Kent State University (also known as Kent State or KSU) is an institution of higher learning located in Kent, Ohio, United States, which is about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland, 12 miles east of Akron, and 30 miles west of Youngstown. With 34,491 students [2006] across eight campuses, it is the third largest university in Ohio after Ohio State University (57,748) and the University of Cincinnati (35,364). Regional campuses include Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas.
In 1910, the Kent State Normal School was established as a college for training public school teachers as part of the Lowery Bill which also created sister school Bowling Green State Normal School. The new school was constructed on land donated by William S. Kent (grandson of Marvin Kent, the namesake for the city of Kent) in what was then the eastern edge of Kent. The first president was John Edward McGilvrey, who served from 1912 to 1926. The school was later named Kent State Normal College, then Kent State College (after it was authorized to issue Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees), and finally Kent State University after it received university status in 1935. The bill granting Kent State university status was signed by Governor Martin L. Davey, a native of Kent, and created graduate degree program and the College of Business Administration. In 1965, Chemistry professor Glenn H. Brown established the Liquid Crystal Institute, which has become a world leader in the development of liquid crystals. In 1994, Kent State earned status as a Research University II from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. In 2000, the foundation changed its classification system and Kent State was classified as a Doctrinal/Research University-Extensive, one of just 90 public research schools in the country in this classification.
The U.S. Geological Survey National Mapping Information locates this university at 41° 08' 52" N 081° 20' 18" W.