Portland State University is Oregon's first and only urban university. The 50-acre downtown Portland campus—with the motto "Let Knowledge Serve the City"—places students in a vibrant center of culture, business and technology. This allows students to participate in internships and community-based projects in these fields as well as education, social services, and government.

To meet the education needs of GIs home from World War II battlefields, Portland State University found its first home in Vanport, a city along the Columbia River built to house wartime shipyard workers. The Vanport Extension Center opened its doors the summer of 1946 to 220 students, offering the first two years of college study.

The institution survived a devastating flood in 1948 and was moved three times, ultimately residing at its current location in downtown Portland, Oregon, on the iconic South Park Blocks in 1952.

In recognition of its quality and tenacity, the Oregon Legislature granted it a four-year college status in 1955. For the new Portland State College, this was the first spark in an explosion of growth—in programs, faculty, and students—leading to full university status in 1969.

We invite you to enjoy a timeline of Portland State University's history in pictures and view additional historical images in the Library Archives Digital Image Gallery.