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Southwest Missouri State University was founded in Springfield in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School. During its early years, the institution's primary purpose was the preparation of teachers for the public school systems in the southwest region of Missouri. The first name change came in 1919 when the school became Southwest Missouri State Teachers College, reflecting its regional mission.
By the mid-1940s, the University had expanded its instructional program beyond teacher education to include the liberal arts and sciences. As a consequence, in 1945 the Missouri legislature authorized an official change in the institution's name to Southwest Missouri State College.
In 1963 a residence center offering freshman and sophomore level courses was established at West Plains. Now, as a second campus of the university with its own mission, the West Plains campus offers a two-year general education program which is fully integrated with programs on the main campus as well as other specialty and skills courses.
By 1972, as additional programs were implemented at the undergraduate level and with the development of graduate education, the University had become an educationally diverse institution. Recognition of this further growth and development again resulted in an official name change to Southwest Missouri State University. Today, the institution is a multipurpose metropolitan university providing diverse instructional, research, and service programs.
In 1995, then-Governor Mel CarnahanMelvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan ( February 11, 1934 October 16, 2000) was an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. A Democrat, he died in a plane crash during a campaign for the U. Carnahan was born in Birch Tree, Missouri. signed into law a bill establishing the statewide SMSU Public Affairs MissionThis is a stub article. Be the first to attempt describing SMSU's most unique contribution to American post-secondary education. Have a blast!., which is intended "to produce citizens of enhanced characterIn general, a character is a distinctive significant mark or feature. The word originates from the Greek word χαρακτηρ via the Latin word character an instrument for marking or graving. The word is used in several spe, more sensitive to the needs of community, more competent and committed in their ability to contribute to society, and more civil in their habits of thought, speech and action."
Total enrollment is over 19,000. Academic offerings include 43 graduate programs and over 150 undergraduate majors, many of which are the state's strongest and largest of their kind. The university's mascotFor the suburb of Sydney, Australia, see Mascot, New South Wales . For the American city, see Mascot, Tennessee . A mascot is some thing, typically an animal or human character used to represent a group with a common identity, such as a school, profession is the bearFor other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). Ailuropoda Ursus Tremarctos Arctodus A bear is a large mammal of the order Carnivora, family Ursidae . The adjective, ursine is used to describe things of bearlike nature. Physical attributes Common character, and its athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA.