WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, a co educational State institution located at Mor gantown, 100 miles south of Pittsburgh. The university grounds, with a picturesque outlook upon the adjacent Monongahela River, have an attractive natural site equaled by few institu tions of learning. The campus contains about SO acres.
The university originated from the national land grant act of 2 June 1862, and from the subsequent action of the State legislature in accepting and carrying out the provisions of the act. Its location at Morgantown was largely determined by the foundation of an edu cational institution which had already been laid at Morgantown through an academy first es tablished in 1814 and re-established in 1832. On 30 Jan. 1867, the legislature accepted the property of the old Monongalia Academy and on 7 February passed an act permanently es Liblishing °The Agricultural College of West virginia• and the governor to ap point a Board of Visitors which at their first electing on 3 April 1867 appointed the first president and established 'collegiate, scientific and agricoltural• departments of instruction. ,N department of military science was organized soon thereafter By an act of 4 flee. 1868, the name of the college was changed to `West \'irginia l'niversity* and the close corporation •Board of Visitors' to the "hoard of regents.' which in 11495 became bipartisan and rotary. The original college (Arts and Sciences) began to 1867 with use departments which by differ entiation and expansion increased to more than .' by 1907 After the original college, other colleges and schools were established as fol lows: the Collette of Law the College of Engineering, INV; the College of Agriculture.
1897; the School of Music, 1897; the School of Medicine, 1902. The agricultural experiment station was established in 1888 and is now un der the direction of the dean of the College of Agriculture. The division of agricultural ex tension was organized in 1912.
For many years the growth of the new is stitotion was very slow and uncertain, largely due to old sectional questions, new post-helium political questions and the lack of a satisfac tory system of secondary schools.
Gradually the obstacles to growth were re duced or removed by changing conditions. In dustrial progress, stimulating better communi cation, was a prominent factor in the transfor mation of the earlier poorly-equipped school into a real college which may now claim uni versity rank. The first remarkable increase in attendance was coincident with the admission of women between 1889 and 1897, after a long struggle against conservative opposition. In the last decade it has had phenomenal growth, greatly aided by the development of better secondary schools, and is worthy of recognition as one of the leading State insti tutions. A preparatory school which throughout the earlier years was maintained in connec tion with the university, was abolished in 1912 In recent years the curriculum and many of the courses have been readjusted to the new needs resulting from rapidly changing condi tions of life. Students are admitted either be examination or on certificate (detailed statement of work) from an accredited preparatory school. Entrance requirements are IS units ( four years of high-school work) with liberal provision for electives. The time required foe completion of baccalaureate degrees is four years, Ancient language requirements for graduation in the A.B. course were recently abolished. By a combination of academic and professional work a student may earn the re lar university degree and the professionalr give in six years.
The problem of securing suitable buildings to meet the needs of expansion and more efficient instruction has been a continuous one_ There are now eight main buildings, several with annexes, besides several temporary frame buildings, used for classrooms. A modern library building was completed in 1902. The most recent modern building (Ogkbay hall) was completed in 1919 for use by the College of Agriculture. A new building for the Col lege of Law was erected in 1919-20. Build ings and grounds and equipment were valaed in 1919 at approximately $2.600.000.