In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal School is now San José State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.

Dr. John T. Wahlquist was Dean of the School of Education at the University of Utah before becoming president of SJSU in 1952, succeeding President Thomas MacQuarrie (1927-1952). During Wahlquist's twelve-year term, he took annual tours across America to recruit experienced teachers from prestigious colleges to keep pace with San José State's growing student enrollment. Over time, Wahlquist increased the faculty from 300 to 1,000 members. Wahlquist also organized the largest construction development in San José State's history, adding many buildings to the campus including Hugh Gillis Hall, Dudley Moorehead Hall, and Sweeney Hall.