1909, TSU, then the Tarlac Trade School, began to open its doors to high school students. By 1921, it had evolved into a full-fledged secondary school. From 1931 up to the start of World War II, it was annexed to Tarlac High School. After the war in 1946, it was separated from Tarlac High School, and in 1959, the Congress of the Philippines approved House Bill 1006 converting the Tarlac Trade School into the Tarlac School of Arts and Trades (TSAT) which began to offer collegiate technical education courses with Manuel Espinosa as its first superintendent. In 1965, TSAT obtained its status as a state college by virtue of Republic Act 4337. It was converted into the Tarlac College of Technology (TCT) and merged with the Tarlac National Agricultural School in Camiling, Tarlac. From 1965 to 1972, Mario Manese served as its first president, introducing teacher education and engineering as new courses. Jack Smith became the president in 1972. TCT's Institute of Agriculture was made into a separate state college in 1974 to be known as the Tarlac College of Agriculture, now Tarlac Agricultural University. The college underwent expansions under his administration, including the acquisition of a ten-hectare land in Barangay Binauganan known today as the Villa Lucinda Campus which became the site of the Laboratory School, College of Education, and a ground for different agricultural and industrial projects. University era Ernesto Cosme was designated as the officer in charge in September 1984, eventually becoming the TCT's last president. It was during his administration that Republic Act No. 6764 was signed into law by former President Corazon Aquino on October 13, 1989, converting TCT into Tarlac State University (TSU). This was made possible through the sponsorship of Congressmen Jose Cojuangco Jr., Jose Yap, and Hermie Aquino. On August 8, 1990, the university's Board of Regents (BOR) appointed Alejandro Fernandez, formerly a professor in the University of the Philippines, as the first president of TSU. During this time, TSU was able to acquire its eight-hectare lot for a third campus in San Isidro under a 50-year lease contract with the provincial government. Upon the end of the term of Fernandez, Graduate School Dean Priscilla Viuya was appointed as OIC from February 28 up to mid-September 1994. Rodolfo Baking, a former professor at Technological University of the Philippines, was appointed as the second president in September 1994. His administration focused on upgrading