The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL or UW-La Crosse) is a public university in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Established in 1909, it is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. With 9,600 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students, UW-La Crosse is composed of four schools and colleges offering 102 undergraduate programs, 31 graduate programs, and 2 doctoral programs. UW-La Crosse has over 85,000 alumni across all 50 U.S. states and 57 countries. The university is classified among "Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs" and had research expenditures of $3 million in 2020. Nationally recognized programs include occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant offerings at the graduate level. UWL also offers a top ranked archaeology and anthropology undergraduate degree program, the only one in the Midwest and one of few nationally. The UW-La Crosse Eagle's 21 athletic teams compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, in NCAA's Division III. The university mascot is Stryker the Eagle. History The early years The university was founded as the La Crosse State Normal School in 1909, the eighth of nine state normal schools established in Wisconsin between 1866 and 1916 for the purpose of teacher preparation. Thomas Morris sponsored the bill in the Wisconsin State Senate that led to the university's creation. Initially, the La Crosse State Normal School was authorized to offer two-year programs to prepare students for the teaching profession. Main Hall (now Maurice O. Graff Main Hall), the original building on campus, was constructed the year the school was founded. The La Crosse State Normal School opened its doors later that same year with Fassett A. Cotton as its first president. La Crosse State Normal School students began organizing several extra-curricular activities within two years of the school's founding. In 1910, students published the first campus newspaper, The Racquet, which is still published today. The Physical Education Club was formed in 1912, making it the longest continuous organization in the school's history. The Physical Education Building (now Wittich Hall), the original physical education building, was completed in 1916 after delays due to the start of World War I. This was not the only setback for the school during this period. The school struggled through serious declines in enrollment and funding following World War I and throughout the Great Depression. In 1926, George M. Snodgrass became the school's third president, replacing Ernest A. Smith, who served