Bowling Green State University

Established in 1910 as a teacher-training institution, Bowling Green held its first classes in 1914, but it was not until the following year that the first two buildings--now University Hall and Williams Hall--were ready for use. Student enrollment for that initial year totaled 304, with a faculty of 21. The first bachelor's degrees were awarded in 1917. In 1929, the functions of Bowling Green were expanded to provide four-year degree programs in the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts. The College of Business Administration and graduate programs were added in 1935, the year in which Bowling Green attained full university status. In 1947, the Graduate School was formed, and BGSU awarded its first doctorate in English in 1963. Beginning in 1946, extension programs of the university were offered in Sandusky, Ohio. During the next two decades, course offerings there were expanded and in 1965 a regional campus of the University was established to serve Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. That campus is now Firelands College, located in Huron, Ohio. Firelands College, which opened for classes in 1967, offers career and technical education leading to associate degrees in 15 areas as well as eight bachelor's degree programs. In the 1970s, three new colleges were added to the University's curricular offerings. In 1973, the College of Health and Human Services was established to provide degree programs in specialized areas in various health and community service fields. In 1975, the School of Music was expanded into the College of Musical Arts, and in the same year the Graduate School became the Graduate College. The School of Technology was granted college status in 1985.