Editing James Madison University (section)

== History ==
[[File:John Vanderlyn - James Madison - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[James Madison]], the university's namesake, by [[John Vanderlyn]] (1816)]]
[[File:JMU aerial photograph, 1937.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of campus from 1937, showing the original campus plan, prior to major expansions of the campus.]]

Founded in 1908 as a [[Women's colleges in the United States|women's college]], James Madison University was established by the [[Virginia General Assembly]]. It was originally called '''The State Normal and Industrial School for Women''' at Harrisonburg. In 1914, the name of the university was changed to the '''State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg.''' Authorization to award bachelor's degrees was granted in 1916. During this initial period of development, six buildings were constructed.<ref name="JMU History">{{cite news|title=History of James Madison University |url=http://www.jmu.edu/president/about/history.shtml|work=Office of the President|date=March 31, 2005| access-date=July 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827105522/http://www.jmu.edu/president/about/history.shtml|archive-date=August 27, 2007}}</ref>

The university became the '''State Teachers College at Harrisonburg''' in 1924 and continued under that name until 1938 when it was named '''Madison College''' in honor of [[James Madison]], the fourth [[President of the United States]], whose [[Montpelier (Orange, Virginia)|Montpelier estate]] is located in nearby [[Orange, Virginia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news | last=Quinn | first=Susan | date=April 30, 1944 |title='No college can be very much better than its teachers' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-no-college-can-b/151867397/ |access-date=July 23, 2024 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |pages=43 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="Timeline">{{cite web |title=JMU Historical Timeline |url=http://www.jmu.edu/centennialcelebration/timeline.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531154409/http://www.jmu.edu/centennialcelebration/timeline.shtml |archive-date=May 31, 2019 |access-date=December 5, 2006 |publisher=JMU Centennial Office}}</ref> In 1977, the university's name was changed to James Madison University.<ref name="JMU History" />

The first president of the university was [[Julian Ashby Burruss]].<ref name=":0" /> The university opened its doors to its first student body in 1909 with an enrollment of 209 students and a faculty of fifteen.<ref name=":0" /> Its first twenty graduates received diplomas in 1911.<ref name="JMU History" />

In 1919, Burruss resigned the presidency to become president of [[Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University|Virginia Polytechnic Institute]]. [[Samuel Page Duke]] was then chosen as the school's second president.<ref name=":0" /> During Duke's administration, nine major buildings were constructed.<ref name="JMU History" /> Duke served as president from 1919 to 1949.

In 1946, men were first enrolled as regular day students. [[G. Tyler Miller]] became the third president in 1949, following Duke's retirement. During Miller's administration, from 1949 to 1970, the campus was enlarged by {{convert|240|acre|km2}} and 19 buildings were constructed. Major curriculum changes were made and the university was authorized to grant master's degrees in 1954.<ref name="JMU History" />

In 1966, by the action of the Virginia General Assembly, the university became a coeducational institution. [[Ronald E. Carrier]], JMU's fourth president, headed the institution from 1971 to 1998. Carrier Library is named after him.<ref name="JMU History" />

=== 21st century ===
During the first decade of the 21st century under [[Linwood H. Rose]] (JMU's fifth president), the university continued to expand, not only through new construction east of [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|Interstate 81]] but also on the west side of campus. In early 2005, JMU purchased the [[Sentara RMH Medical Center|Rockingham Memorial Hospital]] campus just north of the main JMU campus for over $40 million. The hospital has since moved and JMU now occupies the site.<ref name="RMH">{{cite news|first=Sarah|last=Shahmoradian|title=Legislature approves hospital purchase|url=http://www.thebreeze.org/archives/3.31.05/news/news2.shtml|work=The Breeze|date=March 31, 2005 |access-date=October 19, 2006|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927101234/http://www.thebreeze.org/archives/3.31.05/news/news2.shtml|archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> In June 2005, the university expanded across South High Street by leasing, and then purchasing the former Harrisonburg High School building.<ref name="DNR24May2006">{{cite news|url=http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=4519&CHID=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804171718/http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=4519&CHID=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 4, 2009 |title=Old School's Price Tag: $17 Million Proposals From JMU Go Before Council |last=Mellott |first=Jeff |date=May 24, 2006 |publisher=Daily News-Record |access-date=July 5, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="Memorial Hall">{{cite news |first=Jason|last=Burgene|title=Education to transfer in spring |url=http://www.thebreeze.org/archives/10.10.05/front/front3.shtml|work=The Breeze|date=October 10, 2005|access-date=October 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105181335/http://www.thebreeze.org/archives/10.10.05/front/front3.shtml |archive-date=November 5, 2006}}</ref>

The rapid expansion of JMU's campus has at times created tension in the city-university relationship.<ref name="Candidates and Growth">{{cite news|first=Jeff|last=Mellott|title=Harrisonburg City Council Candidates Hear Concerns About Growth |url=http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=4137&CHID=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928115626/http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=4137&CHID=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2007|work=The Daily News Record|date=April 26, 2006|access-date=October 19, 2006}}</ref> In 2006, the local [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate reported that the university had nearly doubled in size in the preceding 20 years,<ref name="Size">{{cite news|first=Shane|last=Symolon|title=James Madison Expansion|url=http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/3190501.html|publisher=[[WHSV-TV]]|access-date=October 19, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328034247/http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/3190501.html|archive-date=March 28, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> including purchases of several local properties.<ref name="Kyger">{{cite news |first=Jeff |last=Mellott|title=Kyger Contributes To Candidates Challenging Rogers, Who Aided University Effort to Gain Property |url=http://www.dnronline.com/search_details.php?AID=4065&CHID=1&key=kyger&title=&author=&channelid=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928115740/http://www.dnronline.com/search_details.php?AID=4065&CHID=1&key=kyger&title=&author=&channelid=|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2007|work=The Daily News Record|date=April 25, 2006|access-date=October 19, 2006}}</ref><ref name="Harrisonburg HS">{{cite news|first=Calvin|last=Trice|title=Harrisonburg to sell school site to JMU|url=http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149188528518&path=!news&s=1045855934842|work=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]] |date=June 16, 2006|access-date=October 19, 2006}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The university has also experienced tension with local residents and local police when 2,500 students at an off-campus [[block party]] grew unruly in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/27318974.html|title=Increased Patrols for JMU Students|publisher=whsv.com|date=August 23, 2008|access-date=April 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414183010/http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/27318974.html|archive-date=April 14, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ten years later, police equipped with riot gear used force to disperse a group of 8,000 college-aged people at the party.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hburgnews.com/2010/04/10/hpd-asks-non-residents-to-clear-springfest/|title=Police reportedly use tear gas and pepper spray to disperse block party|publisher=hburgnews.com|date=July 17, 2006|access-date=April 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414102506/http://hburgnews.com/2010/04/10/hpd-asks-non-residents-to-clear-springfest/|archive-date=April 14, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=46189&CHID=64 |title=Party Escalates Into Riot |publisher=Daily News Record |access-date=April 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416140206/http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=46189&CHID=64 |archive-date=April 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/90544214.html|title=Harrisonburg Block Party Near JMU Turns To Civil Disturbance|publisher=Whsv.com|access-date=April 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412175423/http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/90544214.html|archive-date=April 12, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Several participants were airlifted to a medical center in [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] for treatment.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.breezejmu.org/article_cf452ab5-f10a-563c-8ebf-e64635be85fe.html|title=Police Use Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets to Disperse More Than 8,000|publisher=The Breeze|access-date=November 4, 2010|archive-date=February 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219222031/http://www.breezejmu.org/article_cf452ab5-f10a-563c-8ebf-e64635be85fe.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The university condemned the block party attendees' behavior.<ref>{{cite web |author=James Madison University – Public Affairs |url=http://www.jmu.edu/jmuweb/general/news/general11151.shtml |title=James Madison University – Springfest: Message from President Rose |website=JMU.edu |access-date=May 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101105757/http://www.jmu.edu/jmuweb/general/news/general11151.shtml |archive-date=November 1, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In August 2021, the university received national criticism from conservative political commentators and university alumni after an orientation leader training video and other publications surfaced that supposedly labeled [[white Americans]] and [[Christians]] as oppressors. In a statement to [[Fox News]], the university stood by the training.<ref>{{Cite web|last=News-Record|first=IAN MUNRO Daily|title=JMU Training Video Causes National Stir|url=https://www.dnronline.com/news/local/jmu-training-video-causes-national-stir/article_590bef11-b2bd-5df4-aa2b-7599ee91845f.html|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Daily News-Record|date=August 24, 2021|language=en|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825215611/https://www.dnronline.com/news/local/jmu-training-video-causes-national-stir/article_590bef11-b2bd-5df4-aa2b-7599ee91845f.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Stabile|first=Angelica|date=August 24, 2021|title=James Madison University students shred 'racist' campus training labeling Whites, Christians as 'oppressors'|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/james-madison-university-students-racist-training|access-date=August 25, 2021|website=Fox News|language=en-US|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825160828/https://www.foxnews.com/media/james-madison-university-students-racist-training|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2025, it was announced that [[James C. Schmidt]] would become the seventh president and he is scheduled to take office in July 2025.<ref>{{cite news |title=JMU announces Dr. James C. Schmidt as seventh president |url=https://www.jmu.edu/news/2025/03/26-seventh-president.shtml |access-date=26 March 2025 |publisher=James Madison University |date=26 March 2025}}</ref>