University of Wisconsin-River Falls history

When the original Normal School building was destroyed by fire in 1897, other communities sought to have the school moved.

But the citizens of River Falls were determined to retain it, and the building now known as South Hall was completed in 1898.

In 1927, the school was renamed River Falls State Teachers College, as the state normal schools became "State Teachers Colleges" that incorporated a significant increase in general education offerings and four-year courses of study leading to a Bachelor of Education degree.

In 1951, with the addition of liberal arts courses, the school was designated Wisconsin State College at River Falls.

When it was established in 1962, the Area Research Center (ARC) network was the first in the nation.

In 1964, it was renamed Wisconsin State University-River Falls when state colleges were all granted university status.

The present name came with the merger of the state universities and the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 1971.

South Hall, built on the site of the original Normal School, received a major renovation during 1992-93.

With the founding of the College of Business and Economics in 2001, the University now has four colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; and the College of Education and Professional Studies.