Founded in 1963, Saginaw Valley State University is the newest of Michigan's 15 state institutions. SVSU was chartered as a private college in 1963, but its roots go back to the early 1950s when Saginaw, Bay and Midland county leaders began asking the Michigan legislature for a four-year college. The legislature told the citizens to first establish a two-year community college. The citizens formed a 300-member committee to study the proposal for a two-year community college, and the results of the committee's efforts was the establishment of neighboring Delta College in 1957.

Delta College's Board of Trustees continued to lobby for a four-year institution, but the Michigan legislature took the position that community colleges should remain separate from baccalaureate institutions. Another citizen committee, including many members from the original group, was formed to work on getting a charter for a new four-year institution. On November 13, 1963, the legislature granted a charter to establish a private, four-year liberal arts institution, known as Saginaw Valley College (SVC). SVC became part of Michigan's system of state-supported colleges in 1965. It was renamed Saginaw Valley State College in 1975 and Saginaw Valley State University in 1987.

Video Clip: President Gilbertson on the creation of the university (56K compatible) Required

"Universities, and especially this university, are always creating and being created; it is an endless process," SVSU President Eric R. Gilbertson said in his 2001 State of the University Address. "This university is clearly a product of its history, the product of choices made over time by its people - what they want and what they believe and what they hope."

Come explore the history of SVSU, from its very first class of 119 students meeting in the basement of Delta College through its growth to a well-respected regional institution that is preparing to take its next steps into the future. Use the navigation system at the top of this page to access major eras in SVSU's development.

Would you like to know more about the the history of the insignia and the mascot?

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Last modified April 24, 2001