Albert Einstein develops his Special Theory of Relativity and the Wright brothers fly the first airplane. During a tumultuous time at SJSU, President Morris E. Dailey leads the campus through a major earthquake, a flu epidemic and the beginning of World War I. After his sudden death in 1919, the faculty vote to name the new assembly hall after him to honor his achievements.

SJSU Facts: 1900 to 1919

1906 - At 5:13 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, one of California's most devastating earthquakes hits the region. With the heaviest damage along Second Street, north of San Fernando Street, the campus's main building is unsafe. Classes continue in temporary buildings called "shacks," and some are held outside.

 

 

1913 - Cooking and sewing classes are offered in the domestic science department. A 1916 fire destroys an estimated $17,000 of equipment used by the domestic science and manual training programs. 

 

 

1918 - San José State Normal school experiences a decline in enrollments due to World War I. The faculty raises money for wounded sailors and soldiers, and for overseas relief. Although victory is widely celebrated, higher wages in wartime industries attract thousands of would-be teachers, impacting education in California and throughout the nation.