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.

The San José State University Humanities Department was created to provide students with an integrated perspective on Western civilization. This perspective has since been expanded to a wider global view in response to developments in technology, world culture and communications. Humanities courses integrate history, literature, philosophy, religion, politics, music and art. The department offers a curriculum that covers the "human experience in aesthetic, creative, literary, and religious realms as well as cultural traditions in major world areas." Students thus develop analytical and expressive skills, the ability to read, write, and think clearly, along with an appreciation of the arts and letters and their role in shaping modern society. Upon graduation, Humanities students pursue a wide variety of occupations, including law, journalism, librarianship, teaching, public service, social work and public relations.