[7] On March 11, 1901, Governor Frank W. Hunt signed Senate Bill 53, to establish the Academy of Idaho, contingent upon private land donations being made for its site.

Theodore F. Turner, mayor of Pocatello, settled the issue (Battle of the Blocks) by securing a permanent location for the academy.

[8] Theodore Swanson, a member of the board of trustees, secured the services of John W. Faris as the first administrator, with the title of principal.

By 1910, enrollment had reached nearly 300 students, and the academy had purchased four additional city blocks in Pocatello to meet its growing needs.

Ralph Hutchinson was head football coach from 1920 to 1927, and he pushed to establish the tiger mascot and incorporate orange and black as the official colors.

[9] After Nichols left in 1946, Carl McIntosh, an associate professor of speech, was named the acting executive dean in January 1947.

[12] Although McIntosh was not originally interested in being an administrator, once the school became an independent college, he decided to remain president and see the institution through its early growing pains.

[13] Idaho State College was accredited as a four-year degree granting institution in December 1948, after much work by McIntosh and the faculty.

Bowen served as the president of Idaho State for 20 years, and Connie, his wife, dedicated her time to cultivating community relationships and enhancing long-standing campus traditions.

[16] Bowen resigned after a vote of no confidence from the faculty, who were angered by generous pay raises for administration members in the midst of calls for fiscal austerity.

Although Vailas faced mounting criticism and pressure from faculty and students to step down, he refused to resign and campus tension intensified.

Renovation of the ESTEC building began in summer 2007, after a team from ISU's College of Technology, Idaho National Laboratory, and Partners for Prosperity received grants totaling more than $2.5 million.

[27] RISE was eventually closed, and the facility underwent a remodel to become the William M. and Karin A. Eames Advanced Technical Education and Innovations Complex,[28] which is home to many College of Technology programs.

Established in 2011, the Career Path Internship (CPI) program provides students an opportunity to gain professional experience while in school.

[39] Past winners included Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz and Fiona McHardy for the book From Abortion to Pederasty: Addressing Difficult Topics in the Classics Classroom.

[43] In 2012 ISU researchers in the Bearden Vascular Health Laboratory found clues on how to block the effects of a chemical in the brain that contributes to dementia and strokes.

The fight against dementia is gaining ground at Idaho State University thanks to ongoing research that could one day change the way the disease is prevented.

[44] In 2013 A team of Idaho State University researchers discovered that fish show autism-like gene expression after exposure to water containing psychoactive pharmaceuticals.

The center treats patients for all types of medical issues and consultation costs are lower in comparison to mainstream health services across the country.

[48] In 2011 the Delta Dental Clinic was opened at the ISU-Meridian Health Science Center to serve low-income patients and provide advanced training for dentists.

The new lab, consisting of "state of the art" virtual applications, will allow students to work directly with the human body and its functions.

Each year a president and vice-president are elected by the student body to administer and oversee a variety of activities either partially or fully funded by tuition-based fees.

Reed Gym features recreational facilities, including a climbing wall, swimming pool, tennis courts, and more.

KISU-FM broadcasts from the first floor of the Pond Student Union, serving the university and surrounding communities with alternative music, NPR programming, and live coverage of ISU women athletics.

The SUB consists of three floors that house among other things the campus bookstore, student government and organization offices, Outdoor Adventure Center, craft shop, ISU Credit Union, offices of the Vice President for Student Affairs, bowling alley, movie theater, Veterans Sanctuary, LEAD Center and numerous conference/banquet rooms used for meeting and large scale campus events.

The 255,000 square foot, five-level Rendezvous Complex built in 2007 is centrally located on the Idaho State University campus.

[65] The Idaho State University Bengals compete as a member school of the Big Sky Conference in the NCAA Division I FCS.

For years the Bengals enjoyed athletic rivalries with the Boise State Broncos and the University of Idaho Vandals of Moscow.

Idaho State offers scholarships to rugby players in the form of allowing out-of-state students to pay the in-state tuition rate.

The official name of the Bengal basketball facility is Idaho Central Credit Union Court at Holt Arena.