Ferris State University

to purchase Ferris Institute. It passed both houses, but was vetoed by Governor Harry Kelly. On May 17, 1949, Governor G. Mennen Williams signed the bill accepting Ferris Institute as a gift to the state of Michigan, which took over its governance on July 1, 1950. Before the state took control, though, fire destroyed the Old Main and the Old Pharmacy buildings on February 21, 1950. Only the Alumni Building and some minor buildings were left standing. Immediate rebuilding of the institute began, and on July 1, 1963, it was again renamed, this time as Ferris State College.
In November 1987, the institution became Ferris State University. When Ferris became a state college in the fall of 1950, it had consisted entirely of one permanent structure, the Alumni Building, and some surplus Army barracks. At that time, fewer than 1,000 students were enrolled, with fewer than 50 faculty members, and the campus itself covered less than 20 acres (8.1 ha). By contrast, current enrollment is more than 10,000, and the 880-acre …