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SJSU History
In subsequent years, several cities attempted to get the school to relocate but San José was selected by the California legislature in 1870. The cornerstone of the new school building at the Washington Square site, donated by the City of San José, was laid on October 20, 1870. The building was completed in 1871 and students and faculty moved from San Francisco to San José. Our NameSan José State University’s name has evolved along with the institution. In 1921 San José State Normal School became San José State Teachers College, later renamed San José State College in 1935, later renamed California State University, San José in 1972 when it achieved university status, and finally, San José State University in 1974. In 1942, by 10 votes, the student government decided that “Spartans,” not the “Golds,” would be the official university mascot. Our Students
SJSU students have been activists throughout the university’s history. In 1941, the SJSC football team was in Honolulu at the time of the Pearl Harbor bombing. Team members assisted city police in enforcing blackout and guarding the city water supply. Many of those who volunteered enlisted and some never returned. A total of 4,200 students and alumni served in World War II and 182 gave their lives. During the 1960s and 1970s, students marched in response to the Kent State shootings and participated in protests during the Civil Rights Movement.
San José State is the number one supplier of education, engineering, computer science and business graduates to Silicon Valley, the world’s high tech capital. The oldest and one of the largest universities in the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system, SJSU attracts students from throughout California, the United States and 100 countries of the world. Our student achievers continue to win awards and lead the way in academics.
About 80 percent of San José State’s 150,000 alumni of record live in the San Francisco Bay Area. The other 20 percent are scattered around the globe, with concentrations in Southern California, Seattle, Portland, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New York City. More than 200 SJSU graduates have founded, co-founded, served or serve as senior executives or officers of public and private companies reporting annual sales between $40 million and $26 billion. See if you recognize some of our famous alumni. Our Supporters
Consisting of three buildings — the tallest a 15-story high-rise — the residential complex can house up to 3,000 students and provides amenities like high-speed Internet access, video on-demand, computer lab, furnished rooms, laundry facilities, underground parking, convenience store and an interactive gaming center.
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Public Affairs Division of University Advancement One Washington Square San José, CA 95192-0005 408-924-1166
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Founded in 1857, San José State is the oldest public
institution of higher education on the West Coast. San José State began as Minns'
Evening Normal School in San Francisco in 1857 and became a state school — the
California Normal School — created by the California legislature in 1862. 
San José
State University continues to draw students from California and beyond. The
current enrollment of 30,000 is approximately ten times that of our 1936
numbers. SJSU reached cultural pluralism, with no ethnic majority, in 1993 and
remains an example of 
Spartan
pride extends to our athletic achievements as well. On the intercollegiate
athletic front, San José State participates at the NCAA Division I-A level in
six men’s sports and 10 women’s sports, and is a member of the Western Athletic
Conference. In 1962, the SJSU judo club won the first of many national
collegiate judo association championships, with Coach “Yosh” Uchida. SJSU
has been home to 18 Olympic medallists, including 
SJSU
would not be what it is today without the generous efforts of its supporters.
Their contributions have improved the campus, fostered partnerships and
created an environment where teaching and learning flourish. In 1963, the “Save the
Tower” campaign averted the teardown of a campus landmark. Although the wings and
passageways of the concrete structure were bulldozed, Tower Hall remains a symbol
of SJSU pride. 
The 
Campus Village
In 2006, Alumni 
