MOSCOW, Idaho — Saturday, Jan. 30 marks the 132nd anniversary of the University of Idaho's establishment.
When President Abraham Lincoln was in office in 1862, he secured Idaho's status as a territory of the United States, but he also did something else that left a mark on the Gem State.
Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, named after Vermont Congressman Justin Smith Morrill. His act provided grants of land for states to build colleges.
Nearly 30 years later, Idaho took advantage of that grant and established the University of Idaho.
Idaho was still technically a territory in January 1889. More than a year away from statehood, the university was established before the state.
"It's quite unique and I think it's a reflection of Idaho's sectionalism, which is a recurring theme in Idaho politics," said Dr. Katherine Aiken, a history professor at the University of Idaho.
Sectionalism refers to the concept that because Idaho was so unique in both its layout and local landscape, perhaps it should be separated into sections. At that time, it included a push to make the panhandle part of Washington.
To avoid the separation, Willis Sweet, William McConnel and John Brigham got together to come up with a way to keep the state as one. The three Moscow men sought the help of Idaho's territorial representative in Congress, Fred Dubois.
The panhandle and its people would have to be part of Idaho if they received federal funds to establish a college. That's when Idaho's territorial legislature went to work and passed Council Bill No. 20.
It was signed on Jan. 30, 1889, by Gov. Edward A. Stevenson.
"So it established the University of Idaho on paper, but there really wasn't anything there at all," Aiken said.
Land still had to be located for the campus. Eventually, on what is always described as a crested hill, the original Administration Building was built, faculty was found and students were enrolled.
"That's why the first students don't come until October of 1892," Aiken said. "The first graduating class, which is in 1896, had four graduates."
Two women and two men made up the first graduating class. Co-ed colleges were not common at the time, but it was for land grant universities. Three years later in 1899, Jennie Hughes became the school's first Black graduate.
To this day, the University of Idaho remains the only land-grant university. The original Administration Building burned down in 1906 and was replaced by the current one, which opened in 1909.
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