Founded in 1913, Humboldt began as a small college for teachers. Today we’ve grown into a comprehensive university with rigorous science and liberal arts programs, including ample opportunities for hands-on learning. Humboldt provides an extraordinary learning experience and it’s why we’re Northern California’s first polytechnic.
The first classes at Humboldt State Normal School began on April 6, 1914, with 62 students in a small building near the rural bottoms of Arcata. That December, Susie Baker Fountain became the first graduate and by May of 1915, the school would celebrate its first graduating class of 15 women. The school was established to meet the demand for qualified teachers, which were needed following a state-wide education statute. Accordingly, the school offered four teacher-preparation programs all based on the student’s own experience levels.
