Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville State Normal School President James Gazaway Ryals, Jr., c. 1883 The university was founded as Jacksonville State Normal School, a "class A" normal school , it was chartered by the state of Alabama and Gov. Edward A. O'Neal on February 22, 1883, in order to prepare teachers for work in public school. [ 4 ] It was established within campus of the former Calhoun College in Jacksonville. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] The first board of directors for the normal school included S. K. McSpadden, John M. Caldwell, James Crook, W. P. Howell, William M. Hames, D. A. Alderholt, H.L. Stevenson, W. J. Alexander, J. Y. Nisbet, L. W. Grant, and John D. Hammond , who served as the state superintendent of education. [ 4 ] The board of directors nominated James G. Ryals Jr. as the school's first president when it opened in the fall of 1883, and when Ryals died unexpectedly of pneumonia in 1885, faculty member Joseph Harris Chappell held the presidency for a year. [ 6 ] Chappell departed for Milledgeville, Georgia where he served as the first president of a new normal school that eventually became Georgia College & State University . [ 7 ] The first graduating class of Jacksonville State Normal School was in 1886. [ 4 ] It was one of the first educational institutions in Alabama to have a library on campus. [ 4 ]

In 1930, the name changed to Jacksonville State Teachers College. In 1957, the school name changed once again, to Jacksonville State College after the creation of the first graduate program, a master's degree in elementary education. [ 6 ] In August 1966, the Alabama State Board of Education elevated the college to university status, which prompted a school name change to Jacksonville State University. [ 6 ]

Apartments damaged from Jacksonville EF-3 Tornado on March 19, 2018 On the evening of March 19, 2018 , an EF3 tornado struck the campus, causing minor to severe damage to every building. [ 8 ] It was the first day of spring break for both the university and the Jacksonville City School System. Classes resumed at the university on April 9, 2018, and the spring commencement ceremony was held on May 4, 2018, as scheduled, but moved to JSU Stadium from Pete Mathews Coliseum (which was also closed due to tornado damage). [ 9 ] There were four injuries among city residents and no fatalities. [ 10 ] More than $100 million in property damage was inflicted on the university and on April 27, 2018, President Donald Trump declared the event a federal disaster. [ 11 ] The university continued its summer semester as planned, and President John Beehler stated all subsequent semesters will continue as normal. [ 12 ]

Presidents of Jacksonville State historical marker James G. Ryals Jr. (1883 to 1885) [ 4 ] J. Harris Chappell (1885 to 1886) [ 13 ] Carleton Bartlett Gibson (1886 to 1892) [ 4 ] J.B. Jarrett (1892 to 1893) [ 6 ] Jacob Forney IV (1893 to 1899) [ 4 ] Clarence William Daugette (1899 to 1942) [ 4 ] Houston Cole (1942 to 1971) [ 14 ] Ernest Stone (1971 to 1981) [ 15 ] Theron E. Montgomery (1981 to 1986) [ 16 ] Harold J. McGee (1986 to 1999) [ 17 ] William A. Meehan (1999 to 2015) John M. Beehler (2015 to 2019) [ 18 ] Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. (2019 to present) [ 19 ]