Mansfield University of Pennsylvania history

Mansfield Classical Seminary was rebuilt and reopened on November 23, 1859, to some 30 students.

In 1862, Simon B. Elliott submitted application for Mansfield Classical Seminary to become a state normal school.

In 1874, the new ladies dormitory was built for a cost of $15,000.

In 1892 at the Great Mansfield Fair, electric lights were erected and a game of football was played between Mansfield Normal and Wyoming Seminary, ending in a draw.

In 1902, Mansfield Normal School moved to a three-year program from the two-year normal course, pushing the school closer to collegiate status.

On June 4, 1926, Mansfield State Normal School was granted the right to give four-year Collegiate degrees.

Finally, on May 13, 1927, the name Mansfield Normal is officially changed to Mansfield State Teachers College (MSTC).

In 1960, the Pennsylvania Department of Education granted the expansion of liberal arts programs to colleges in the system, including MSTC. MSTC became Mansfield State College.

Established in Fall 2012, the B.A. History: Applied History program at Mansfield University (formerly known as the B.A. History: Public History program) admits 1-2 students each year.

In July 2021, Pennsylvania higher education officials announced that Mansfield would merge with Bloomsburg University and Lock Haven University in response to financial difficulties and declining enrollment, and each institution would represent a campus of a single university.