1963 : First Freshman Class Registers at Grand Valley State College

When:
September 26, 2018 all-day
2018-09-26T00:00:00-04:00
2018-09-27T00:00:00-04:00

On Septmber 26, 1963, registrations for the first freshman class were taken at Grand Valley State College in Allendale. 226 students enrolled, including a student from Iran.

The library, which had been a priority for the new President, was on its way well before opening day to establishing an impressive collection. Head Librarian Stephen Ford had been working on acquiring books for over a year, operating out of a small private house on the campus site. By the time they moved into temporary headquarters in Lake Michigan Hall, a staff of seven had been appointed and nearly 10,000 books had been catalogued!

According to Mich — Again’s Day, Grand Valley State was Michigan’s first separate 4-year state-supported liberal arts college to open in 60 years.

Sources:

GVSU Historical Timeline

For more information about the first days of Grand Valley, link to the narrative history, Section One, Part X, “A Campus in the Cornfields”.

Mich — Again’s Day

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