California State University, Chico

File:Kendall Hall as seen from Laxson Auditorium-01006.jpg

File:Trinity Hall as seen from George Petersen Rose Garden.jpg

On March 12, 1887, a legislative act was enacted to create the Northern Branch of the California State Normal School. Less than a month later, Chico was chosen as the location. In 1887, General John Bidwell donated {{convert|8|acre|ha}} of land from his cherry orchard. On July 4, 1888, the first cornerstone was laid. On September 3, 1889, doors opened for the 90 enrolled students. The library opened on January 11, 1890, with 350 books. On June 20, 1891, the first graduation took place, a class of 15.

In 1910, Annie Kennedy Bidwell donated an additional {{convert|2|acre|ha}} of land to be used for work with elementary agriculture. The next year Mrs. Bidwell donated an orange orchard lot 55 × {{convert|440|ft|m}} as the children's playground, which is connected to the Training School.{{cite web |last=Bailey |first=Mary Ellen |title=University Archives: Chico State Normal School (1887-1921) |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/lspr/time1.html |access-date=January 6, 2008 |archive-date=December 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225233115/http://www.csuchico.edu/lspr/time1.html |url-status=live }} Twenty years later in 1921, legislation was enacted to change the school's name to Chico State Teacher's College. In 1922, Chico State Teacher's College added a junior college curriculum and awarded a certificate after two years. Also in 1922, Bidwell Mansion was turned into a women's dormitory. In 1923 the first college paper, The Collegian, was published. In 1924, the state Board of Education allowed the school to grant baccalaureate degrees. Also in 1924, the wildcat was chosen as the mascot. In 1927 a gym was built on the grounds of Bidwell Mansion. In 1929, the cornerstone for the new administration building was laid on top of Normal Building's original cornerstone.

In 1935, Bidwell Hall was turned into a recreation and student center—the first student union. Also in 1935 a legislative act changed the college name from Chico State Teachers College to Chico State College. In 1937 evening classes started on campus and athletic fields were purchased from the Chico Board of Education.

In 1948, dorms for 500 male students were set up on west side of Warner Street. The buildings were built during World War II and were used as bachelor quarters for a Marine Hospital in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

In 1950, California's governor allowed state colleges to grant Master of Arts degrees. In 1951 the college reorganized from 18 departments into seven divisions with chairmen. Then in 1956 a new flagpost and sign in front of Kendall Hall was donated by the class of 1956. In the following year, 1957, a new cafeteria was built and the rose gardens were planted. In 1958 the first "telecourse" was taught, Psychology 51.

File:Chico State, Arts & Humanities Building, in March 2020.jpg

In 1972, Chico State College became California State University, Chico.

In 1975, broadcasts of classes through closed-circuit television were used for the first time by residents in Oroville, Marysville and Colusa. Also in 1975, The Orion, the campus student newspaper, published its first issue. In 1977, the other campus paper, The Wildcat, changed its name to Chico News and Review and moved off campus to become an independent publication. In 1978 bike riding was restricted on campus.{{cite news |url=http://chicoaccordingto.com/california-state-university/ |title=Cal State, Chico, History |access-date=December 25, 2019 |archive-date=December 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226034912/http://chicoaccordingto.com/california-state-university/ |url-status=live }}

In 1987, Chico State was ranked as the top party school in the nation by Playboy.{{cite news |url=http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/playboy.asp |title=Playboy's Party Schools |publisher=Snopes.com |year=2008 |first= |last= |access-date=May 17, 2007}}

CSU Chico opened its first sub-campus in Redding, affiliated with Shasta College, in 2007.

In 2005, student Matt Carrington was hazed to death at the Chi Tau (local) house, which had previously been expelled from the university in 2001 due to violations.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna13529682 |title=Hazing death at Chico State |work=NBC News |date=June 26, 2006 |first=Keith |last=Morrison |access-date=January 18, 2009 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819231343/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13529682/ |url-status=live }} Carrington died as a result of water intoxication during a hazing session involving the victim being forced to exercise and drink large quantities of water.

In 2010, the President of the Associated Student body, Joseph Igbineweka, was stabbed in a racially motivated attack.{{cite news |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-04-19/justice/california.student.stabbed_1_chico-state-joe-wills-violent-crimes?_s=PM:CRIME |work=CNN |title=Confronting the killer of your loved one |date=July 22, 2008 |access-date=May 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008055755/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-04-19/justice/california.student.stabbed_1_chico-state-joe-wills-violent-crimes?_s=PM:CRIME |archive-date=October 8, 2012 |url-status=dead}}

In 2011, CSU, Chico received a Civic Learning Initiative Grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation to extend its efforts to establish civic engagement as a key component of students' academic success.{{cite web |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/news/current-news/01-31-11-civic-engagement-keck-grant.shtml |title=Civic Learning Initiative Receives Grant from W. M. Keck Foundation - CSU, Chico News - CSU, Chico |publisher=Csuchico.edu |date=January 31, 2011 |access-date=November 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207212752/http://www.csuchico.edu/news/current-news/01-31-11-civic-engagement-keck-grant.shtml |archive-date=February 7, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

File:Chico State Campus – New Science Building-00751.jpg

The university has more than 75 departments{{cite news |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/colleges_departments.shtml |title=Colleges and Departments |publisher=Chico State |year=2008 |access-date=January 4, 2007 |archive-date=January 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103131337/http://www.csuchico.edu/colleges_departments.shtml |url-status=live }} and offers more than 150 undergraduate degrees.{{cite news |url=http://em.csuchico.edu/aap/ProgramSearch/ |title=Program Search |publisher=Chico State |year=2008 |access-date=January 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102003257/http://em.csuchico.edu/aap/ProgramSearch/ |archive-date=January 2, 2007}} It is organized into seven colleges and four schools:

• College of Agriculture
• College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
• School of Social Work
• College of Business
• College of Communication & Education
• School of Education
• College of Engineering, Computer Science, & Construction Management
• College of Humanities & Fine Arts
• School of the Arts
• College of Natural Sciences
• School of Nursing

The university's library, the Meriam Library, has several special collections of Native American and Californian history.{{cite news |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/library/libadmin/collections.htm |title=Library Collections |publisher=Meriam Library |year=2008 |access-date=January 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130075806/http://www.csuchico.edu/library/libadmin/collections.htm |archive-date=November 30, 2006 |url-status=dead}}

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| USNWR_REG = 16

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| THE_WSJ = 343

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According to the U.S. News & World Report 2023 college rankings, Chico State was ranked at 13th for "Best Colleges for Veterans", tied 10 in Top Public Schools, 22 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, 70 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs teeing 12 in Civil Engineering and 206 in Nursing.{{cite web |title=U.S. News Best College Rankings |year=2022 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-chico-1146/overall-rankings |access-date=September 22, 2021 |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701190529/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-chico-1146/overall-rankings |url-status=live }}

According to the U.S. News & World Report 2022 college rankings, Chico State was ranked tied at 17th for "Best Colleges for Veterans", tied 18 in Top Public Schools, tied 24 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, tied 75 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs and tied for 251 in Nursing.

According to the U.S. News & World Report 2021 college rankings, Chico State was ranked tied for 9th among 66 western regional public universities, tied at 16th for "Best Colleges for Veterans", tied at 22nd for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", tied at 41st for "Social Mobility", and tied for 26th overall among 127 regional universities in the western United States. Lastly it tied at 91 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Program at a schools where doctorate not offered.{{cite web |title=U.S. News Best College Rankings |year=2021 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-chico-1146/overall-rankings |access-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701190529/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-chico-1146/overall-rankings |url-status=live }}

Chico State was ranked 204th out of 500 colleges, universities, and service academies in the U.S. Chico State was ranked 46th in the West and 94th among all public universities. In 2019, Forbes ranked Chico State 73rd on its "America's Best Value Colleges" list.{{Cite web |title=California State University, Chico |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/california-state-university-chico/?list=top-colleges |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

The California State University, Chico campus consists of a 119-acre main campus, the 800-acre Paul L. Byrne Memorial University Farm, and 2,330-acres of ecological reserves. These reserves include the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) and the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve (BCEP).

File:Kendall Hall, Chico State (2023)-L1003366.jpg

The construction of the normal school building was begun in September 1887. It was a large brick building, consisting of three stories and full basement. It was of Romanesque design with Elizabethan gables and artificial stone trimmings. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1927. The current administration building Kendall Hall was built on the site of the normal school in 1929.{{cite web |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/lspr/campbuild.html |title=University Archives - Campus Buildings |publisher=Csuchico.edu |access-date=November 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316221219/http://www.csuchico.edu/lspr/campbuild.html |archive-date=March 16, 2012 |url-status=dead}}

Colusa Hall, completed in 1921 is the oldest building on campus. Today it is used as a conference and public events facility.{{cite web |title=Campus Buildings |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/traditions/campus/buildings.shtml |access-date=July 15, 2015 |website=csuchico.edu |archive-date=October 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012235613/http://www.csuchico.edu/traditions/campus/buildings.shtml |url-status=live }}

Alfred E. Warren House, built by noted Californian architect Julia Morgan in 1922-23, serves as the university president's residence.

The Campus Arboretum is located along Big Chico Creek.

Nearby Bidwell Park includes {{convert|29|acre}} of a former arboretum, now run somewhat wild, which contains trees such as English oaks, hawthorn, cherry plum, bay laurel, cork oak, ponderosa, aleppo, and Monterey pines, willow, mulberry, linden, maple, catalpa, pine, and eucalyptus, collected from around the world.{{cite web |title=Campus Grounds - University Archives |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/lspr/campgrounds.html |publisher=Meriam Library -- Special Collections |access-date=December 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531202343/http://www.csuchico.edu/lspr/campgrounds.html |archive-date=May 31, 2014 |url-status=dead}}

Currently, the university can accommodate 2,150{{cite web |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/housing/documents/UHFS_Annual_Report_2011_2012.pdf |title=UHFS Annual Report 2011-2012 |website=csuchico.edu}}{{Dead link|date=September 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} or approximately 13% of the student body in seven on-campus residential halls. Most buildings on campus are named after California counties.

In 1959, Chico State College Library was built. The library was expanded and renamed to the "Learning Activities Resource Center" (LARC) in 1975. It was in 1985 when the library gained another expansion and its current name, Meriam Library. A fourth floor of the library was constructed in 1985.{{Cite web |url=http://library.csuchico.edu/about/history |title=History of Meriam Library |website=library.csuchio.edu |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514002119/https://library.csuchico.edu/about/history |url-status=live }}

File:Laxson Auditorium - California State University, Chico - DSC03133.JPG

{{Main|Associated Students, Chico}}

Associated Students, Chico is the student government at California State University, Chico.

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Student Life and Leadership, formally the Student Activities Office, incorporates four programs: Student Organizations and Leadership Education (SOLE), Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (FSA), Rec Sports, and the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC).

Chico State has an annual event where Chico State students gather in a public area and discuss most current policy issues with their peers. Faculty members are also involved.{{cite web |url=https://www.csuchico.edu/fye/events/town-hall-meeting/index.shtml |title=The CSU, Chico Town Hall Meeting |access-date=December 14, 2019 |archive-date=April 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427174230/https://www.csuchico.edu/fye/events/town-hall-meeting/index.shtml |url-status=dead}}

The Great Debate was created to drive members of both the campus and the community to take part in a conversation about important issues. A different topic is chosen every semester.{{cite web |url=https://www.csuchico.edu/fye/events/great-debate/index.shtml |title=Chico Great Debate |access-date=2019-12-14 |archive-date=2020-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427174133/https://www.csuchico.edu/fye/events/great-debate/index.shtml |url-status=live }}

{{as of|2017|May}} Chico State has 26 fraternities and sororities, making up approximately 12 percent of the student population.{{cite web |url=https://www.csuchico.edu/fsa/ |title=Fraternity and Sorority Affairs |website=www.csuchico.edu |language=en |access-date=April 26, 2017 |archive-date=April 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430044029/http://www.csuchico.edu/fsa/ |url-status=live }}

Male to Female Percentage: 44:56%

CSU Chico along with CSU Bakersfield has the second largest enrollment percentage of Native Americans in the Cal State system.{{Cite web |url=https://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2018-2019/feth02.htm |title=Ethnicity Enrollment Profile |website=www.calstate.edu |access-date=July 9, 2019 |archive-date=October 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025201228/https://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2018-2019/feth02.htm |url-status=dead}}

KCSC Radio was founded in 1951. The university's student-run weekly newspaper, The Orion first began publishing in 1975.{{cite web |url=http://theorion.com/site/about/ |title=About |publisher=The Orion |access-date=November 1, 2011 |archive-date=November 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102083301/http://theorion.com/site/about/ |url-status=live }} In 1989, The Orion won the National Pacemaker Award, the first of nine times the paper has won the top prize in college journalism. In 2009, The Orion won the National Pacemaker Award for the 11th time at the College Media Convention.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

In 1997 Wild Oak Music Group, an independent record company, was founded and is run by the Music Industry students within the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.

{{main|Chico State Wildcats}}

The university's athletic teams are known as the Chico State Wildcats. The school sponsors soccer, basketball, golf, cross country, and track and field for both men and women. The school sponsors softball and volleyball for women, and baseball for men. The school's athletic director is Anita Barker. The school competes in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).{{cite news |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/athletics/ |title=Wildcat Athletics |publisher=California State University, Chico |year=2006 |access-date=January 4, 2007 |archive-date=January 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118092119/http://www.csuchico.edu/athletics/ |url-status=live }} Since 1998, Chico State's athletic teams have won 99 NCAA Championship berths, 40 CCAA titles, 24 West Region titles, and 15 NCAA national titles.{{cite web |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/best-of-csuchico/athletics.shtml/ |title=Competing with NCAA Elite - Best of Chico State - CSU, Chico |publisher=Csuchico.edu |access-date=November 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112155953/http://www.csuchico.edu/best-of-csuchico/athletics.shtml |archive-date=November 12, 2011 |url-status=dead}} The Wildcats softball team won the first AIAW Division III national championship in 1980, led by pitcher Kathy Arendsen.{{cite web |title=The Hall of Fame Committee Salutes the 1980 Softball Team |url=http://chicowildcats.com/documents/2012/4/19/1995_Hall_of_Fame.pdf |access-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-date=September 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930154544/https://chicowildcats.com/documents/2012/4/19/1995_Hall_of_Fame.pdf |url-status=live }} Chico excels in cross country and track and field in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.{{cite news |url=https://goccaa.org/sports/2015/12/30/champions.aspx |date=October 17, 2020 |title=CCAA Champions |access-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814032558/https://goccaa.org/sports/2015/12/30/champions.aspx |url-status=live }}

The Wildcats of Chico State earned six team NCAA championships at the Division II level.{{cite web |title=Championships Summary |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=May 20, 2018 |archive-date=March 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320185655/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf |url-status=live }} NCAA Division II individual championships by Scott Bauhs (2008) Men's cross country and J. J. Jakovac (2002, 2004) and Kyle Souza (2011) Men's Golf Championships.

• Men's Team (6)
• Baseball (2): 1997, 1999
• Golf (1): 1966
• Swimming and diving (3): 1973, 1974, 1976

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Chico State made The Princeton Review{{'s}} 2011 "Guide to Green Colleges", honoring campuses that "demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation."{{cite web |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/best-of-csuchico/sustainability.shtml/ |title=Topping the Green List - Best of Chico State - CSU, Chico |publisher=Csuchico.edu |access-date=November 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112161038/http://www.csuchico.edu/best-of-csuchico/sustainability.shtml |archive-date=November 12, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

{{see also|Category:California State University, Chico alumni}}

• Edward Timothy Pierce, 1889–1893
• Robert F. Pennell, 1893–1897
• Carleton M. Ritter, 1897–1899
• Charles C. Van Liew, 1899–1910
• Allison Ware, 1910–1917
• Elmer Isaiah Miller, 1910, 1917–1918
• Charles Osenbaugh, 1918–1930
• Clarence Knight Studley, 1930–1931
• Rudolph D. Lindquist, 1931
• Aymer Jay Hamilton, 1931–1950
• George Glenn Kendall, 1950–1966
• Robert Eugene Hill, 1966–1970
• Lew Dwight Oliver, 1970–1971
• Stanford Cazier, 1971–1979
• Robert L. Fredenburg, 1979–1980
• Robin Wilson, 1980–1993
• Manuel A. Esteban, 1993–2003
• Scott McNall, 2003–2004
• Paul Zingg, 2004–2016
• Gayle E. Hutchinson, 2016–2023
• Stephen Perez, 2023–present

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{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• Dunham, E. Alden. "Colleges of the Forgotten Americans. A Profile of State Colleges and Regional Universities." (McGraw Hill, 1969).

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://chicowildcats.com/ Athletics website]

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Category:1887 establishments in California

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