| Michigan State University is a public college | | | | early days, took the same scientific |
| located in East Lansing, Michigan. It is a | | | | agriculture courses as male students. In |
| land-grant university and was the first | | | | 1896, the faculty created a "Women Course" |
| agricultural college in the United States. | | | | that melded liberal arts and sciences, with a |
| Michigan State University(MSU) has a | | | | home economics curriculum. That same year, |
| fantastic hospitality school and the study | | | | the College turned the old Abbot Hall dorm |
| abroad program is the largest of any | | | | into a women's dormitory. However, it was |
| single-campus university in the nation, | | | | not until 1899 that the State Agricultural |
| offering more than 200 programs in more than | | | | College admitted its first African American |
| 60 countries on all continents. Following | | | | student. The first African American student, |
| the introduction of the Morrill Act, "MSU" | | | | William I. Thompson, went on to teach at |
| became co-educational and expanded its | | | | what is now Tuskegee University. In |
| curriculum beyond just agriculture. "MSU" is | | | | September 2005, current university president |
| currently listed as the six-largest | | | | Lou Anna Simon called for "MSU" to become the |
| university by enrollment. As a research | | | | global model leader for Land Grant |
| university, Michigan State University is a | | | | institutions by the year 2012.The Athletic |
| member of the Association of American | | | | teams, all 22 of them, are named the Spartans |
| Universities.In 1855, Governor Kinsley S. | | | | and dress in green and white colors. |
| Bingham signed a bill to establish the | | | | Michigan State offers 14 varsity sports for |
| nation's first agriculture college, the | | | | men and 15 for women. The men's basketball |
| Agricultural College of the State of | | | | team has won the national championship twice, |
| Michigan. Classes began in May of 1857 with | | | | once in 1979 and another in 2000. The 1979 |
| three buildings, five faculty members and 63 | | | | championship team was led by the well-known |
| students. The first designed curriculum was | | | | NBA great, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Football |
| one that required more scientific study than | | | | has a long tradition at Michigan State, |
| any undergraduate institution of the era, | | | | starting as a club sport in 1884, but |
| balancing liberal arts, sciene and practical | | | | football gained varsity status in 1896. The |
| training. After the Reorganization Act of | | | | team won the Rose Bowl in 1954, 1956 and |
| 1861 was passed, Colleges had a four-year | | | | 1988. The basketball games are played at the |
| curriculum and the power to grant master's | | | | Jack Breslin Student Events Center and the |
| degrees. That same year, the school changed | | | | football games are played at Spartan Stadium, |
| its name to State Agricultural College and | | | | in the center of the campus.Michigan State |
| its first class graduated. However, there | | | | University is one of the many fine schools to |
| was not much for an elaborate graduation | | | | attend after high school in the United |
| ceremony, most of the alumni were drafted | | | | States. The academic program and athletic |
| into the American Civil War that followed | | | | program of the university meets the |
| soon after. The college first admitted women | | | | requirements to become successful beyond |
| in 1870, although at that time there were no | | | | graduation. |
| female dormitories. Females, even from the | | | | |