Campus History - Idaho State University

Idaho State University (ISU) opened in 1901 on 10 acres of land donated by the residents of Pocatello east of the Oregon Short Line Railroad tracks. From its humble beginnings as a school for vocational training with four faculty and fewer than 100 students, ISU has grown into a research institution serving over 12,000 students in undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. The university has witnessed four name changes and weathered the adversity of two world wars and the ebb and flow of the economic fortunes of the Intermountain West. But Idaho State University has survived and thrived because of the efforts of its supporters, the commitment of its alumni, and the spirit of its students.