Ryan Chartrand
Though it’s been over 50 years since El Mustang ran this “welcome” article to incoming students, change is apparent in every aspect of how Cal Poly was then versus now.
When Cal Poly first opened its doors, there were only 15 students and three faculty members. About 50 years after that, 2,259 students were studying agriculture, engineering or liberal arts.
In 2005, 18,475 students were enrolled at Cal Poly among seven colleges.
For extracurricular activities, student government was huge on campus as it was split into committees that oversaw athletics, music, publications and Poly Royal.
The article also brings light to making Cal Poly a coed campus and says women will likely be introduced the the campus in three years. In fact, women began attending Cal Poly a year after this article was published in September 1956.
Poly opened its doors to students for the first time October 1, 1908. When the cornerstone for the administration building was laid on January 31 of that year, the road to the campus was a wagon track through a muddy field. On the opening day the main building was not completed and the debris left by the builders had not been cleared from the dormitory. Nevertheless, director and Mrs. Leroy Anderson moved into the dormitory and called together the three faculty members and 15 students in the unfinished parlor of the building.