Historedia
AmericasEvent

Las Cruces College founded in New Mexico

When
1888–1890
Where
Las Cruces, New Mexico; At or near Las Cruces, Doña Ana County (legislative locality per the Rodey Act)
Episodes
2

Las Cruces College was founded in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in September 1888. Initially established as an educational institution including elementary, preparatory, and business schools, it was not a college in the modern sense. It later merged with the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, eventually becoming New Mexico State University.

Episodes

  1. 17 September 1888 · Las Cruces, New MexicoFounding of Las Cruces College

    Hiram Hadley founded Las Cruces College in Las Cruces, New Mexico, opening on September 17, 1888, with elementary, preparatory, and business schools.

  2. 21 January 1890 · At or near Las Cruces, Doña Ana County (legislative locality per the Rodey Act)Merger and Land-Grant Designation

    Las Cruces College merged with the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, opening on January 21, 1890, following the Rodey Act.

Background and detail

Background. New Mexico State University traces its origins to Las Cruces College, founded in 1888. The institution was designated a land-grant college in 1889 and renamed New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. It received its present name, New Mexico State University, in 1960 to reflect expanded programs.

Founding. Hiram Hadley, an Earlham College-educated teacher from Indiana, founded Las Cruces College. Upon its opening on September 17, 1888, the institution included an elementary school, a university preparatory school, and a business school. It was not considered a college in the contemporary meaning of the word.

Legislation. In 1889, the Territorial Assembly of New Mexico provided for the establishment of an agricultural college and experiment station via the Rodey Act. The institution was located near Las Cruces in Doña Ana County on a tract of at least 100 acres, designated as the land-grant college under the Morrill Act.

People involved

Sources

  1. New Mexico State University Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-19

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.