Eastern Washington College of Education. On June 4, 1940, the new campus library was opened as Hargreaves Hall (designed by Rasque), and the former administration building was formally dedicated to Noah Showalter.
The school grew quickly following World War II and became Eastern Washington State College in 1961. During this era, Eastern added various graduate and undergraduate degree programs. In 1977, the school's name was changed to Eastern Washington University by the Washington State Legislature.
In 1992, the core of the campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In July 2024, amid a continuing drop in enrollment and inability to differentiate itself with the other regional universities in Washington (Western Washington University and Central Washington University), university president Shari McMahan announced that EWU would rebrand to a polytechnic university, emphasizing applied and experiential learning over theoretical discussions. The change drew criticism from students and faculty …
