Champion, sponsor of the bill that passed earlier this year. “People had given up as opposition grew. The first year, we tried to be cooperative and got nowhere. The second year was much more difficult as it was blocked and filibustered. University of Missouri decided to play hardball. By the third year, we had the support of the governor. It took a great deal of work. We left no stone unturned.”

An all-night session on Feb. 14 ended the filibuster, and the name change was approved. The final passage was 25-7 in the Senate and 120-35 in the House. “That was astounding,” Champion said. “It’s just the icing on the cake to be able to deliver the name change on the 100th anniversary of the university.”

The next 100

The conversion to MSU comes with some cost to the school. Changes to logos, signage, letterhead and apparel are estimated to cost $200,000, according to Greg Burris, university vice president for administration and finance. Burris said the university foundation, funded through gifts and private donations, will cover the costs.

The benefit is in growth for years to come. Nietzel sees this as an opportunity to grow the university’s research, mission and educational programs – now 150 undergraduate and 43 graduate programs. Evidence is the recent acquisition of part of the old Springfield MFA Mill, which will reopen as the Jordan Valley Innovation Center, a high-tech research laboratory.

While continued growth is inevitable for Missouri State University, Nietzel wants to make sure the university doesn’t lose its most appealing characteristics.

“We want to continue to grow the institution, increasing admission requirements,” he said. “At the same time, we still want to be affordable and accessible for students, for Missouri students in particular.”