1872 -- Bill establishing Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College signed (March 19); First session begins (Oct. 1)

1875 -- Twelve students awarded first certificates (not diplomas); alumni association established; first student publication, Gray Jacketz,, published

1882 -- Military system firmly established

1883 -- First degrees (bachelor of arts) awarded

1886 -- Agricultural Experiment Station legally established

1888 -- Number One Barracks (Lane Hall) constructed

1891 -- Athletic association organized

1892 -- First bachelor of science and master of science awarded; first football game played

1896 -- "and Polytechnic Institute" added to college's name; Chicago maroon and burnt orange adopted as official colors; Ut Prosim selected as official motto; new college yell uses the word "Hokie"

1907 -- Graduate department established

1909 -- First basketball game played; football team dubbed "The Gobblers"

1914 -- Agricultural Extension Division established

1921 -- Women admitted as full-time students; four-year military requirement reduced to two-year requirement

1925 -- Future Farmers of Virginia founded at Virginia Tech

1942 -- First doctor of philosophy awarded

1944 -- Radford State Teachers College becomes Radford College, Women's Division of VPI; name changed to Virginia Polytechnic Institute

1946 -- Civilians outnumber cadets for first time

1963 -- First student wins Rhodes Scholarship (William W. Lewis Jr.)

1964 -- Merger with Radford College dissolved; military requirement eliminated

1966 -- Cadets and civilians unite to form one student government; universitywide Extension and research divisions established

1969 -- Northern Virginia Graduate Center established in Reston, Va.

1970 -- "and State University" added to name

1973 -- First doctor of education awarded; first women admitted into the corps of cadets; basketball team wins NIT tournament

1974 -- Marching Virginians, first civilian marching band, debuts

1979 -- Full-time enrollment tops 20,000 for first time

1980 -- First class enrolled in Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

1985 -- Corporate Research Center established

1986 -- Cranwell International Center opened; Campaign for Excellence ends, more than doubling its goal

1988 -- Semester system begins; university begins managing the Graduate Education Center of the Roanoke Valley

1989 -- Hotel Roanoke donated to university by Norfolk-Southern Corp.

1992 -- The Virginia Tech Foundation purchases a facility in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, where the university opens its Center for European Studies and Architecture

1995 -- Virginia Tech announces its largest fund-raising effort, the "Campaign for Virginia Tech," which has a goal of $250 million

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