History of James Madison University in Timeline
James Madison University (JMU) is a public research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Established in 1908, it was renamed in 1938 to honor James Madison, the fourth U.S. President. JMU has evolved from a normal school focused on teacher education into a comprehensive university. Its location is in the Shenandoah Valley, near Massanutten Mountain.
1908: University Established
In 1908, James Madison University was established as The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg by the Virginia General Assembly.
1908: James Madison University Founded
In 1908, James Madison University was founded as a public research university.
1909: First Student Body
In 1909, the university opened its doors to its first student body with an enrollment of 209 students and a faculty of fifteen.
1911: First Graduates
In 1911, the university's first twenty graduates received diplomas.
1914: Name Change
In 1914, the name of the university was changed to the State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg.
1915: SGA Founded
The JMU Student Government Association (SGA) was founded in 1915.
1916: Authorization to Award Bachelor's Degrees
In 1916, authorization to award bachelor's degrees was granted to the university.
1922: The Breeze Founded
The Breeze, a student-run newspaper, has been serving JMU since 1922.
1924: Name Change to State Teachers College
In 1924, the university became the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg.
1938: Institution Renamed
In 1938, the institution was renamed in honor of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison.
1938: Name Change to Madison College
In 1938, the university was named Madison College in honor of James Madison.
1946: First Male Students
In 1946, men were first enrolled as regular day students.
1949: End of Duke's Presidency
Duke served as president from 1919 to 1949.
1949: G. Tyler Miller Became President
In 1949, G. Tyler Miller became the third president of JMU, following Duke's retirement.
1954: Authorized to Grant Master's Degrees
In 1954 the university was authorized to grant master's degrees.
1966: University Becomes Coeducational
In 1966, the university became a coeducational institution by action of the Virginia General Assembly.
1971: Ronald E. Carrier Becomes President
In 1971, Ronald E. Carrier became JMU's fourth president.
1977: Name Change to James Madison University
In 1977, the university's name was changed to James Madison University.
1983: Marching Royal Dukes performance
In 1983, the Marching Royal Dukes performed at the NFC title game between Washington and Dallas
1988: Marching Royal Dukes at Bands of America Grand National Championships
In 1988, the Marching Royal Dukes performed at the Bands of America Grand National Championships
1991: Marching Royal Dukes at Bands of America Grand National Championships
In 1991, the Marching Royal Dukes performed at the Bands of America Grand National Championships
1994: Men's Basketball Last CAA Championship Before 2013
Prior to their victory in 2013, the last time James Madison University's men's basketball team won the CAA championship title was in 1994.
1997: Flying Hellfish Founded
The JMU men's ultimate team, the Flying Hellfish, was founded in 1997.
1998: End of Ronald E. Carrier's Presidency
Ronald E. Carrier's administration ended in 1998.
2000: Unruly Block Party
In 2000, the university experienced tension with local residents and police when 2,500 students at an off-campus block party grew unruly.
2000: JMU Brass Band Formed
In the fall of 2000, the JMU Brass Band was formed.
2001: Marching Royal Dukes appearance in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2001, the Marching Royal Dukes appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
2002: Performing Arts Complex Funding
Beginning in 2002, JMU began receiving state and private funding to construct a state-of-the-art performing arts complex.
2003: SafeRides Founded
Founded in 2003, SafeRides originated as a program run by the SGA.
2004: NABBA Honors Section Champion
In 2004, JMU Brass Band named the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Honors Section Champion.
2004: Football Team Wins NCAA Division I-AA National Title
In 2004, the JMU football team achieved a 13-2 record and won the NCAA Division I-AA national title, becoming the only team to win after playing four consecutive road playoff games.
June 2005: Expansion Across South High Street
In June 2005, the university expanded across South High Street by leasing, and then purchasing the former Harrisonburg High School building.
2005: NABBA Honors Section Champion
In 2005, JMU Brass Band named the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Honors Section Champion.
2005: The Hellfish Bonanza
Since 2005, the team has hosted an annual tournament known as "The Hellfish Bonanza."
2006: Peace Corps Volunteer Ranking
In 2006, James Madison ranked second in the nation behind only the University of Virginia in the number of Peace Corps volunteers it sent from its student body among "medium-sized" universities.
2006: Reported University Expansion
In 2006, a local ABC affiliate reported that the university had nearly doubled in size in the preceding 20 years, leading to tension in the city-university relationship.
2006: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2006.
2007: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2007.
2008: Planetarium Renovation
In 2008, the John C. Wells Planetarium underwent a $1.5 million renovation.
2008: Marching Royal Dukes appearance in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2008, the Marching Royal Dukes appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
2008: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2008.
October 2, 2009: Phi Beta Kappa Chapter Granted
On October 2, 2009, JMU was granted a chapter by the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.
2009: Bridgeforth Stadium Expansion Begins
After the last football game of 2009, JMU began an expansion of Bridgeforth Stadium, which increased seating capacity to approximately 25,000. This was part of a larger investment in athletic facilities during President Linwood Rose's time.
September 2010: Forbes Center Opens
In September 2010, the college opened the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts.
2010: New Baseball and Softball Field Complex Opens
In 2010, JMU opened a new multimillion-dollar baseball and softball field complex, marking a significant investment in athletic facilities during President Linwood Rose's tenure.
2010: Food Ranking
In 2010, the food at JMU was ranked third in the United States.
2011: Student Body Ranking
In 2011, the student body was ranked 20th "happiest in the entire nation" by Newsweek and The Daily Beast.
2011: Bridgeforth Stadium Expansion Completed
The Bridgeforth Stadium expansion, which began after the 2009 season, was completed in time for the 2011 football season, increasing the seating capacity to approximately 25,000.
2011: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2011.
2012: Awards for The Breeze
In 2012, The Breeze won an Online Pacemaker Award, a VPA award for Best in Show, and a VPA sweepstakes award.
2012: Enrollment Numbers
In the 2012–13 academic year, total enrollment was 19,927—18,392 undergraduates and 1,820 graduate students.
2013: BloombergBusiness Ranking
In 2013, BloombergBusiness ranked JMU 15th among all undergraduate business schools in the country for return on investment.
2013: Men's Basketball Wins CAA Championship and NCAA Tournament Game
In 2013, James Madison University's men's basketball team secured the CAA championship title for the first time since 1994. The Dukes subsequently won their first NCAA tournament game in 30 years, defeating Long Island University-Brooklyn. They finished the season with a 21-15 record.
2013: Marching Royal Dukes appearance in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2013, the Marching Royal Dukes appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
2014: College of Business Ranking
In 2014 it ranked JMU's College of Business 40th among undergraduate business programs in the U.S.
2014: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2014.
2015: Kiplinger Magazine Ranking
Kiplinger magazine's 2015 "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" ranked JMU 21st in value in the nation among public colleges and universities.
2015: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2015.
2016: Football Team Wins Second NCAA Division I-AA National Title
In 2016, the JMU football team won their second NCAA Division I-AA national title with a 14-1 record, going undefeated in the FCS.
2017: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2017.
2018: Marching Royal Dukes appearance in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2018, the Marching Royal Dukes appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
2018: Washington Monthly College Ranking
In the 2018 Washington Monthly college rankings, JMU ranked eighth among master's universities nationwide.
2018: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2018.
2019: Note-oriety Performed at the White House
In 2019, Note-oriety performed at the White House.
2019: Football Team Appears in Playoffs
The JMU football team appeared in the playoffs in 2019.
2020: Renaming of Historic Buildings Approved
In 2020, JMU's Board of Visitors approved the renaming of three historic buildings on the quad that were named in honor of three prominent Virginian Confederate soldiers.
August 2021: National Criticism
In August 2021, the university received national criticism after a training video surfaced that labeled white Americans and Christians as oppressors.
2021: Halls Approved and Given New Names
In 2021, Mountain Hall (Maury Hall) was renamed Gabbin Hall after Drs. Joanne V. and Alexander Gabbin, Valley Hall (Ashby Hall) was renamed Harper Allen-Lee Hall after Doris Harper Allen and Robert Walker Lee, and Justice Studies Hall (Jackson Hall) was renamed Darcus Johnson Hall after Sheary Darcus Johnson.
2021: ISAT/CS Building Renamed
In late 2021, the ISAT/CS building was renamed King Hall in honor of Charles W. King.
July 2022: Football Program Transition to FBS
In July 2022, the JMU football program transitioned to the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, after previously competing in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and the Colonial Athletic Association.
2022: Marching Band Size
As of Fall 2022, James Madison University has the largest collegiate marching band in the nation, with 540 members.
2022: SafeRides Milestone
By 2022, SafeRides had given more than 100,000 rides.
2022: The Yard Built
In 2022, a monument dedicated to the members of the Inter-Cultural Greek Council was built and dubbed "The Yard".
July 1, 2024: Jonathan Alger became the president of American University
On July 1, 2024, Jonathan Alger previously served as the university's sixth president until he became the president of American University.
2024: JMU Brass Band named Championship Section Champion
In 2024, JMU Brass Band named Championship Section Champion.
2024: U.S. News & World Report Ranking
The 2024 U.S. News & World Report ranked JMU the No. 124 among national universities.
