Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
land-grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...
with its flagship, and oldest, campus in
Pullman, Washington
Pullman () is the largest city in Whitman County, located in southeastern Washington within the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. The population was 29,799 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 34,506 in 2019. Originally founded as Thr ...
. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest
land-grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
universities in the
American West
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
. With an undergraduate enrollment of 24,278 and a total enrollment of 28,581, it is the second largest institution for higher education in Washington state behind the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
. It is
classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
The WSU Pullman campus stands on a hill and is characterized by open spaces and a red brick and basalt material palette—materials originally found on site. The university sits within the rolling topography of the
Palouse
The Palouse ( ) is a distinct geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and, by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primaril ...
in rural eastern Washington and remains closely connected to the town and the region. The university also operates campuses across Washington at
WSU Spokane,
WSU Tri-Cities
Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSU Tri-Cities) is one of six campuses that make up Washington State University. It is located along the Columbia River in northern Richland, Washington. With upper division and graduate programs, WSU T ...
, and
WSU Vancouver
Washington State University Vancouver also known as WSU Vancouver is a campus of Washington State University. WSU Vancouver is located on a campus outside of Vancouver, Washington, approximately eight miles (13 km) north of the Columbia Riv ...
, all founded in 1989. In 2012, WSU launched an Internet-based
Global Campus, which includes its online degree program, WSU Online. In 2015, WSU expanded to a sixth campus at
WSU Everett. These campuses award primarily bachelor's and
master's degrees
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. . Freshmen and sophomores were first admitted to the Vancouver campus in 2006 and to the Tri-Cities campus in 2007.
WSU's athletic teams are called the
Cougars
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...
and the
school colors
School colors (also known as university colors or college colors) are the colors chosen by a school as part of its brand identity, used on building signage, web pages, branded apparel, and the uniforms of sports teams. They can promote connectio ...
are crimson and gray. Six men's and nine women's varsity teams compete in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I in the
Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
. Both men's and women's indoor track teams compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
History
Agricultural College, Experiment Station, and School of Science
![Palouse - American Tuscany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Palouse_-_American_Tuscany.jpg)
In 1862,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
signed the
Morrill Act of 1862
The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or se ...
into law, allowing for the creation of
land-grant colleges
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
“to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts ...in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes." The
Hatch Act of 1887
The Hatch Act of 1887 (ch. 314, , enacted 1887-03-02, et seq.) gave federal funds, initially of $15,000 each, to state land-grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations, as well as pass along new information, es ...
expanded on the Morrill Act, providing federal funds for the establishment of
agriculture experiment stations at land-grant colleges. Shortly after attaining
statehood
A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "sta ...
on November 11, 1889, the
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senat ...
began taking steps to claim a land-grant college, and fewer than five months later on March 28, 1890, passed House Bill 90 for the creation of the ''Agricultural College, Experiment Station and School of Science of the State of Washington''. Governor
Elisha P. Ferry
Elisha Peyre Ferry (August 9, 1825October 14, 1895) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the List of governors of Washington, first governor of Washington from 1889 to 1893. Ferry was a Republican Party (United States), Republic ...
signed the bill into law a few days later.
Soon after, a second act of legislature expanded the school's educational mission to include general arts and sciences. The university and the experiment station would aid enterprise by improving farm management, conducting research, and teaching the skills needed to be better farmers. WSU's role as a statewide institution became clear in 1894 with the launch of its first
agricultural experiment station
An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with f ...
west of the
Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
near
Puyallup.
According to the legislation, the site of the land-grant college was to be determined by a three-member committee appointed by the governor, but it stipulated that the site must be located in the southeast corner of the state. After an exhaustive examination of bidding towns such as
Yakima
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninco ...
and other towns in the Palouse region, the state's new land-grant college opened to 59 students in Pullman on January 13, 1892, offering three major courses of study: agriculture, engineering, and domestic science.
[ Pullman was possibly selected because of a generous land gift by the city and its railroad connections to Spokane and ]Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. A five-member Board of Regents was appointed with George W. Lilley George W. Lilley (February 9, 1850 – June 8, 1904) was an American academic, professor of mathematics, and the first president of two American universities, today known as South Dakota State University and Washington State University.
Early l ...
acting as the school's first President.[
The school started out with a faculty of five, with a student-body largely consisting of children from the surrounding community, who, if they were residents of Washington would have attended tuition-free. The year 1897 saw the first graduating class of seven men and women.
]
The Bryan years
Enoch Albert Bryan
Enoch Albert Bryan (May 10, 1855 – November 6, 1941) was president of Vincennes University in Indiana from 1883-1893 and of Washington's land-grant institution, today called Washington State University, from 1893-1915. At the latter institu ...
, appointed July 22, 1893, and serving for 22 years, was the first influential president of WSU and considered by many as the true founder of the university.[ Bryan previously served as the president of ]Vincennes University
Vincennes University (VU) is a public college with its main campus in Vincennes, Indiana. Founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy, VU is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Indiana. VU was chartered in 1806 as the Indiana Territo ...
in Indiana and was an alumnus of Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
and held a graduate degree from Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. When Bryan learned he was nominated for the presidency by a friend in Oregon, he had never even heard of the college. Before Bryan's arrival, the fledgling university suffered through significant organizational instability. Under Bryan's term as president, the curriculum included both a practical and liberal arts component, where chemistry, mathematics as well as history, English literature and two foreign languages were core courses, required for graduation regardless of major.[ Under Bryan, music and art held importance too, in 1905 he gained the approval of the Board of Regents for a School of Music. Bryan guided the college toward respectability and is arguably the most influential figure in the university's history. The landmark clock tower in the center of campus is his namesake. As the college approached the end of its first decade of existence, Bryan and others tried to garner the necessary support to change the name of the school, which resulted in the introduction of a bill to change the school name to “Washington State College” in 1899. This and similar efforts in 1901 and 1903 were defeated with strong opposition for attempting to create another state university which would undermine the clout of the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. However, in 1905 the school was finally able to officially change its name to the “State College of Washington” or more informally as ''Washington State College'' (WSC).][
]
Washington State College
Ernest O. Holland
Ernest Otto Holland (February 4, 1874 – May 30, 1950) was an American academic, the superintendent of public schools for Louisville, Kentucky, and the fourth and longest-serving president of Washington State University, leading the instituti ...
succeeded Enoch Bryan as President of the Washington State College in 1915.[ That same year, a close friend of his whom he shared a room with while studying at Columbia University, ]Henry Suzzallo
Henry Suzzallo (August 22, 1875 – September 25, 1933) was the president of the University of Washington from 1915 to 1926. He later served as director of the National Advisory Committee on Education and president of the Carnegie Foundation for ...
, became the President of the University of Washington. Holland's early years as president and friendship with Suzzallo were challenged during his tenure as president. In 1909, the institutional rivalry between WSC and UW worsened when state legislators, the majority of which held seats in western Washington, were dismayed to find a foreign language department, an English Department headed by a Harvard-educated PhD, a school of architecture, and many departments with graduate students. The legislative committee promptly advised demoting the college to “trade school” status, an idea which Suzzallo supported.[ Suzzallo penned a letter to Holland promising to make WSC “the greatest school of agriculture in the world” only if Holland agreed to abandon all other disciplines to UW; Suzzallo's proposal specifically sought to shut down WSC's schools of architecture and pharmacy.][ After years of wrangling, the Washington legislature decided against limiting the academic mission and scope of WSC.][ The two presidents and their respective institutions continued to have a row over curriculum and state appropriations until Suzzallo was relieved of his position in 1926 due to the influence of Washington governor, ]Roland H. Hartley
Roland Hill Hartley (June 26, 1864September 21, 1952) was a Canadian-American politician who served as the List of governors of Washington, tenth governor of Washington from 1925 to 1933. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republi ...
.[ In trying to outdo his former peer at UW, Holland wanted to build a library that rivaled the grandness of the newly built ]library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
at UW that bears Suzzallo's name. Funding for the Holland Library was delayed by the state however until 1950.
Budgetary woes hit WSC in the Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
years starting in the 1930s. The budget, faculty, salaries, and enrollment slumped dramatically. Enrollment didn't reach pre-Depression levels until 1936 and salaries until 1937 in nominal terms.[ With the start of ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Washington State College was contracted by the War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* Dep ...
to house and train the Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army that creates and manages communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of Ma ...
where they were given pre-flight school training and lessons in Japanese language
is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ma ...
. The college hosted as many as 1,900 military personnel in the vacated dormitories and fraternities. It was during this time in 1944 however, when WSC saw the exciting introduction of the Cougar Gold brand of sharp white cheddar cheese from the campus creamery. The cheese was developed and gets its namesake from dairy bacteriologist Dr. N.S. Golding who was studying molds for cheese production.[ After the war ended and the passing of the ]G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
, the college went from having virtually no men on campus to being inundated with them. The school had to scramble to accommodate the former servicemen by buying migrant housing and using temporary housing units provided by the federal government.[ The campus became so crowded, that President Wilson Compton mulled over moving the college to Spokane, but, in 1947, he ultimately determined that it would be impractical.
]
Washington State University
On September 1, 1959, the state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
passed a bill unopposed that officially changed the name to ''Washington State University''. The maturing university partly owed the success of this to the establishment of the WSU Honors College, which is one of the oldest in the nation and a highly respected university program for gifted students.[ The university joined the ]Athletic Association of Western Universities
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
in 1962, which included the University of Washington, and four other universities in California at the time.[ In an effort to improve the graduate program and research credentials of WSU, a low-grade nuclear reactor was constructed, funded by Atomic Energy Commission grants, and new doctoral programs were introduced.
By the 1970s, WSU's enrollment quadrupled from its level in the 1940s to 14,000 students with an influx from the ]Baby Boom Generation
Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. The ...
. President Glenn Terrell
William Glenn Terrell Jr. (May 24, 1920 – August 30, 2013) was an American academic and administrator. He was the president of Washington State University in Pullman from 1967 to 1985.
Early life and education
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Te ...
took steps to increase funding for undergraduate and graduate education amid the nationwide recession of the mid 1970s. Terrell didn't make any major cuts to the athletics department however, which didn't go unnoticed and was a cause for anger about his leadership among some of the faculty.[
]
State-wide university
Beginning with the start of Samuel H. Smith’s term as President in 1985, marked a large period of growth for WSU. In 1989, WSU gained branch campuses in Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
, the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
with established extension offices and research centers in all regions of the state, with facilities in Prosser Prosser may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places
;United States
* Prosser, California, a former settlement
* Prosser Creek, California
* Prosser, Nebraska, a village
* Prosser, Washington, a city
;Australia
* Electoral division of Prosser, Tasmania
* Prosser ...
and Wenatchee
Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and largest city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and was estimated to have increased to 34,360 as of 2019. Located in the north-central part ...
.[ Smith proved to be a consummate fundraiser, with about $760 million raised during his term, thanks in some part to ]Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
co-founder and alumnus Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which h ...
.[ In the 1990s Smith began to clamp down and take action regarding student alcohol abuse and disciplinary issues after some high-profile incidents on campus in an effort to improve the university's image. The efforts seemed to have paid off when WSU lost its rank and was completely excluded from '']The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...
''’s party school
The term party school is used to refer to a college or university (usually in the United States) that has a reputation for heavy alcoholic beverage, alcohol and drug use or a general culture of licentiousness at the expense of educational credi ...
list in August 2000.[ Improving the quality of education was the defining goal of the university under ]V. Lane Rawlins
V. Lane Rawlins (born November 30, 1937) is an American academic who served as the President of the University of North Texas from May 2010 to February 2014. He is also the former President of Washington State University (WSU) and of the Universit ...
, who raised admission requirements and sought to improve the academic profile of the school with improved curricula and research facilities. After Rawlins retired in 2006, Elson Floyd
Elson S. Floyd (February 29, 1956 – June 20, 2015) was an American educator who served as the 10th president of the four-campus Washington State University from May 21, 2007 to June 20, 2015. Floyd was also the first African American to be nam ...
succeeded him as president. Under Floyd's leadership, increasing the diversity of the student body and continuing to raise the stature and reach of the university were a focus. In his eight years as president, WSU enrollment figures went up by 17 percent, including a 12.5 percent increase in the number of students of color, the amount of research grants awarded to WSU tripled to $600 million a year, and he led expansions in all of WSU's branch campuses-most notably successfully campaigning for the creation of the public medical school that now bears his name at WSU - Spokane, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is a public medical school headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 2015, it is part of Washington State University, and is the second public medical school in the state of Washington. It welcomed its ...
. The second public medical school in Washington, and only one of three in the state, is seen as key to the university's organizational mission as a state land-grant university and its ambitions as a research university. Created five years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
in 2015, the medical school's goal is to alleviate a physician shortage in rural and eastern Washington using a community-based approach. The med school is said to be a key component in the university's new research-focused $1.5 billion ''Drive to 25'' campaign under President Kirk Schulz
Kirk Herman Schulz (born May 11, 1963) is an American educator, currently serving as the 11th president of Washington State University, a position he began on June 13, 2016. Prior to serving at Washington State, Schulz was the 13th president of ...
, which seeks to make WSU among the nations top 25 public research universities by 2030. The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine achieved full accreditation in June 2021.
Campus
The Pullman campus of Washington State University is and is in the Palouse
The Palouse ( ) is a distinct geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and, by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primaril ...
region. The average elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...
of the campus is approximately above sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
, and is west of the Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
border and Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, home of the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...
, also a land-grant institution. The university communities are connected by Highway 270 and the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail is a paved rail trail in the northwestern United States, from Pullman, Washington, eastward to Moscow, Idaho. Completed in 1998, it follows the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way and connects the rural ...
.
The Palouse is defined by its unique rolling hills that were created by wind-blown soil, which supports one of the world's most productive dry-land agricultural regions. The main crops are wheat, peas
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
, barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
, and lentils
The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest produ ...
. Evenings are often highlighted by a spectacular blue-pink sunset, which the first Board of Regents decided to use as the college's colors (later changed to the current crimson and gray colors). Perched atop College Hill (one of the four main hills in Pullman), the campus overlooks downtown Pullman.
Built environment
Campus architecture is diverse, but its prevailing image is perhaps best characterized by a handful of red-brick buildings in the older campus core designed in a neo-Georgian or Renaissance Revival mode, many of which were constructed between the world wars. Yet WSU was hardly immune to modernist, "international style" trends of the post-World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
period, and features some notable examples of the type, particularly the Regents Hill
The Regents Hill residential complex, also known as Regents Hall, is a residence hall located on the main campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Designed by Paul Thiry and completed in 1952, it was the first International ...
dormitory complex, designed by Paul Thiry, on the north side of campus. By the 1990s, the university began to encourage eye-catching designs, including a 1994 addition to the old Holland Library (now called Terrell Library), by the Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership (now ZGF Architects LLP
ZGF Architects LLP (ZGF), formerly Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, is an American Architectural firm founded in 1942 based in Portland, Oregon with seven offices in the United States and Canada.
History
The company was founded in 1942 in Por ...
) with a curving sweep of windows and a cone-shaped skylight above its atrium; an amenity-filled recreation center with a massive jacuzzi and fireplace in 2001; and the Samuel H. Smith Center for Undergraduate Education, or "CUE," named for WSU president Smith, who served from 1985–2000. The latter two buildings were designed by Yost Grube Hall of Portland.
The busiest part of campus is the Glenn Terrell
William Glenn Terrell Jr. (May 24, 1920 – August 30, 2013) was an American academic and administrator. He was the president of Washington State University in Pullman from 1967 to 1985.
Early life and education
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Te ...
Friendship Mall, referred to as "the mall" by students. This walkway, which prior to the 1970s was a road with parking available along the sides, was named after Terrell, WSU's president from 1967 to 1985. His secretary was known to set meetings ten minutes behind schedule to make up for the time he would spend talking to students along the way. The library complex (Terrell and Holland Libraries), the student union (Compton Union Building), and three academic buildings surround the mall. The new crimson-colored cube that distinguishes the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art opened in the spring of 2018, just across from the club seating entrance to the football stadium.
The football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
venue, Martin Stadium
Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pac-12 Conference.
Its full name is ...
, named after Governor Clarence D. Martin
Clarence Daniel Martin (June 29, 1886 – August 11, 1955) was an American politician who served as the 11th governor of Washington from 1933 to 1941. A member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Washington House ...
, also figures prominently on campus. It is situated near the geographical center of the campus with the south grandstands built into the Hill (the Information Technology building is part of the south grandstands), and Terrell Library and the Vogel Plant BioSciences buildings overlooking the west and east ends, respectively. Football has been played here since 1895, first as Soldier Field, later renamed Rogers Field, rebuilt in 1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
. After a fire to the main wooden grandstand in 1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, it was replaced with Martin Stadium, which opened in 1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
. Even though it is the smallest in the Pac-12, it offers the most seating to students in the conference. After the 2006 season, Martin Stadium went under a massive renovation to expand the seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
and offer greater amenities for players and spectators, as well as made improvements to the general facilities such as bathrooms and concession stands. The Cougar Football Project is the proposed renovation of Martin Stadium that consists of two separate projects. The first project, called the Southside Project, would replace the old press box on the south stands with a new structure that includes a new press box, club seats, loge boxes, luxury suites and a club room. The Southside Project is now finished and was completed in November 2012. The second project, originally called the "West End-Zone Project" and now the Football Operations Building, provides a home for the Cougar football program, and includes new weight, locker, equipment. and training rooms for players, in addition to meeting rooms and coaches' offices. It also features a WSU Football heritage area along the west side and a game-day home for Gray W former letter winners.
Other notable buildings include Thompson Hall (1895), Stevens Hall (1896), the Math Learning Annex (1908), and Bryan Hall Bryan Hall may refer to:
* Bryan Hall (sportscaster) (born 1934), Canadian radio presenter
* Bryan Hall (gridiron football) (born 1988), American football linebacker
* Bryan Hall (Gainesville, Florida), a historic building in Gainesville, Florida, ...
(1909), the university's oldest surviving buildings which help enclose a sloping quadrangle featuring the "Lowell Elm," a large American Elm
''Ulmus americana'', generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America, naturally occurring from Nova Scotia west to Alberta and Montana, and south to Flor ...
(''Ulmus americana'') brought from Elmwood in 1893 by Harriet Bryan, wife of newly-appointed president Bryan. Thompson Hall, with its distinctive turrets and its resemblance to a chateau in the Loire Valley of France, was the original administration building, and "Administration Building" is still carved above the original west-facing entrance. Today, Thompson Hall is home to the foreign language department and also provides the administrative offices for the College of Arts and Sciences. Bryan Hall Bryan Hall may refer to:
* Bryan Hall (sportscaster) (born 1934), Canadian radio presenter
* Bryan Hall (gridiron football) (born 1988), American football linebacker
* Bryan Hall (Gainesville, Florida), a historic building in Gainesville, Florida, ...
is perhaps the most noticeable building on campus, with its tall four-sided tower enclosing a carillon and displaying a clock that lights up neon-red in the evening. Stevens Hall, to Bryan Hall's northwest, is reputed to be the oldest surviving all-women's dormitory west of the Mississippi. Stevens Hall and Thompson Hall are on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, and both were designed by the Seattle firm of Stephen & Josenhans.[
Also significant are the Lewis Alumni Centre and the Webster Physical Science Building. The alumni center is an old beef cattle barn dating from the 1920s that was thoroughly transformed in the 1980s into event space and offices for the WSU Alumni Association. Rooms in the alumni center include the Board of Regents' Boardroom, Lighty Library, the Athletics Hall of Fame, the Alumni Presidents' Room, and the "Great Hall" for large social events on the second floor. Webster Hall, completed in 1974 and designed by the Seattle-based architectural firm of Naramore, Bain, Brady, and Johanson (NBBJ) is the tallest building on campus with twelve above-ground floors of offices and an expansive view of the region from a lounge on the northwest side of the top floor.
From 1911 to 1923, ]Rudolph Weaver
Rudolph Weaver (April 17, 1880 – November 10, 1944) was an American architect, university professor and administrator renowned for various buildings that he designed in Florida, Idaho and Washington, many of which are academic.
Early life, wo ...
was the first chairman of the architecture department. He designed seven buildings on the WSU campus, including:
* Beef Barn, now the Lewis Alumni Centre, 1922
* Carpenter Hall, which was not finished until 1927.
* Community Hall. 1921
* McCroskey Hall, 1920
* President's House, 1912.
* Stimson Hall, 1922
* Wilson-Short Hall, 1917, first used, but not finished until later.
Residential campus
WSU is a residential campus. Many freshmen live in residence halls, while some live in fraternity and sorority houses or in off-campus housing. After their first year, many students move to apartments, several owned by WSU. Most apartments are less than from campus. Off-campus housing is popularly divided into two sections that are commonly known by students as College Hill and "Apartment Land." College Hill houses many members of the Greek community who no longer live-in their fraternity/sorority houses, and are commonly known as "live-outs".
Residence halls
A number of the residence halls are co-ed
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
, but there are single-gender living environments as well as a variety of other living options that include age-restricted housing, a mix of domestic and international students, and a global learning community. All of the residence halls, except for McEachern, are part of the RHA (Residence Hall Association).
Residence halls on campus include:
*The Hill Halls: Community/Duncan-Dunn, Elmina White Honors Hall
The Elmina White Honors Hall, also known as Honors Hall is a residence hall located on the main campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It was designed by Stanley Smith, the head of the architecture department at Washington ...
, McCroskey, Wilmer-Davis and Stevens
*The Northside Halls: Regents Hill
The Regents Hill residential complex, also known as Regents Hall, is a residence hall located on the main campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Designed by Paul Thiry and completed in 1952, it was the first International ...
, Scott/Coman, Streit-Perham, Northside, and Global Scholars
*Southside Halls: Stimson, Waller, Gannon-Goldsworthy, Rogers, Orton, McEachern, and Olympia
*The Stephenson Residential Complex: Stephenson East, Stephenson North and Stephenson South
Each hall has its own government which organizes events, manages its budget, and acts as a forum for student involvement. These halls range in size from the exclusive Stevens Hall (approximately 70 residents), to the massive Stephenson Complex (approximately 1200 residents total). The highlight of the year for the residence halls is often Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia.
...
Week when the residence halls, off-campus students, and Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
compete in various events. Events such as the chariot race determine the winner of Homecoming Week. In the past decade, the winner of Homecoming Week has most often been a residence hall team. In 2008, the Residence Halls swept Homecoming. Waller/Wilmer-Davis/Stevens took first, Scott-Coman took second and Stimson/Regents took third.
Greek life
There are currently 27 fraternities
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, "brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in ...
in the Interfraternity Council, 14 sororities in the Panhellenic Council, 14 fraternities and sororities in the United Greek Association, and 10 fraternities and sororities in the National Panhellenic Council at Washington State University. There are 26 primarily residential fraternities and 14 primary residential sororities that are located on College Hill. Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colo ...
is the oldest national fraternity at WSU with a founding date in 1909 and Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women.
Alpha Delta Pi is a mem ...
was the first sorority at WSU with a founding date in 1912. The average chapter size of the community organizations is 64 members. Between 25-30 percent of undergraduate students are in the Greek community annually. Greek affiliates have the highest GPA on WSU's campus, averaging 3.2 for sorority women and 2.97 for fraternity men based on figures from Spring 2018. Individuals join chapters by going through recruitment, often a week at the beginning of one or both semesters where chapter members hold events to meet potential new members. Washington State University has a zero tolerance policy on hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
both potential new members and current members. Each year Greek chapters submit 6 Pillars of Excellence, each pillar representing a value of Greek Life at WSU, and do reports at the end of the year as a self-evaluation for each chapter. Washington State University "recognizes the right of each fraternity and sorority to create policies and regulations of internal governance, as long as said policies do not conflict with those described in this document or any of its appendices."
College Hill
Greek Row is situated on College Hill just downhill from Bryan Hall and the Hill Halls (the historic single-gender dormitories) on the WSU campus, and among the homes of faculty, Greek live-outs, and apartment buildings. The Greek Row and College Hill area is a diverse community of students, faculty members, and families. College Hill is also home to the President of WSU, Kirk Schulz
Kirk Herman Schulz (born May 11, 1963) is an American educator, currently serving as the 11th president of Washington State University, a position he began on June 13, 2016. Prior to serving at Washington State, Schulz was the 13th president of ...
. College Hill is supported by The College Hill Association, whose mission envisions a vibrant, diverse, and improving community that welcomes all residents and values the historic character of the neighborhood. Restaurants, thrift stores and various bars line Colorado Street, the main street on College Hill. The bars on College Hill include Cougar Cottage (informally, the Coug), currently in its 87th year of operation, Valhalla (informally, V-Hall), and Stubblefield's (informally, Mike's); all boast a large number of customers on the weekends as well as many themed weekdays.
Recreation and the outdoors
The university has the Student Recreation Center (SRC), which was the largest student recreation center in the United States when it was opened in 2001. The SRC contains a elevated indoor track, four basketball courts, two volleyball courts, roller hockey rink, four racquetball courts, swimming pool, 50-person jacuzzi, free weights, weight machines, cardio equipment, exercise instruction rooms, outdoor sand volleyball courts, and a low to high ropes course. The campus also has several other basketball courts, dance rooms, a climbing wall, and the Outdoor Recreation Center where students can check out equipment or register for various events and trips. The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail is a paved rail trail in the northwestern United States, from Pullman, Washington, eastward to Moscow, Idaho. Completed in 1998, it follows the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way and connects the rural ...
links Pullman with Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and links to the Latah Trail to Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
, from WSU. Another bike trail wraps around the Pullman campus (about long). The school has an intramural program, and club sports are also very popular on campus. The university also has The Chinook, a 69,000 square foot space designed for students. It features fitness facilities, study spaces, social spaces for events, and Freshens Fresh Food Studio.
The campus added a championship golf course in 2008; Palouse Ridge, a $12.3 million project, opened on August 29. It intends to improve the school's golf teams, provide a laboratory for students in turf grass courses, and give boosters and alumni a new reason to visit the campus. From the back tees (Crimson), the course rating is 75.9 with a slope rating of 140. It replaces a sub-standard 9-hole course that was built in 1923 and was mostly unimproved. It closed in 2006 for the redesign to create Palouse Ridge, on the same site and adjacent land. The UI Golf Course in Moscow also offers student rates. It opened in 1937 and added its second nine in 1970; the back tees are at , with a course rating of 72.4 and a slope rating of 135.
Within , many students have the option to hike at Kamiak Butte
Kamiak Butte County Park is located in Whitman County, Washington between the towns of Palouse and Pullman in Eastern Washington, near the border of Idaho. It is named after Chief Kamiakin of the Yakama tribe. Most of the park's consist of tim ...
and Steptoe Butte
Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest, northwest United States. The butte is preserved as Steptoe Butte State Park, a publicly owned recrea ...
. Moscow Mountain, at in the Palouse Range in Idaho, provides opportunities for hiking and mountain biking. For aquatic adventures, students can cliff jump or boat at the Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...
. Farther out, white-river rafting, downhill skiing, and hiking in the nearby foothills of the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
are available. WSU formerly operated its own alpine ski area in Idaho, the North-South Ski Bowl
''North-South'' ( hy, Հյուսիս-Հարավ) or ''Four Buddies and the Bride'' is an Armenian comedy directed by Davit Babakhanyan and Vazgen Muradyan, starring Diana Malenko, Sona Shahgeldyan and David Tovmasyan. The film was produced by L ...
, which was sold in the early 1980s.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden
The WSU Arboretum Committee continues to develop an Arboretum and Botanical Garden on a hilltop adjacent to the Lewis Alumni Center. In addition, about on the east edge of campus has been identified for a more expansive Arboretum and Botanical Garden, including a wildlife center. Students interested in contributing to the development of the WSU Arboretum are working with the Native Plant & Landscape Restoration Nursery to help establish tree plantings, future habitat restoration sites, or native plant displays that may be part of a campus green belt design.
Environmental record and sustainability initiatives
Energy use on campus
WSU has one LEED-silver certified building on campus, and two more buildings that meet LEED-silver standards but are not certified. The university has also encouraged the use of energy efficient lighting, energy management systems, and insulating steam lines, to reduce wasted power.
Energy profile
WSU's energy is generated in part by an on-campus steam plant, powered by natural gas with diesel fuel back-up. This accounts for 38% of carbon emissions, or 53,922 metric tonnes eCO2 out of 136,166 metric tons total. The remaining carbon emissions is predominantly the result of purchased electricity (52%), with less than 10% the result of commuting, air travel, refrigerant leaks, and waste incineration. The university has committed to lowering carbon emissions 36% below 2005 levels by 2035, though thus far emission levels have remained relatively flat.
WSU is active in clean energy research, though the campus does not currently have any renewable energy installations.
Energy investments
WSU does not currently commit to establishing a committee or policy that supports climate and sustainability shareholder proposals at companies where the endowment funds are invested. The university is exploring investing in renewable energy, but otherwise is focused on optimizing investment returns. Proxy voting is not possible due to the fact the endowment fund is entirely invested in comingled investment vehicles.
Sustainability
The university promotes on-campus sustainability primarily though the Sustainability and Environment Committee and the ASWSU Environmental Task Force. Undergraduates who have an idea to improve campus sustainability can apply for funding from the Cougar Green Fund, which is funded by an optional $5 student fee. WSU also provides a free bikeshare
A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost.
The programmes themselves include bot ...
system through its Greenbike program.
Museums and collections
The Museum of Art/WSU has several permanent collections, including the Ernest O. Holland Collection given by the university's fourth president and the Charles Orton Collection, given by a former regent. Others are the Goya and Daumier Collections, Chaplin Woodcuts, Consortium Collections, Meyer Shapiro Print Collection, Elwood Collection and Marian E. Smith Collection of Northwest glass art. Other permanent collections contain works by Northwest artists D. Griffin, Mark Tobey, Kenneth Callahan, Margaret Tomkins, and former faculty members from WSU and the University of Washington.
The university also has an extensive collection of outdoor art on its Pullman campus. Pieces range from a life-size bronze book-figure "Bookin'" by Terry Allen to "Palouse Columns" (2003) by Robert Maki to "The Technicolor Heart," a fourteen-foot painted bronze work by Jim Dine
Jim Dine (born June 16, 1935 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American artist whose œuvre extends over sixty years. Dine’s work includes painting, drawing, printmaking (in many forms including lithographs, etchings, gravure, intaglio, woodcuts, l ...
. A large part of WSU's public art collection is made possible by the percent-for-art Art in Public Places program of the Washington State Arts Commission.
Beginning in 2005 the Museum of Art began organizing its own traveling exhibitions. These exhibitions, including works by Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...
, Gaylen Hansen, and Chris Jordan, have been seen across the country. Between 2005 and 2011, exhibitions organized by the Museum of Art will have traveled to 20 museums in 11 states, and will have been seen by more than 300,000 people. The Museum has also published 6 trade books since 2004. The Museum of Art's latest exhibition publication, ''Running the Numbers, an American self-portrait'', features essays by Chris Bruce, Paul Hawken
Paul Gerard Hawken (born February 8, 1946) is an American environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, economist, and activist.
Biography
Hawken was born in San Mateo, California, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his father worked at ...
and Lucy R. Lippard
Lucy Rowland Lippard (born April 14, 1937) is an American writer, art critic, activist, and curator. Lippard was among the first writers to argue for the " dematerialization" at work in conceptual art and was an early champion of feminist art. ...
.
Several other museums and collections are found on the WSU Pullman campus. One of the largest is the Charles R. Conner Museum of Natural History, exhibiting more than 700 mounts of birds and mammals, and possessing more than 65,000 research specimens. The Connor Museum has its roots in an 1894 gift of the state of Washington's exhibits from the Chicago's World's Fair, encouraged by then President of the Board of Regents Charles R. Conner. Located on the first floor of Abelson Hall, the museum is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily except major holidays.
The Museum of Anthropology, with archaeological and ethnographic collections, also draws visitors. Open 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Friday during the school year, the museum has varied exhibits and special events. It also has a collection of objects representing the culture of Native American tribes in the Inland Northwest, and is an official repository for archaeological collections from Eastern Washington.
Also at WSU are the Harold E. Culver Collection, with fossils of pre-historic animals; the Lyle and Lela Jacklin Collection of Silicified Wood & Minerals; and S. Elroy McCaw Fluorescent Mineral Display. Research collections include an Historic Costume and Textiles Collection, the Maurice T. James Entomological Collection, the Marion Ownbey Herbarium, the Mycological Herbarium, and the Henry W. Smith Soil Monolith Collection.
Organization and administration
The university offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 200 fields of study through 65 departments, schools, and programs.
Colleges
These departments, schools, and programs are organized into 10 academic colleges as follows:
* College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
*College of Arts and Sciences
*Carson College of Business
The Carson College of Business is the business school of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Established in 1963, it is one of the largest of the ten colleges in WSU.
History
The College of Business first offered economics courses ...
*Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
*College of Education
*Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
The Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture is one of eleven colleges at Washington State University.
History
The Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture was established in 1917 as the College of Mechanical Arts and Engineering up ...
*Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is a public medical school headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 2015, it is part of Washington State University, and is the second public medical school in the state of Washington. It welcomed its ...
*College of Nursing
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...
*College of Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
* College of Veterinary Medicine
In addition, WSU has an all-university honors college, a graduate school, an online global campus, and an accredited intensive English program for non-native speakers (the Intensive American Language Center).
Board of regents
Washington State University is chartered by the State of Washington. A board of regents
In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual col ...
governs the university and provides direction to the president. There are ten regents appointed by the governor, nine of whom serve six-year terms. The tenth is a student regent appointed on an annual basis.
A bill adding an eleventh regent, who would be a full-time or emeritus faculty member, stalled in the Washington legislature in 2018. Currently the regents are Theodor P. Baseler, Brett Blankenship, Scott E. Carson, Marty Dickinson, Ron Sims, Jordan Frost (student), Lura J. Powell, Heather Redman, Lisa K. Schauer, and Michael C. Worthy.
Leadership
Kirk Schulz
Kirk Herman Schulz (born May 11, 1963) is an American educator, currently serving as the 11th president of Washington State University, a position he began on June 13, 2016. Prior to serving at Washington State, Schulz was the 13th president of ...
currently serves as WSU's president and chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
. Daniel Bernardo currently serves as provost and handles academics, research and faculty matters for WSU statewide. The former president, Elson Floyd
Elson S. Floyd (February 29, 1956 – June 20, 2015) was an American educator who served as the 10th president of the four-campus Washington State University from May 21, 2007 to June 20, 2015. Floyd was also the first African American to be nam ...
, also the former president of University of Missouri System
The University of Missouri System is an American state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, and ten research and technology parks. Nearly 70,000 students are cur ...
, succeeded V. Lane Rawlins
V. Lane Rawlins (born November 30, 1937) is an American academic who served as the President of the University of North Texas from May 2010 to February 2014. He is also the former President of Washington State University (WSU) and of the Universit ...
on May 21, 2007, and served until his death on June 20, 2015. Bernardo was formerly dean of the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
WSU has had 11 presidents in its 125-year history: George W. Lilley George W. Lilley (February 9, 1850 – June 8, 1904) was an American academic, professor of mathematics, and the first president of two American universities, today known as South Dakota State University and Washington State University.
Early l ...
(1891–1892), John W. Heston
John William Heston (February 1, 1854 – February 1, 1920) was an American academic who served as the second president of Washington State University, the third president of South Dakota State University and the fourth president of Dakota Stat ...
(1892–1893), Enoch A. Bryan (1893–1915), Ernest O. Holland
Ernest Otto Holland (February 4, 1874 – May 30, 1950) was an American academic, the superintendent of public schools for Louisville, Kentucky, and the fourth and longest-serving president of Washington State University, leading the instituti ...
(1916–1944), Wilson M. Compton (1945–1951), C. Clement French (1952–1966), Glenn Terrell
William Glenn Terrell Jr. (May 24, 1920 – August 30, 2013) was an American academic and administrator. He was the president of Washington State University in Pullman from 1967 to 1985.
Early life and education
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Te ...
(1967–1985), Samuel H. Smith (1985–2000), V. Lane Rawlins
V. Lane Rawlins (born November 30, 1937) is an American academic who served as the President of the University of North Texas from May 2010 to February 2014. He is also the former President of Washington State University (WSU) and of the Universit ...
(2000–2007), Elson S. Floyd (2007–2015), and Kirk Schulz (2016-). Former acting president Bernardo is not counted among those; nor are previous acting presidents William Pearl (1951-1952) and Wallis Beasley (1966-1967).
WSU Foundation
The WSU Foundation is an independent, private corporation with its own board of governors and chief executive officer that serves as a fundraising organization for the university. The board chair is Judy Rogers.
Faculty
The faculty senate serves as the sounding board for the more than 2,261 faculty members. All major academic decisions must be approved by the senate. The senate is composed of representatives from each academic college and department, and from all four WSU campuses.
Academics
Fall freshman statistics
WSU has 12 colleges and a graduate school. The liberal arts and sciences have an important place in the curriculum, along with business, communication, education, architecture, pharmacy, nursing, and the traditional land-grant disciplines of agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine.
WSU offers more than 200 fields of study, including 98 majors, 86 minors, options, and over 140 graduate and professional degrees. Bachelor's degrees are available in all major areas, with master's and doctoral degrees available in most. The undergraduate core curriculum, including the writing program, is nationally recognized. WSU confers nearly 5,900 bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees statewide in a typical year. WSU employs over 1,400 instructional faculty members.
Rankings
WSU was ranked tied for 176th nationally and tied for 87th among public universities in the 2021 '' U.S. News & World Report'' rankings. It also ranked tied for 69th best undergraduate engineering program at 206 engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate.[ WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine ranked 14th out of 28 evaluated by ''U.S. News & World Report'' in 2019.
The '']Academic Ranking of World Universities
The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong University ...
'' (''ARWU'') in 2020 ranked WSU in the 95–114 range nationally and in the 301–400 range globally. WSU was ranked 400th in the world by the ''QS World University Rankings
''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...
'' for 2020.
WSU Libraries
The WSU Libraries coordinate the administration of three major libraries on the WSU Pullman campus (Animal Health, Holland/Terrell, and Owen Science & Engineering Libraries) and five libraries off the Pullman campus (the Betty M. Anderson, WSU Energy Program, and WSU Spokane libraries, and the WSU Tri-Cities and WSU Vancouver libraries). Five reading rooms libraries on the Pullman campus (the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Allies; Heritage House; Human Relations and Diversity; Music; and Women's Resource Center collections) are outside the WSU Libraries.
The WSU Libraries also participates in the Orbis Cascade Alliance, a consortium of 36 university and college libraries in Washington and Oregon offering the Summit catalog and an inter-library loan system and the WSU Libraries participates in the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA). a consortium of 35 research libraries in the central and western United States. WSU Libraries utilizes ILLiad, RAPID, and DOCLINE for document delivery. The WSU Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries.
The WSU Libraries holds 2,266,616 print volumes and WSU faculty and students downloaded 2,022,603 from its licensed online collections in 2012.
Research
According to the National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
, WSU spent $360 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 71st in the nation.
Research and scholarship at WSU is rooted in agriculture, natural for a land-grant university. The institution's first leader, George W. Lilley George W. Lilley (February 9, 1850 – June 8, 1904) was an American academic, professor of mathematics, and the first president of two American universities, today known as South Dakota State University and Washington State University.
Early l ...
(1891–1892), was both president of the then-named Washington Agricultural College and School of Science and director of the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. Subjects taught by the first five faculty members included agriculture, botany, horticulture, forestry, and veterinary science.
In 1894, the sixth faculty member, William Jasper Spillman
William Jasper Spillman (October 18, 1863 – July 11, 1931) is considered to be the founding father of agricultural economics. In addition, he is notable for being the only American to independently rediscover Mendel's laws of genetics.
Early ...
, arrived to teach plant science and mathematics and serve as the first wheat breeder
A breeder is a person who selectively breeds carefully selected mates, normally of the same breed to sexually reproduce offspring with specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics. This might be as a farmer, agriculturalist, or ...
. The WSU wheat research and breeding program continues to serve the Washington wheat industry, the sixth largest industry in the nation in 2008–2009. The state's wheat growers work closely with WSU researchers on development of new wheat varieties that meet their needs.
The university's food and agriculture research helps sustain the state's annual $29 billion food industry. Faculty partnered with agriculture interests to create today's $3 billion a year wine grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
business. The Apple Genome Project draws collaboration from scientists worldwide to map the apple genome, research aimed at supporting the apple industry.
Food science is another long-time research field at WSU. Work in the 1940s on types of cheese suitable for storing in cans or tins led to creation of now award-winning Cougar Gold cheese
Cougar Gold is an American Cheddar cheese produced at Ferdinand's Creamery on the Washington State University campus in Pullman, Washington. Like other cheeses sold at the creamery, Cougar Gold is notable for being sold exclusively in tin cans. C ...
, a white cheddar
Cheddar most often refers to either:
*Cheddar cheese
*Cheddar, Somerset, the village after which Cheddar cheese is named
Cheddar may also refer to:
Places
* Cheddar, Ontario, Canada
* Cheddar Yeo, a river which flows through Cheddar Gorge and th ...
produced at the WSU Creamery with milk from the university's dairy herd. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
(FDA) approved the use of microwave energy for producing pre-packaged, low-acid foods, and WSU professor Juming Tang led development of the technology by university, industry and U.S. military scientists.
In terms of productivity, WSU plant sciences faculty rank No. 2 in the nation, animal sciences faculty rank fourth, and food science faculty rank sixth according to Academic Analytics' 2007 ''Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index''. In addition, WSU agricultural studies have helped shape U.S. public policy by showing how sustainable farming
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem se ...
practices sidestep the environmental hazards of conventional agriculture. The Climate Friendly Farming project helps farmers adopt methods that mitigate global climate change. Research in agriculture is a strength for WSU, where the university has led in research and development funding from the US Department of Agriculture.
Veterinary medicine and animal health are also important research areas at WSU. In 2008, a $25 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
funded a large share of the cost for a research facility for a new WSU School for Global Animal Health. Its scientists address global infectious disease challenges by detecting diseases within animal populations and controlling their transmission. The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at WSU works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
to develop and deploy diagnostic tests for livestock diseases.
In the area of clean technologies
Clean technology, in short cleantech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Cle ...
, university researchers work to raise the efficiency and reliability of the nation's electrical power grid
An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. It consists of:Kaplan, S. M. (2009). Smart Grid. Electrical Power ...
, improve air quality forecasting in the Northwest, and conduct cooperative research projects under the United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...
's Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI). Scholars are developing an algae-based biofuel
Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...
that consumes greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...
es in its production and are working to patent nanospring technology that would fit into an ordinary gas tank, solving the problem of hydrogen storage
Hydrogen storage can be accomplished by several existing methods of holding hydrogen for later use. These include mechanical approaches such as using high pressures and low temperatures, or employing chemical compounds that release H2 upon demand ...
. In 2001, WSU professor M. Grant Norton and University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...
physics professor David McIlroy were the first scientists to create nanosprings.
WSU is also home to one of the few remaining nuclear research reactors in the country. The Nuclear Radiation Center is a 1 MW TRIGA conversion reactor built in 1961 during President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace
"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953.
The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
initiative. It is a very potent research tool utilized by WSU's radiochemistry
Radiochemistry is the chemistry of radioactive materials, where radioactive isotopes of elements are used to study the properties and chemical reactions of non-radioactive isotopes (often within radiochemistry the absence of radioactivity leads to ...
graduate program, as well as providing education on the nuclear industry to the public through talks and facility tours.
Other recent research highlights include studies of the effects of sleep and sleep loss on human cognitive functioning, work to advance shock compression science with contracts awarded to the WSU Institute for Shock Physics by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.
Originally known as the Adv ...
(DARPA) and the department of energy, and a program funded by the National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
that trains doctoral students to analyze evolutionary processes. Reproductive biologist Patricia A. Hunt was named one of the top 50 researchers of 2007 by ''Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
'' for her work showing a potential threat to human health posed by bisphenol A
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound primarily used in the manufacturing of various plastics. It is a colourless solid which is soluble in most common organic solvents, but has very poor solubility in water. BPA is produced on an industrial s ...
(BPA), a component of the polycarbonate plastics used to make food and beverage containers.
Over the years, WSU research and scholarship included the 1968 discovery of the Marmes Man
The Marmes Rockshelter (also known as (45-FR-50)) is an archaeological site first excavated in 1962, near Lyons Ferry Park and the confluence of the Snake and Palouse Rivers, in Franklin County, southeastern Washington. This rockshelter is remar ...
at the Marmes Rockshelter in southeastern Washington, the nation's oldest human remains at that time; the development of high-yielding dwarf wheat; discovery of insect resistance to pesticides; and creation of a method to store cheese in tins, which led to the university's well known and still produced Cougar Gold Cheese. WSU fruit breeders have developed many varieties for the state including, in 1952, the sweet, yellow Rainier cherry
Rainier ( ) is a cultivar of cherry. It was developed in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle, and named after Mount Rainier. It is a cross between the 'Bing' and ' Van' cultivars.
'Rainiers' are considered a premium type of che ...
, and in 2010 an apple specifically for Washington, named Cosmic Crisp
Cosmic Crisp is an American apple with the variety designation WA 38. Breeding began in 1997 at the Washington State University (WSU) Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, Washington, and was initially overseen by Bruce Bar ...
.
Outreach and public service
The WSU Extension
Extension, extend or extended may refer to:
Mathematics
Logic or set theory
* Axiom of extensionality
* Extensible cardinal
* Extension (model theory)
* Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate
* E ...
has offices in each of Washington's 39 counties, providing training and assistance in agricultural practices, natural resource management, human and life skills, diversity understanding and outreach, the state 4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
program, and many other programs. In 1973 in Seattle, WSU Extension founded the now national Master Gardener Programs
Master Gardener programs (also known as Extension Master Gardener Programs) are volunteer programs that train individuals in the science and art of gardening. These individuals pass on the information they learned during their training, as volu ...
of trained volunteers. WSU Extension faculty and staff have also provided assistance for programs in under-developed and developing countries. Many faculty members have appointments to do research, teach, and provide extension services.
The State of Washington's network of Small Business Development Centers is a cooperative effort of Washington State University, other public educational institutions, economic development organizations and the US Small Business Administration. A source of counsel on starting and growing small firms, the centers are found in 17 locations in Western Washington and seven location in Eastern and Central Washington.
The WSU Creamery, an outreach and teaching program, has garnered a reputation for fine dairy products, most notably the Cougar Gold cheese
Cougar Gold is an American Cheddar cheese produced at Ferdinand's Creamery on the Washington State University campus in Pullman, Washington. Like other cheeses sold at the creamery, Cougar Gold is notable for being sold exclusively in tin cans. C ...
sold at the creamery
A creamery is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream re ...
store, Ferdinand's, as well as online and at some local Pullman stores. The cheese is regionally famous and fetches a starting price of $22 for a 30 oz can. ''Cougar Gold'' is marketed as "a white, sharp cheddar with a taste that resembles Swiss or Gouda" and is "aged for at least one year." Cougar Cheese also comes in other varieties, including American Cheddar, Smoky Cheddar, Viking, Dill Garlic, Sweet Basil, Hot Pepper and Crimson Fire.
Washington State University Press
Washington State University Press (or WSU Press) is a university press that is part of Washington State University.
External linksWashington State University Press
Washington State University Press
Washington State University Press (or WSU ...
each year publishes an average of eight titles that focus on the American West
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
, with particular emphasis on the prehistory, history, environment, politics, and culture of the greater Northwest region. A member of the Association of American University Presses
The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) is an association of mostly, but not exclusively, North American university presses. It is based in New York City. Until December 2017, it was known as the Association of American University Presses ...
, the WSU Press publishes in varied genres, including scholarly and trade monographs, reminiscences, essays, biographies and works that tell the story of the West in innovative ways.
Through the Center for Civic Engagement on the Pullman campus, students participate in an estimated 30,000 hours annually of credit and non-credit service activities in the community.
In 2008, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) is a U.S.-based education policy and research center. It was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress. Among its most nota ...
granted WSU its Community Engagement elective classification, both for curricular engagement and for outreach and partnerships.
WSU operates a research extension out of Prosser, Washington. AgWeatherNet
(AWN) provides access to current and historical weather data from Washington State University's automated weather station network along with a range of models and decision aids. The weather data, advisories, weather data products and decision support systems provided by AgWeatherNet and WSU can help improve production and product quality, optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact.
Student life
Student life on WSU's Pullman campus is influenced by a variety of student organizations and their committees. Open to all students, they create educational, entertaining and cultural programming for WSU students and the local community. Committees include Asian Pacific American Student Coalition (APASC), Black Student Union (BSU), Environmental Sustainability Alliance (ESA), Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), International Students' Council (ISC), Ku Ah Mah, KZUU Radio, Middle Eastern Students Association (MESA), Movimiento Estudianti Chicano de Aztian (MEChA), Student Legal Services (SLS), Veteran's Student Committee, and GIVE on the Pullman Campus. There are also more than 300 registered student organisations (RSOs) that cover many interests. All ASWSU committees are members of "Committee Squared," the coalition of all ASWSU Committee leaders. ASWSU also consists of the President and Vice President who oversee the Executive Staff. The staff consists of a variety of directors and assistant directors advancing student causes via student life, diversity affairs, campus life, and others. The 23-member Senate represents students via academic colleges as well as the Honors College and Freshman class. The Senate meets weekly to debate legislation, hear reports from the Executive Staff, and appoint the various officers of ASWSU. The Senate also provides financial support to the nearly 400 registered student organizations on campus via the Senate Finance Committee. Finally, the Election Board and the Judicial Board complete the association.
There are several other influential student organizations. Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, the United Greek Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative umbrella council composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). The NPHC was formed as a permanent ...
are governmental bodies for university-recognized Greek social organizations. The Residence Hall Association is a government body for students in the residence halls, governing all of the residence halls on campus excluding McEachern and Stimson Halls. It is the second biggest registered student organization at Washington State, representing about 4,700 on-campus resident students.
The board of directors of the Students' Book Corporation has a total of nine directors. Five are students at WSU, two are faculty and two are administrative directors. These people oversees the non-profit campus bookstore separate from WSU. The Students' Book Corporation provides a 10% point of sale discount. On average the dividend total has been about $85,000. This is then received at ASWSU organizations at each campus to be distributed to various groups and activities. The Compton Union Board (CUB) oversees the management of the student union
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
building and its services. The University Recreation Board oversees the management of university recreation. The Student Alumni Connection hosts several major campus events.
The Student Entertainment Board (SEB) is a student-led board composed of undergraduate students. Positions on the board include: Spotlight, Films, Up All Night, Lectures, CUB Gallery, Concerts, VPLAC (Visual, Performing, and Literary Arts Committee), Special Event (Homecoming and Springfest), Associate Director, and Director. They are responsible for bringing diverse arts & entertainment to campus.
The Coalition for Women Students provides much of the multicultural programs on campus, including the annual Women of Color symposium, the Week Without Violence, and Take Back the Night rally and march. CWS is made up of Association for Pacific and Asian Women, Black Women's Caucus, Mujeres Unidas, Native American Women's Association, and the YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
of WSU. The organization also funds the all-volunteer Women's Transit, a safe door-to-door transportation program for women who would otherwise walk alone at night.
Student government
WSU has two representative student body
A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
organizations: the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU) founded in 1915 and the Graduate and Professional Students Association (GPSA) founded about 1970.
In recent years, the student body completed several major projects on campus. In addition to passing a $15 transportation fee to increase Pullman Transit's service, the student body also voted to remodel the Compton Union Building. The building closed in May 2006 and re-opened in August 2008. In March 2006, ASWSU voted to support the renovation of Martin Stadium
Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pac-12 Conference.
Its full name is ...
, adding $25 per semester to undergraduate student fees.
Associated Students of Washington State University
ASWSU's organizational framework is similar to that of most American governments complete with an appointed and confirmed judiciary, elected representatives (from districts) to a senate, and an annually elected president and vice-president team. The president also has a paid staff led by the chief of staff ranging in size from 6–12 members, depending on the year.
Graduate and Professional Students Association
GPSA is similar, but differs in that it lacks a judiciary or a paid staff. The GPSA is centered on the senate which is composed of a large number of senators that represent different graduate and professional programs. The GPSA also has an executive Council that consists of the (GPSA) President, Vice-Presidents, and nine District Representatives elected from the nine colleges of WSU.
Media
''Washington State Magazine
''Washington State Magazine'' is the alumni and research magazine of Washington State University. Published quarterly, the magazine covers news and issues of interest to Washington State University faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the peopl ...
'' is the alumni and research magazine of Washington State University. Published quarterly, the magazine covers news and issues of interest to Washington State University faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the people of Washington. The magazine was first published in 2001. Before ''Washington State Magazine'', WSU alumni news was published in ''HillTopics'' from 1969 to 2000, and ''The PowWow'', the alumni magazine from 1910 to 1969. Research news at the university appeared in ''Universe'' magazine in the 1990s.
''WSU News'' is the university's official news website and daily e-newsletter for faculty, staff and graduate students.
''The Daily Evergreen
''The Daily Evergreen'' is the student newspaper for Washington State University.
The 3,690-circulation newspaper is distributed once a week throughout the academic year. The ''Daily Evergreen'' is read by more than 83 percent of students, more th ...
'' is Washington State University's student newspaper. The first issue of the ''Evergreen'' was published in 1895.
WSU broadcast media include Northwest Public Radio
Northwest Public Broadcasting is the public radio and public television service of Washington State University. It is an affiliate of National Public Radio, Public Radio Exchange and American Public Media. It operates 19 radio stations and 13 tr ...
and Television, the network of public radio and television stations in the Northwest owned and operated by Washington State University. NWPR's flagship station—KWSU 1250 in Pullman—signed on December 10, 1922, as KFAE, became KWSC in 1925, and then KWSU in the 1960s. WSU alumnus Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe fo ...
got his start in radio at KWSC.
Cable 8 Productions is a local student-operated cable TV channel serving WSU and the Pullman-Moscow area. KZUU 90.7 FM, a non-commercial college radio station, is a service of ASWSU. It gained FCC approval in 1979. KUGR Sports Rock is a student-operated, online radio station.
Among the students who operate these media are broadcasting students in WSU's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
.
Song
" The Fight Song" is the school's fight song
A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...
. It was composed in 1919 by students Phyllis Sayles and lyrics were written by Zella Melcher, as a class project.
The lyrics are found on the Washington State University visitor website.
Additionally, Washington State has embraced Andy Grammer's “Back Home” in recent years, featured prominently during sporting events and appearing on merchandise sold by the university.
Athletics
Washington State University is a member of the Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
. The school's mascot is "Butch T. Cougar
Butch The Cougar is the mascot of Washington State University. As his name indicates, Butch is a cougar.
History
Though the cougar was adopted as Washington State University's mascot in 1919 it was not until 1927 when a cougar cub was presented ...
" and the school's colors are crimson and gray. Varsity athletics include men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, golf, and track and field, as well as women's basketball, cross country, golf, rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
, soccer, swimming, volleyball, tennis, and track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
. In the past WSU had varsity programs of boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
, wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
, gymnastics, and men's swimming. In 1917, WSU won its first national championship in men's basketball. In 1937, Roy Petragallo and Ed McKinnon won the NCAA boxing championship, another national championship. The Cougars third and most recent national championship was earned in 1977 in indoor track and field.
University Recreation also supports 26 club sports, including bowling
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...
men's crew
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
, cycling, equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
*Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
show team, men's and women's flag football
Flag football is a variant of American football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a Down (gridiron football), down. The sport has a ...
, fencing
Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...
, polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
, men's and women's ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
, judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
, men's lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
, logger sports, rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
, men's rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
, women's rugby, sailing, ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...
team, men's soccer, women's fast-pitch softball, taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
, triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...
, Ultimate
Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums
* ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album)
* ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album)
*''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds
*''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...
, men's and women's volleyball, water polo
Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...
and wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
.
Washington State's biggest rival is the University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
Huskies
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...
. Strong rivalries also exist between WSU and the other Pac-12 teams of the Pacific Northwest: the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
Ducks
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
and Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
Beavers
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
. WSU's closest geographic rival is the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The ...
, a fellow land-grant school only east of Pullman across the state line in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. Conference rivals until 1959, their rivalry football game, the "Battle of the Palouse
The Battle of the Palouse refers to an athletic rivalry in the northwest United States, between the Vandals of the University of Idaho and Cougars of Washington State University.
The two land-grant universities are less than apart on the rur ...
", was played on an annual basis from 1901 until 1978 when the NCAA Division I split. After Idaho returned to Division I-A, a renewed series lasted a decade, from 1998 until 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
. The renewed series was dropped from the schedule due to the Cougars' continued dominance of the Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The ...
in the series, and each school's ability to generate more revenue by playing other opponents. Vandal head coach Robb Akey
Robb Alan Akey (born July 24, 1966) is an American football coach, currently the defensive coordinator at Central Michigan University. He was the head coach at the University of Idaho from 2007 to 2012.
Early years
Born and raised in Colorado ...
, a former WSU defensive coordinator, preferred the game as an occasional rather regular attraction. On hiatus for five seasons, it returned for one year in 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
.
Notable alumni and faculty
The University has 196,257 living alumni in fall 2015, according to WSU Quick Facts.
Among the 39 WSU alumni to receive the Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award since 1962 are recipient of the 2004 Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
in Chemistry Irwin Rose
Irwin Allan Rose (July 16, 1926 – June 2, 2015) was an American biologist. Along with Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, he was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation.
Education ...
, broadcaster Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe fo ...
, journalist Ana Cabrera
Ana Cabrera (born May 13, 1982) is an American journalist working in television news. From 2013 to 2022, she worked as a reporter and anchor for CNN.[Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which h ...]
, astronaut John M. Fabian
John McCreary Fabian (born January 28, 1939) is a former NASA astronaut and Air Force officer who flew two Space Shuttle missions and worked on the development of the Shuttle's robotic arm. He later led the Air Force's space operations.
Personal ...
, cartoonist Gary Larson
Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist, environmentalist, and former musician. He is the creator of ''The Far Side'', a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fif ...
, action movie star Dolph Lundgren
Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...
, molecular evolutionist Allan Wilson, banking executive Phyllis J. Campbell, painter and pioneer of Abstract Expressionism
Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...
Clyfford Still
Clyfford Still (November 30, 1904 – June 23, 1980) was an American painter, and one of the leading figures in the first generation of Abstract Expressionists, who developed a new, powerful approach to painting in the years immediately follo ...
, Canadian Football League player and champion George Reed, Entrepreneur Clint Hedin, sociologist William Julius Wilson
William Julius Wilson (born December 20, 1935) is an American sociologist. He is a professor at Harvard University and author of works on urban sociology, race and class issues. Laureate of the National Medal of Science, he served as the 80th P ...
, author and film director Sherman Alexie
Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane- Coeur d'Alene-Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from se ...
, veterinary
Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...
researcher John Gorham, wheat breeder Orville Vogel Orville Vogel (1907–1991) was an American scientist and wheat breeder whose research made possible the "Green Revolution" in world food production.
Life and career
Orville Alvin Vogel was born in Pilger, Stanton County, Nebraska, one of the four ...
, physicist Philip Abelson
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
and physician Neva Abelson
Neva Irene Martin Abelson (November 19, 1910 – September 26, 2000) was a distinguished research physician who co-discovered the life-saving blood test for the Rh blood factor (with Louis K. Diamond).
The Philip and Neva Abelson Hall at Washi ...
.
1984 Olympic gold medalist in men's double sculls, Paul Enquist
Paul N. Enquist (born December 13, 1955 in Seattle, Washington) is an American competition rower and Olympic champion an Olympic Games gold medalist.
Enquist won a gold medal in ''double sculls'' at the 1984 Summer Olympics, together with Brad ...
, started his rowing career at Washington State. Olympic marathon and middle distance runner Bernard Lagat
Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974) is a Kenyan-American middle and long-distance runner.
Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya. Prior to his change of domicile to the US, Lagat had an extensive competitive career representing his ...
, ran NCAA track and graduated from Washington State University with a degree in management information systems 2000.
Medal of Honor recipients Colonel James P. Fleming
James Phillip Fleming (born March 12, 1943) is a former United States Air Force pilot who served in the Vietnam War. Born in Sedalia, Missouri, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing a six-man MACV-SOG reconnaissance team, stranded between ...
and Staff Sergeant Ronald Shurer
Ronald Joseph Shurer II (December 7, 1978 – May 14, 2020) was a United States Army United States special operations forces, Special Forces staff sergeant and medic. As a senior medical sergeant during the Battle of Shok Valley in April 2008, h ...
are both Washington State University alumni. Colonel Fleming entered the Air Force after receiving his commission through ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
at Washington State in 1966. Staff Sergeant Shurer attended Washington State from 1997 to 2002 earning a bachelor's degree in business administration and starting an MBA before enlisting in the US Army.
Counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
icon Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...
received a graduate degree from Washington State in the mid-1940s.
Musician Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana.
Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummer Aaron Burckhard, wh ...
earned a BSc in social sciences from Washington State University Global Campus in 2016.
Edmund Schweitzer
Edmund O. Schweitzer III (born 1947, Evanston, Illinois) is an electrical engineer, inventor, and founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). Schweitzer launched SEL in 1982 in Pullman, Washington. Today, SEL manufacturers a wide variet ...
, founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), graduated with his Ph.D. from Washington State in 1977. He received the IEEE Medal in Power Engineering
Through its awards program, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recognizes contributions that advance the fields of interest to the IEEE. For nearly a century, the IEEE Awards Program has paid tribute to technical professionals ...
in 2012, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a U.S. patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also opera ...
in 2019.
Images
File:00-17-24, holland library artwork - panoramio.jpg, "The Reader"
File:Wind sculpture wsu.jpg, Wind sculpture "Persona"
File:Football practice court.jpg, "Rogers Practice Field"
File:Wsu building.jpg, "Thompson Hall"
File:Wsu clock tower.jpg, "Clock Tower"
File:Glass Dome on the New Holland Library at WSU - panoramio.jpg, Terrell Library skylight
File:Staircase to Smith Gym and practice fields, in fall.jpg, Looking north towards Smith Gym from Holland Library
See also
*List of business schools in the United States
The following is a list of business schools in the United States. Business schools are listed in alphabetical order by state, then name. Schools named after people are alphabetized by last name. Accreditation bodies for business schools in the Unit ...
*List of cheesemakers
This is a list of notable cheesemakers. Cheesemakers are people or companies that make cheese, who have developed the knowledge and skills required to convert milk into cheese. Cheesemaking involves controlling precisely the types and amounts of ...
*List of forestry universities and colleges
This is a list of tertiary educational institutions around the world offering bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees in forestry or related fields. Where noted, the country's accreditation board standard has been used and cited. They are group ...
*List of nursing schools in the United States
This is a list of nursing schools in the United States of America, sorted by state. A nursing school is a school that teaches people how to be nurses (medical professionals who care for individuals, families, or communities in order to attain or ...
*List of pharmacy schools
This article is a list of pharmacy schools by country.
A
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
B
Bangladesh
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
C
Cambodia
Canada
China
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jia ...
*List of schools of veterinary medicine
This is a list of veterinary schools throughout the world by country.
Afghanistan
* Kabul University Veterinary Science Faculty
* Herat University Veterinary Science Faculty
* Nangarhar University Veterinary Science Faculty
* Kunduz University ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{authority control
Educational institutions established in 1890
Land-grant universities and colleges
Public universities and colleges in Washington (state)
Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Education in Whitman County, Washington
Buildings and structures in Pullman, Washington
Tourist attractions in Whitman County, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Cheesemakers
1890 establishments in Washington (state)