In 1889, Brown County residents, especially State Senator James M. Lawson, banker Isaac Lincoln and Father Robert W. Haire, led the successful effort to create a higher educational institution in Aberdeen. Local citizens donated 23 acres for the campus on the southern edge of the city.

Initially, the institution began as the Industrial Institute of South Dakota. It became a dual purpose school when the legislature added a teacher preparation program and changed the name to the Northern Normal and Industrial School in 1901.

Founding president Charles F. Koehler (1902-05) stated that the purpose was to provide students with an education "in academic studies" and career preparation. The 142 students enrolled by the end of the 1902-03 academic year paid $105 for room, board, tuition and books for both semesters. Athletics, including football, basketball and track, also began in 1903. Baseball appeared in 1904, and men's and women's intramural sports began around this time.

President George Nash (1905-1914) recognized that teacher preparation overshadowed training in industrial arts and suggested the campus be made into a four-year teachers' college. Nash created three normal school programs - Latin, English-Science and high school. In 1914, the institution added an extension division that permitted citizens to take home study courses off campus.

Students initiated a new tradition in 1916 when they held the first Gypsy Day celebration, which continues to attract alumni to their alma mater.

World War I had a decided impact on Northern's campus. Approximately 452 students, faculty members and alumni went to war and 13 gave their lives.

When Northern was granted the right to award baccalaureate degrees in 1920, the institution was reorganized into a senior teachers' college. The State Legislature changed the name of the campus to Northern State Teachers College in 1939. Northern received its first accreditation by the North Central association in 1940.

Events surrounding World War II dominated the campus environment during the 1940s. In 1940, the U.S. Aerial Aeronautic Authority authorized Northern to offer a flight and ground program to prepare future military pilots, a program which grew into a naval flight training program in 1943. Northern also established a defense school which offered courses in machine shop, general metals and welding. During 1942, the campus hosted a U.S. Army school for glider pilots. The following year, Northern was authorized to offer a basic engineering curriculum. Lt. Cecil E. Harris, a Northern graduate, became the U.S. Navy's second leading aviation ace during the War.

Recognition of Northern's changing nature and size came in 1964 when the legislature changed the name to Northern State College.

Expansion accelerated during the 1950s and 1960s, which saw student enrollment increase from 1,408 students to more than 3,400, the addition of nine buildings, the tripling of Northern's budget and a doubling of the number of faculty.

The Board of Regents lifted a three-year curricular development freeze in 1971 and granted Northern a mission statement to strengthen the institution's role as a "multipurpose, comprehensive state college." The Regents also approved the addition of four new majors, 10 minors, and 19 occupational and pre-professional associate degree programs to the undergraduate curriculum.

Further recognition for Northern came in 1987. That year, the Carnegie Commission's rating of the nation's institutions of higher education classified Northern as a Comprehensive I Institution. This classification was the second highest granted any South Dakota college or university.

On Feb. 6, 1989, a law was signed that changed the name to Northern State University. This action was the result of two years of hard work and lobbying by supporters.

Today Northern State University boasts an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students from 36 states and 20 foreign countries. NSU's challenging, multifaceted curriculum offers 38 majors and 42 minors, as well as six associate, eight pre-professional and nine graduate degree areas.