From Humble Beginnings to Polytechnic Heights: A History of Cal Poly Humboldt

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, or Cal Poly Humboldt as it is informally known, stands as the northernmost campus in the California State University (CSU) system. Its journey from a humble teachers college to a polytechnic institution is a testament to its adaptability and commitment to providing hands-on learning experiences in one of the world’s most beautiful natural environments. The University offers dozens of majors and minors, including programs in natural resources that are considered among the best in the nation. Students come to our school excited to roll up their sleeves and learn. Humboldt specializes in hands-on learning outside the traditional classroom, where deeper meaning and connections take place. While extracurricular activities abound - music, athletics, JROTC, adapted sports, diversity clubs, and much more - Humboldt’s main focus is to graduate students who are prepared for college and career. Community partners such as Ecolab, Travelers, and others work with students to ensure they excel.

The Founding and Early Years

The story begins with local donations, including 55 acres of land by Arcata’s William Preston and the Union Water Company, which ensured Arcata would be the school’s home. Within a decade, the school built the administration building. Today, it is known as Founders Hall and is Humboldt’s oldest and most recognized building.

Navigating Challenges: War and Economic Hardship

World War I made a considerable impact on the school, nearly causing its demise. Enrollment, which reached a high of 159 in 1917, dropped to 59 in 1920. The Great Depression set in during the 1930s. Times were so tough that President Arthur Gist gave students permission to submit IOU’s for one semester to cope with rising tuition fees. World War II had a major impact on campus and enrollment dropped from 436 in 1939 to 159 by 1945.

Evolution and Expansion of Curriculum

In the 1920s, the school changed its name to Humboldt State Teachers College and Junior College and the curriculum broadened to include foreign languages, physical education, natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, English, and the social sciences. Not long after, the school became Humboldt State College and the curriculum expanded to include a Bachelor of Science degree in education and liberal arts degrees in economics and business. Speech and home economics were soon to follow.

Post-War Revitalization and Growth

With the end of the war came a revitalization as enrollment boomed and the campus began offering programs in forestry and agriculture. Expansion continued in the 1950s.

Becoming Humboldt State University

In 1974, the school was renamed Humboldt State University. By the mid-1980s, Humboldt's ’s enrollment hit 6,200 and Business was the most popular major on campus.

Restructuring for the Future

In the 1990s, the campus organized into three constituent colleges: The College of Natural Resources, the College of Professional Studies, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences.

A New Era: Polytechnic Designation

Backed by California’s historic $458 million investment, the California State University Board of Trustees approved a new designation and name for Humboldt State University in 2022 -California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. Cal Poly Humboldt, as the University is known informally, is only the third polytechnic institution in the state.

Humboldt Academy Of Higher Lrning

Humboldt Academy Of Higher Lrning is a public school for students in grades 3-5 in Saint Louis, MO and is served by the Saint Louis Public Schools in Missouri. The school has a total enrollment of 154 and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 10:1. Academic records show that 7.5% of students achieve proficiency in math, and 12% are proficient in reading. Humboldt Academy Of Higher Lrning has received feedback and ratings, with a Niche grade of C- and a GreatSchools Rating of 4 out of 10.

Humboldt Senior High School

Humboldt Senior High School is a public high school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States which serves students in grades 6-12. The school is the smallest of the nine high schools in the Saint Paul Public Schools district with an enrollment of 858 students. It is the only high school located on the West Side of Saint Paul. Humboldt has a large percentage of low-income students and has struggled on national standardized tests. The school shares facilities with Humboldt Junior High School and both schools have a program focus on environmental studies and career preparation.

Humboldt opened for the 1889-1890 school year in a 316,000 square feet (29,400 m2) building, built in 1888. The school was the first high school on the West Side and the only one to be built since. In the 1999-2000 school year Humboldt was placed on academic probation by Saint Paul Public Schools due to low test scores. A related report stated problems for the junior high as: "Poor attendance and a huge tardiness problem. Teacher competency varies. Technology is not meaningfully worked into instruction. School needs its own principal, not shared with the high school" and problems for the high school included "Too many students do not take school seriously. Many staff members set low expectations for students." The following year Humboldt posted some of the largest gains in a state standardized tenth grade writing test.

In 2005 plans were approved to give Humboldt a $1.4 million upgrade to the school's athletic facilities. A new artificial turf stadium with new bleachers and a new scoreboard was built. Humboldt is a comprehensive high school and offers courses for college preparation and vocational training. Humboldt offers Advanced Placement classes as well as College in the Schools classes Students are able to enroll in PSEO classes at local colleges and universities. Humboldt is one of only six schools in the state of Minnesota to have an Army JROTC unit. The program began in 1994.

The school has community partnerships with several local colleges including: University of Minnesota, Hamline University, St. Olaf College, University of St. Thomas, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. It has business partnerships with local companies such as Ecolab and The Travelers Companies. There are Family And Consumer Science (FACS) classes, urban journalism classes and the school has an automotive repair program. Band and choir classes are offered.

Humboldt is the second smallest high school in the Saint Paul Public School District. The school's neighborhood attendance area covers all of the West Side of Saint Paul and stretches across the Mississippi river to cover Downtown Saint Paul and portions of the West Seventh neighborhood. The school has struggled to attract local students with only 30% of high school aged kids on the West Side attending Humboldt. A large proportion of students come from outside the neighborhood with only 37% of students being neighborhood kids.

As of the 2006-2007 school year, Humboldt enrolled 898 students. The plurality were Black, at 41%, with Hispanics, 20% and Asians, 19% being the other major ethnic groups. 17% of students identified as White. The school has the second highest rate of poverty in high schools from the Saint Paul Public School system with 80% of students qualifying for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. Free and Reduced Price Lunch is the measure of poverty for the district. The school has a large percentage of students who have limited English proficiency (39%). 24% of students qualify for special education. The school has an Adequate Yearly Progress graduation rate of 76% while only 43% of students who initially enroll graduate within four years.

Humboldt is a member of the Minnesota State High School League. competes in the Saint Paul City Conference. The school was one of the founding members of the Saint Paul City Conference. Humboldt's football team has not had a winning season since 1975. The boys soccer team holds the three longest losing streaks in the City Conference with a 60-game losing streak stretching from 1997 to 2001. Since 2006 the boys soccer program has improved greatly.

Humboldt offers nine boys' and nine girls' varsity sports. These include football (boys), wrestling (boys), tennis (boys and girls), basketball (boys and girls), baseball (boys), softball (girls), golf (boys and girls), soccer (boys and girls), volleyball (girls), badminton (girls), cross country (boys and girls) and track and field (boys and girls). Sports that are not offered at Humboldt are played in co-ops with other Saint Paul City Conference members. The school fields adapted Softball, Soccer, Bowling and Floor Hockey teams for Physically Impaired and Cognitively Impaired students.

Humboldt's teams were formerly stylized as the "Indians". School officials spent months deciding whether to change the school's team name and mascot due to the continuing Native American mascot controversy. In 1988, the school's Parent/Community Advisory Committee decided to keep the name after a 555 to 64 vote (90%). The school then proceeded to add an Indian education curriculum. There were several attempts to convince the Saint Paul School Board to keep the mascot. In 1989, a committee of the school board asked that Humboldt change its logo after the State Board of Education requested all schools in Minnesota change their mascots. Local American Indians viewed the mascot as a "symbol of ethnic and community pride". A week later the school board required Humboldt to change its mascot. The school hosted several rallies to try to save the mascot and held walk outs led by Native American students. After the district asked the state Department of Education for assistance the state department deferred the decision to the district. The district then deferred the change to the community who voted to keep the mascot.

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