Arizona State University (also referred to as ASU, or Arizona State) is the largest public research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008. ASU is spread across four campuses in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, and is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents.

ASU was founded in 1885 as the Tempe Normal School for the Arizona Territory in Tempe, Arizona. It subsequently was renamed Arizona State College in 1945, and, on December 5, 1958, a statewide ballot measure renamed the school "Arizona State University," the only institution of higher education to have achieved university status by popular mandate.

In addition to the original campus in Tempe, ASU comprises three additional campuses: West campus was created in 1984 in northwest Phoenix, Polytechnic campus was opened in 1996 in Mesa, and the Downtown campus in Downtown Phoenix was opened in August 2006. All four campuses are accredited as a single university by the Higher Learning Commission.

In the 2007–2008 academic year, 14,535 students graduated from ASU. In 2008, 168 National Merit Scholars chose to attend ASU, many of which are part of Barrett, The Honors College, which has produced numerous grant and scholarship winners since its founding in 1988. Under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, ASU is classified as a "RU/VH" (research university with very high research activity).

History

Early years

At the beginning of the 20th century the schools name was changed from Tempe Normal School to the Normal School of Arizona, and President Arthur John Matthews brought a 30-year tenure of progress to the school.

Under his tenure the school was given all-college student status; before becoming a college the Normal School enrolled high school students with no other secondary education facilities. The first dormitories built in the state were constructed under his supervision. Of the 18 buildings constructed while Matthews was president, six are still in use. He envisioned an "evergreen campus," with many shrubbery brought to the campus and the planting of Palm Walk, now one of the feature landmarks of the school. His legacy is being continued today: the main campus is a nationally recognized arboretum.

During the Great Depression, Ralph W. Swetman was hired as president for a three-year term. Although enrollment increased by almost 100% during his tenure due to the depression, many faculty were terminated and faculty salaries were cut.

Gammage years

In 1933, Grady Gammage, then president of Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff, became president of Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe, a tenure that would last for nearly 28 years.