MOREHEAD, Ky. — Morehead State University is celebrating a major milestone Saturday, marking 139 years since the institution welcomed its first student on Oct. 3, 1887.
The university’s beginnings were considerably smaller than the campus generations of students know today. What would eventually become Morehead State began operating in a modest rented cottage, with just one student arriving on its opening day.
By the end of November 1887, enrollment had grown to 22 students.
Nearly a century and a half later, Morehead State has developed into a modern public university serving students from Kentucky and beyond while maintaining deep ties to Morehead and the surrounding Appalachian region.
The university says its alumni community has now grown to more than 77,000 people, illustrating just how dramatically the institution has expanded from those first few students in the late 19th century.
Morehead State recognized the anniversary Saturday on social media, reflecting on the university's humble beginning and the generations of students who have passed through its doors since.
The anniversary offers a striking comparison: from a rented cottage and a single student on an October morning in 1887 to a university whose graduates now number in the tens of thousands.
For Morehead and Rowan County, MSU has also become far more than a college campus. Over its 139-year history, the university has grown into one of the community's most recognizable institutions and has played a significant role in the educational, cultural and economic life of the region.
Happy 139th birthday, Morehead State University. 💙💛