Although the name has changed throughout the years, UW-Eau Claire's commitment to excellence in higher education has remained constant. From commencement day in May through commencement day in May , we celebrated our th anniversary. A single building, now known as Schofield Hall, was constructed on a acre site donated by the city of Eau Claire.
With a student body of and a faculty of 20, the school offered one- and two-year elementary and three-year secondary teachers' courses, and a principal's course. Although the education of teachers was the mission of the institution, from the beginning it made available two years of general education or pre-professional study for persons not expecting to teach. Harvey A. Schofield was the first president of the new school, and his leadership saw it through the first 25 critical years of its existence.
In , our name changed from Eau Claire State Normal School to Eau Claire State Teachers College, with authorization to offer four years of higher education and to grant the degree of bachelor of education. In it was authorized to grant the bachelor of science in education degree. In , 20 acres atop the bluff overlooking the campus were acquired to provide for future physical education facilities. This was the first substantial increase in campus size since the founding of the school.
The s also were marked by the institution of programs of orientation for freshmen, the inauguration of the faculty advisement system for upperclassmen, and the advancement of teacher education and extension services. The adoption by the faculty of a philosophy of general education paved the way for accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in In , the Board of Regents authorized the college to grant bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in liberal arts, and the official name of the college became Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire.
A degree program in medical technology began in ; teacher education programs were augmented in by courses for the training of teachers of special education and by specialization in junior high school and business education.
