Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with about 11,166 students. For 24 straight years, Murray State University has been recognized by "U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges" as one of the top regional universities in the United States. Murray State has consistently been among the top-ranked public regional universities in Kentucky. In addition to the main campus, Murray State University operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, and Henderson.
The history of Murray State University can be traced to the passage of Senate Bill 14 by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which created two normal schools to address the growing demand for professional teachers. One would be in the western part of the state, which caused many cities and towns to bid for the new normal school. Rainey T. Wells spoke on behalf of the city of Murray to convince the Normal School Commission to choose his city. On September 2, 1922, Murray was chosen as the site of the western normal school, while Morehead was chosen for the eastern normal school. On November 26, 1922, John Wesley Carr was elected the first president of the Murray State Normal School by the State Board of Education. Believing it had the authority to elect the president, the Normal School Commission picked Rainey Wells to be the first president. On May 15, 1923, The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled for the State Board of Education, and Carr would become Murray's first president.
Murray State Normal School opened on September 23, 1923. Until the first building was completed, now Wrather West Kentucky Museum, classes were held on the first floor of Murray High School. All students commuted until the first dormitory, Wells Hall, was constructed in 1925. Wilson Hall was also completed under Carr's presidency, with other structures were in progress. In 1926, Rainey T. Wells, recognized as the founder of Murray State, became its second president. Wells served from 1926 to 1932, and during this time Lovett Auditorium, Carr Health Building and Pogue library were all completed. In 1926, the Normal School was renamed Murray State Normal School and Teachers College, and the General Assembly granted it authority to confer baccalaureate degrees. In 1928, the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1930, the name was changed to Murray State Teachers College and it was granted authority to offer liberal arts and preprofessional courses. The name was changed again in 1948 to Murray State College, and finally in 1966 the General Assembly authorized the Board of Regents to change the name to Murray State University.
The Shield is the official seal of the university. It is taken from the heraldic coat-of-arms of the family of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield and Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain in 1756. William Murray is an ancestor of the Murray family from whom the city and the university take their names. The shield is blue with a double gold border its three stars represent hope, endeavor and achievement.
In the southwest corner of the Quad sits the oldest building on campus, Wrather West Kentucky Museum, which was known first as the Administration Building and then as Wrather Hall before it became a museum. Ground was broken for Wrather Hall on October 15, 1923, and it has been in use since 1924. Wrather Hall first housed administrative offices and classrooms before becoming Wrather West Kentucky Museum. The building features a large auditorium that is frequently used for lectures and meetings. Faculty Hall, Wells Hall and the Business Building line the western edge of the Quadrangle. The Lowry Center, Pogue Library and the Price Doyle Fine Arts Center line the eastern side of the Quad. The 11-story Doyle Fine Arts Center is the tallest building on campus, housing the Robert E. Johnson Theatre, Clara Eagle Art Gallery, WKMS-FM and television studios used for student work and the taping of Murray State's signature show, Roundabout U, as wells as numerous classrooms, practice rooms and recital halls.
Directly south of the Quad is Sparks Hall. Sparks Hall is the main administrative building, housing the offices of student financial aid, admissions and registration, accounting and financial services, vice president for administrative services, Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach, human resources and university communications. The five-story, 39,000-square-foot (3,600 m2), Sparks Hall was completed in 1967 at a cost of $1,308,514.
To the south of the Quadrangle, and directly west of Sparks Hall is Oakhurst, which is the residence of the university president. Construction of the residence, originally known as Edgewood, began in 1917 and was completed in 1918. The home was built by Dr. and Mrs. Rainey T. Wells. The Board of Regents purchased the home from Rainey T. Wells in June 1936. It was remodeled that year and renamed Oakhurst in preparation for James H. Richmond's occupation of the house.
The most historic building in the central portion of campus is Ordway Hall. The contract for construction of Ordway Hall was approved in April 1930, and construction was completed in 1931. Originally built as a men's dormitory, the 38,600-square-foot building was constructed at a cost of $106,765. In the past, Ordway Hall housed unique event space and several offices, including the Career Services and Student Affairs offices. Because of costly renovation needs, including upgrades to meet current fire protection and ADA requirements, Ordway Hall was razed in 2013. In recognition of the building's historical value to the campus, the front facade was retained as a monument to its significance to campus.
An aggressive building campaign on campus has resulted in a westward expansion of the main academic campus of Murray State. The expansion began with a massive renovation and expansion of what is now known as Alexander Hall on the west side of 16th Street near Calloway Avenue. The project was the first to unveil a new architectural style that would become consistent through all renovation and new construction projects on campus. Alexander Hall houses classrooms and offices for the college of education. Construction continued with the new state-of-the-art science complex for biology and chemistry that is located just to the southwest of Alexander Hall. The massive new science complex was constructed in phases, with the biology building opening in 2004, and the rest of the complex and centerpiece clock tower reaching final completion in March 2008. The new clock tower was dedicated in 2007 as the Jesse L. Jones Family Clock Tower.
The majority of the university's sports and recreation facilities are located on the northern-most edge of the campus, along the KY-121 Bypass. The most prominent structure in the sports complex is Roy Stewart Stadium. The stadium, which is home field to the Murray State Racers football program, was completed in 1973 and named for former Murray State football coach Roy Stewart. It seats 16,800. The outdated AstroTurf surface was replaced with FieldTurf in 2007. Located on the second floor of the seven-story press box and seating structure is the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range, which is the home of the three-time NCAA champion rifle squad. The 8,602-seat CFSB Center was completed in 1998 to replace the aging Racer Arena that had been outgrown by the men's and women's basketball teams. On April 16, 2005, the new Susan E. Bauernfeind Student Recreation and Wellness Center was dedicated. The new 73,000-square-foot (6,800 m2) student recreation center includes a swimming pool, two racquetball courts, a walking/jogging track, an aerobic studio, basketball courts, and free weights and cardio workout machines. The center is located just north of the residential colleges, near Roy Stewart Stadium.
