Idaho State University has evolved from a modest beginning with just three students into a major educational and research institution in Southeast Idaho, according to university leadership. As first reported by idahostatejournal.com, ISU President Robert Wagner highlighted this trajectory during his Fall Address on Sept. 9, 2026, at Davis Field in Pocatello.
Wagner framed the university’s history as a testament to “resilience, persistence and courage,” noting that the institution has grown by approximately 2,233 percent since its opening in September 1902. By the end of that first term, enrollment had risen to about 70 students.
Early Struggles and Community Support
The roots of the university trace back to 1901, when the Academy of Idaho was authorized. Pocatello businessman Theodore Turner played a pivotal role in the school’s establishment by contributing land, including a 160-acre farm on Red Hill. Turner advocated for the institution for 46 years before his death in 1947.
In its early years, the school faced significant hurdles. During the 1920s, students and faculty launched a massive outreach campaign, mailing nearly 6,000 letters to drug and chemical companies to secure donated equipment for laboratories. The institution’s status changed several times during this period; it was named the Idaho Technical Institute in 1915 and became the Southern Branch of the University of Idaho in 1927.
Students were active in shaping the school’s identity. Around 1926, they reshaped a giant “T” on Red Hill into a 200-foot-tall “4” to demand four-year degree status. A summer session in 1906 drew 250 teachers from seven counties, demonstrating early regional interest in the institution.
Navigating Economic Hardship
The Great Depression presented severe financial challenges for the university. To keep education accessible, ISU held tuition 25 percent below other Western colleges during the era. In 1933, the university provided 10,000 hours of paid campus work to students to help them stay enrolled.
Students also built their own housing at the base of Red Hill, an area they called “Hooverville.” Funding remained tight through World War II, which caused a 20 to 25 percent cut in state funding for ISU. Despite these cuts, then-Idaho State College President Carl McIntosh and University of Idaho President Jesse Buchanan submitted joint legislative funding requests. Although the combined bill failed initially, it succeeded two years later.
In 1947, Gov. C.A. Robbins signed legislation creating the institution as an independent entity named Idaho State College. The university adopted its current name, Idaho State University, in 1963.
Modern Academic Milestones
Wagner’s address also highlighted recent academic achievements. The School of Nursing marked its 70th anniversary in September 2026. The program began with seven students in its first graduating class in 1956 and now boasts more than 5,000 alumni.
The university recently completed the inaugural year of its Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program, which is Idaho’s first program for certified registered nurse anesthetists. ISU also maintains joint faculty appointments with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), reflecting its growing role in scientific research.
For readers interested in the university’s expanding footprint in nuclear science, Idaho State University Announces Second Nuclear Microreactor, Launches Major Fundraising Push provides details on recent developments. Additionally, ISU Selects Business Park for New Microreactor Facility covers the location chosen for future infrastructure.
Cultural Recognition at Fall Address
Before Wagner spoke, Danella Rose Perry-Murphy addressed the crowd. A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and a College of Technology student, Perry-Murphy served as Miss Native ISU. She offered a land acknowledgment recognizing that ISU sits on ancestral Shoshone and Bannock homelands.
Perry-Murphy’s connection to the university runs deep; her mother is an ISU alumna and former Miss Native ISU. Her presence at the Fall Address underscored the institution’s ongoing ties to local tribal communities and its commitment to recognizing the land’s history alongside its academic progress.