the name changed to Jacksonville State Teachers College, and again in 1957, to Jacksonville State College. The university began operating under its current name in 1966.
JSU currently has an enrollment of more than 9,000 students, with nearly 500 faculty members (more than 300 of whom are full-time). It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
== History ==
=== Jacksonville State Normal School ===
The university was founded as Jacksonville State Normal School, a "class A" normal school, it was chartered by the state of Alabama and Gov. Edward A. O'Neal on February 22, 1883, in order to prepare teachers for work in public school. It was established within campus of the former Calhoun College in Jacksonville. The first board of directors for the normal school included S. K. McSpadden, John M. Caldwell, James Crook, W. P. Howell, William M. Hames, D. A. Alderholt, H.L. Stevenson, W. J. Alexander, J. Y. Nisbet, L. W. Grant, and John D. Hammond, who served as the state superintendent …
