User:Pdcook/Sandcastle

Formation, planning and construction

In 1958 a study commissioned by the Michigan Legislature demonstrated a need for a four-year college in the Grand Rapids area, Michigan's second largest metropolitan region. Local businessman Bill Seidman created a committee to study the report and spearhead the planning and promotion to create such an institution. In the following year the Michigan Legislature established the college. A naming contest was held, and out of 2500 submissions, "Grand Valley State College" was chosen. Private donations, including $350,000 to purchase land and $1,000,000 for construction, were secured from 5,000 individuals, organizations, and business throughout West Michigan. In 1961, the Grand Valley State College Board of Control chose a 876-acre (3.55 km²) site in Ottawa County near the Grand River for the new campus, and construction of academic buildings began the following year.^[3][4]

Early years

Grand Valley State College accepted its first class of 226 students in 1963 and held its first graduation of 138 students on June 18, 1967. The middle-late 1960s saw the addition of the first dormitories and construction of new academic buildings, including the Zumberge Library, named for the University's first President James Zumberge.

In 1969, the Grand Valley Lanthorn printed an issue containing several vulgarities and obscenities. After complaints from some at Grand Valley State College and the surrounding communities, the Ottawa County, Michigan, sheriff arrested the editor, and the prosecutor closed down the newspaper office. The university, then a co-ed college, sued the sheriff and prosecutor for closing the Lanthorn offices. Eventually, Michigan's Attorney General settled the case out of court, ruling in favor of Grand Valley State College.^[6]

In 1970, shortly after the shootings at Kent State University, Ohio, Vietnam War protests intensified on campus.^[7][8] In response, President Lubbers closed the college for three days to have discussions on what the college should do. A public forum was held in the college's fieldhouse, which was attended by a vast majority of the Grand Valley community. Everyone was granted five minutes to speak, but by the end of the day, only the most radical of students remained, who demanded that the college be shut down for the rest of the year in protest. President Lubbers refused to discuss that option, which brought chants of "Power to the People". The situation was ended by President Lubbers when he met with the leaders of the radical students, and explained to them that the power over the university does not rest with students, but with the administration and board, and both of those bodies refused to close the college for the rest of the year.^{[citation needed]}

During the 1970s Grand Valley used a multiple college concept: "College of Arts and Sciences", "Thomas Jefferson College", "William James College", "Seidman College of Business", and "College IV". Former Michigan Governor William Milliken signed into law for the name to be changed to Grand Valley State Colleges in 1973. However the "s" was dropped and the name was reverted back to Grand Valley State College in 1983 when the academic programs were reorganized into divisions.^[3]

Continued growth

In 1987 the Michigan Legislature passed a law renaming the college to "Grand Valley State University."^[9] The 1980s and 1990s saw addition of satellite campuses or centers in downtown Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland and Traverse City. In 2004, the Board of Control reorganized the University structure again into a college system consisting of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Community and Public Service, College of Education, College of Health Professions, Kirkhof College of Nursing, Seidman College of Business, and Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing. The fall semester of 2010 begins a year-long celebration of the university's first 50 years of history and change.^[3]