108-713: The Elliott-Larsen Building is a state government office in downtown Lansing, Michigan , named after Democratic State Representative Daisy Elliott and Republican State Representative Melvin Larsen , primary sponsors of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act . It was formerly known as the Lewis Cass Building , named after territorial governor Lewis Cass . It is the Michigan state government's oldest standing office building. The building
216-418: A carillon clock tower marking the site of College Hall , the original classroom building. To the east lies Eustace–Cole Hall , America's first freestanding horticulture laboratory. Other landmarks include the bronze statue of former president John A. Hannah , the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden , and the painted boulder known as " The Rock ", a popular spot for theater, tailgating , and candlelight vigils. On
324-468: A 12-year-old, 3,000-pound female dancing elephant named Rajje (alternately reported as Raji and Little Rajjee, among other variations) rebelled against her trainer during a performance in a shopping-center circus near what was then Logan Street and Holmes Road in Lansing, and escaped into the streets, aggravated by the frenzied pursuit of nearly 4,000 local residents. The incident ended with the shooting of
432-618: A Midwestern humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb/Dfa ) that is influenced by the Great Lakes , and is part of USDA Hardiness zone 5b. Winters are cold with moderate to heavy snowfall, while summers are very warm and humid. The monthly daily average temperature in July is 71.5 °F (21.9 °C), while the same figure for January is 23.4 °F (−4.8 °C); the annual mean is 48.21 °F (9.01 °C). On average, temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) on 8.8 days of
540-616: A business conference, sporting event or an on-campus visit. Besides a lodging facility, the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center is a "learning laboratory for the 300–400 students each year that are enrolled in The School of Hospitality Business and other majors." The Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center strives to facilitate education by hosting conferences and seminars. MSU ran a small campus at Dubai Knowledge Village , Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It first offered only one program,
648-424: A church and a public and academic square. 16 men bought plots in the nonexistent city, and upon reaching the area later that year found they were the victims of the scam. Many in the group, disappointed and now without funds to move on again, opted to stay and ended up settling around what is now metropolitan Lansing. The story has persisted due to a 1904 newspaper article, which cited a memoir told by Daniel W. Buck,
756-525: A consensus because of constant political wrangling, the Michigan House of Representatives privately chose the Township of Lansing out of frustration. When announced, many present openly laughed that such an insignificant settlement was now Michigan's capital. Two months later, Governor William L. Greenly signed into law the act of the legislature making Lansing Township the state capital. With
864-399: A drastic reduction in enrollment. There was a high demand for an all-round education grounded in the liberal arts tradition instead of a specialized agriculture program, a fact the board disregarded. With a sharp decrease in tuition revenue, the college was soon in dire financial straits and threatened with dissolution. In 1860, Williams became acting lieutenant governor and helped pass
972-477: A growing season of 149 days. The average window for measurable snow (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) is November 4 through April 6. See or edit raw graph data . As of the 2010 census , there were 114,297 people, 48,450 households, and 26,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,174.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,225.8/km ). There were 54,181 housing units at an average density of 1,505.0 per square mile (581.1/km ). The racial makeup of
1080-511: A lesser extent along Kalamazoo Street. It is anchored by Frandor Shopping Center on the very eastern edge of the eastside. The Westside, roughly located north, west, and south of the Grand River as it curves through the city, is sometimes regarded as the city's most socio-economically diverse section. This side also contains Lansing's downtown area, though this neighborhood is often included as an area all its own. Outside downtown, this side
1188-454: A long history of academic research and innovation. In 1877, botany professor William J. Beal performed the first documented genetic crosses to produce hybrid corn , which led to increased yields. MSU dairy professor G. Malcolm Trout improved the process for the homogenization of milk in the 1930s, making it more commercially viable. In the 1960s, MSU scientists developed cisplatin , a leading cancer fighting drug, and followed that work with
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#17327759748131296-621: A master's program in human resources and labor relations. In 2011, it added a master's program in Public Health. Previously, MSU established an education center in Dubai that offered six undergraduate programs, thereby becoming the first American university with a presence in Dubai International Academic City . The university attracted 100 students in 2007, its first year, but the school was unable to achieve
1404-677: A middle-50% LSAT range of 157-161 for the 2023 first year class. USNWR Global Program Rankings USNWR National Undergraduate Rankings USNWR National Graduate Rankings In its 2025 rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked MSU 122nd in the world. Michigan State ranks 151st in the world for 2022, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities . Washington Monthly ranks MSU 43rd nationally for 2024. The 2025 QS World University Rankings placed it at 152nd internationally. In its 2024-2025 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked it as tied for
1512-483: A modest library and four hundred British pounds led to a major university that bears his name, implying that the college's debt to Holmes is far greater. William J. Beal called Holmes "the most important agent" of the college. Holmes Hall, the home of the Lyman Briggs College , is named in his honor. The State Board of Education was designated as the institution's governing body. The board also oversaw
1620-988: A movement that led to the establishment of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855, the first of its kind in the United States, predating the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania (founded in 1855, renamed in 1862), the Maryland Agricultural College (founded in 1856), the Iowa Agricultural College (founded in 1858), the State Agricultural College within the University of Georgia (founded in 1859), and
1728-557: A respected Lansing mayor and son of one of the early pioneers. His story was cited in Michigan pioneer papers and retold in newspaper articles multiple times in the decades that followed. His characterization of the city as being born from a "land scam" was incorrect, though his story had some elements of truth as well. The brothers were William and Jerry Ford. Although they were originally from New York, they were well-respected businessmen who hailed from Jackson and were instrumental during its earliest years. In 1836, they bought 290 acres in
1836-485: A rolling admissions system, with an early admission deadline in October, and does not offer an early decision plan. The 2022 annual ranking of U.S. News & World Report categorizes MSU as "more selective." For freshmen enrolled fall 2024, Michigan State received 62,138 applications and accepted 52,690 (84.8%). Of those accepted, 9,625 enrolled, a yield rate (the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend
1944-577: A tributary of the Red Cedar, flows northward through the southeastern part of the city. There are two lakes in the area, Park Lake and Lake Lansing , both northeast of the city. Lake Lansing is approximately 500 acres (2.0 km ) in size and is a summer favorite for swimmers, boaters, and fishermen. Michigan State University Sailing Club and the Lansing Sailing Club are located on Lake Lansing, where sailing regattas are hosted throughout
2052-820: Is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university's campus houses the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams , the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden , the Abrams Planetarium , the Wharton Center for Performing Arts , the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum , and the country's largest residence hall system. The university's six professional schools include
2160-750: Is constructed on five of the university's largest commuter parking lots and covers 5,000 parking spaces. The solar carports are designed to deliver a peak power of 10.5 Megawatts and an annual energy of 15 million kilowatt-hours, which is enough to power approximately 1,800 Michigan homes. The solar carport project was recognized at the Smart Energy Decisions Innovation Summit 2018, earning the Onsite Renewable Energy award for “The Largest Carport Solar Array in North America.” Some land owned by MSU
2268-632: Is home to Michigan State University , a public research university with an enrollment of more than 50,000. The area features two medical schools , one veterinary school, two nursing schools , and two law schools . It is the site of the Michigan State Capitol , the state Supreme Court , the Court of Appeals , a federal court , the Library of Michigan and Historical Center, and headquarters of four national insurance companies. Lansing
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#17327759748132376-510: Is in Lansing , Lansing Charter Township , and Meridian Charter Township . The oldest part of campus lies on the Red Cedar river's north bank. It includes Collegiate Gothic architecture, plentiful trees, and curving roads with few straight lines. The college built its first three buildings here, of which none survive. Other historic buildings north of the river include the president's official residence, Cowles House ; and Beaumont Tower ,
2484-578: Is largely a collection of residential neighborhoods and is served by only one other commercial area along Saginaw Street. However, it also includes a small part of the Old Town Commercial Association. The Northwestside, generally located north of the Grand River, with the city limits defining its north and western borders, is physically the smallest side of the city. This part of the city includes moderate-density residential areas and some green areas. North of Grand River Avenue,
2592-493: Is now Tuskegee University . A few years later, Myrtle Craig became the first woman African American student to enroll at the college. Two years later, the college changed its name to Michigan Agricultural College . During the early 20th century, Michigan Agricultural College expanded its curriculum well beyond agriculture. By 1925, it had expanded enough to change its name to Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science (MSC), or "Michigan State" for short. In 1941,
2700-622: Is one of the seven college-sponsors of the National Merit Scholarship Program in the state. The university sponsored 30 Merit Scholarship awards in 2020. In the 2020–2021 academic year, 38 first-year students were National Merit Scholars . For Fall 2023, the Michigan State University College of Law received 1,458 applications and accepted 574 (39.37%). Of those accepted, 203 enrolled, a yield rate of 35.75%. The College of Law had
2808-530: Is perched on the banks of the Red Cedar River . Development of the campus started in 1856 with three buildings: a multipurpose College Hall building, a dormitory later called " Saints' Rest ", and a barn. Today, MSU's contiguous campus consists of 5,300 acres (2,100 ha), 2,000 acres (810 ha) of which are developed. There are 563 buildings: 107 for academics, 131 for agriculture, 166 for housing and food service , and 42 for athletics. Overall,
2916-453: Is ranked 22nd, the master's accounting program is ranked 15th, and the doctoral program is ranked 18th, according to the 2018 Public Accounting Report ' s Annual Survey of Accounting Professors. The MBA program is ranked 27th in the U.S. by Forbes magazine. The College of Communication Arts and Sciences was established in 1955 and was the first of its kind in the United States. The college's Media and Information Studies doctoral program
3024-471: Is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan and the most populous city in Ingham County . It is mostly in the county, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County . The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making it the sixth most populous city in Michigan . The population of its metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) was 541,297 at
3132-537: Is the largest area of the city by both physical size and population, it has often been regarded by Southside citizens as Lansing's most overlooked and forgotten area, as most of Lansing's attention in recent decades has been put into the revitalization of the city's historic core located mostly on small parts of both the East and Westside. The middle of the Southside—South-Central Lansing—contains
3240-500: Is the largest of these campuses, with plans to expand the campus in coming years. The Secchia Campus partners with multiple hospitals on Grand Rapids' Medical Mile . Other Michigan cities with campuses include Flint ( Ascension Genesys Hospital , Hurley Medical Center , and McLaren Flint ), Midland , Traverse City ( Munson Medical Center ), Marquette ( UP Health System ), Southfield ( Ascension Providence Hospital ), and Detroit ( Henry Ford Health ). Michigan State offers
3348-400: Is the only U.S. state capital (among the 47 located in counties) that is not also a county seat . The seat of government of Ingham County is Mason , but the county maintains some offices in Lansing. The first recorded person of European descent to travel through the area that is now Lansing was British fur trader Hugh Heward and his French-Canadian team on April 24, 1790, while canoeing
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3456-547: Is the university's contemporary art museum. The MSU Museum is the university's oldest museum, founded in 1857. It is Michigan's first Smithsonian Affiliate . The museum holds collections in anthropology , folklife , cultural heritage and history, mammalogy , ornithology , herpetology , ichthyology , and vertebrate paleontology . Michigan State University Libraries comprise North America's 29th largest academic library system with over 4.9 million volumes and 6.7 million microforms . The university has
3564-871: The College of Law (founded in Detroit , in 1891, as the Detroit College of Law and moved to East Lansing in 1995), Eli Broad College of Business ; the College of Nursing , the College of Osteopathic Medicine (the world's first state-funded osteopathic college ), the College of Human Medicine , and the College of Veterinary Medicine . The university pioneered the studies of music therapy , packaging , hospitality business , supply chain management , and communication sciences . University faculty, alumni, and affiliates include 2 Nobel Prize laureates, 20 Rhodes Scholars , 20 Marshall Scholars , and 8 Pulitzer Prize winners. The Michigan State Spartans compete in
3672-583: The Grand River . The land that was to become Lansing was surveyed as "Township 4 North Range 2 West" in February 1827 in what was then dense forest. It was the last of the county's townships to be surveyed, and the land was not offered for sale until October 1830. There would be no roads to this area for decades to come. Historians have lamented the persistence of a myth about Lansing's founding. The incorrect story of Lansing's beginnings states that in
3780-644: The Massachusetts Agricultural College (founded in 1863). The Michigan Farmer, a leading agricultural periodical, and the Michigan State Agricultural Society led public discussions relative to the virtues and benefits of an agricultural college for the state's farmers and economy. To no one man is the College so much indebted as John Clough Holmes . In early 1855, John Clough Holmes , secretary of
3888-556: The Michigan State Normal School in Ypsilanti , which had opened in 1852. Classes began on May 13, 1857, with three buildings, five faculty members, and 63 male students. Joseph R. Williams , the first president and a passionate promoter of interdisciplinary liberal arts education , encouraged a curriculum that went far beyond practical agriculture: "The course of instruction in said college shall include
3996-537: The Morrill Land-Grant Acts to support similar colleges nationally, the first instance of federal funding for education. Shortly thereafter, on March 18, 1863, the state designated the college its land-grant institution making Michigan State University the nation's first land-grant college. The federal funding had rescued the Agricultural College from extinction. Although the school's then-isolated location limited student housing and enrollment during
4104-524: The NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference . Spartan teams have won national championships in many sports, including football, men's basketball, ice hockey, and women's cross-country. The rise of scientific agriculture in Europe in the first half of the nineteenth century and the desire for formal agricultural education at the college level by forward looking agriculturalists in Michigan gave impetus to
4212-492: The "Village of Michigan". On February 16, 1842, Alaiedon township was split into the townships of Lansing, Delhi and Meridian (originally suggested as "Genoa") based on a petition submitted in December 1841 by Henry North, Roswell Everett and Zalmon Holmes. Henry North proposed the name "Lansing" for the township at the request of his father, who wanted it named after their old town of Lansing, New York . On February 15, 1859,
4320-523: The 100–150 new students per year needed for the program to be viable, and in 2010 MSU closed the program and the campus. MSU has a large presence in downtown Detroit . This campus includes programs with the College of Education, Detroit Outreach Admissions, MSU Community Music School of Detroit, and the Study of Active Neighborhoods in Detroit (StAND). MSU began a partnership with Apple in 2022, creating
4428-724: The 14% of the incoming freshman class who submitted ACT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite score was between 24 and 30. The university has seen steady increases to its applicant pool in recent decades, and the number of applications has more than doubled since the Class of 2007 received 24,436 applications. Michigan state law does not require the state's public universities to reserve their spaces for Michigan residents. Together with Michigan Technological University , Wayne State University , Kalamazoo College , Hillsdale College , Calvin University , and Hope College , Michigan State
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4536-432: The 19th century, the college became reputable, largely due to alumni who went on to distinguished careers, many of whom led or taught in other land-grant colleges. While the institution emphasized scientific agriculture, its graduates went into a wide variety of professions. The college first admitted women in 1870, although there were no female residence halls. The few women who enrolled boarded with faculty families or made
4644-400: The 2020 census, the third largest in the state after metropolitan Detroit and Grand Rapids . It was named the new state capital of Michigan in 1847, ten years after Michigan became a state. The Lansing metropolitan area , colloquially referred to as "Mid-Michigan", is an important center for educational, cultural, governmental, commercial, and industrial functions. Neighboring East Lansing
4752-581: The 30th best public university in the United States, tied for 63rd nationally and tied for 37th among best universities for veterans. In its 2020 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the following MSU graduate programs number one in the country: elementary teacher education and secondary teacher education (#1 for 26 straight years), African history (tied), curriculum and instruction (tied), industrial and organizational psychology , nuclear physics, rehabilitation counseling (tied), and supply chain management/logistics. The Eli Broad College of Business
4860-702: The Air Quality Control Lab and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center doubles as a 4-star hotel and a business-friendly conference center. It is on the northwest corner of Michigan State University's campus, across from the Brody Complex , on Harrison Road just south of Michigan Avenue. The hotel's 160 rooms and suites can accommodate anyone staying in East Lansing for
4968-654: The Apple Developer Academy. On June 13, 2023, MSU purchased a majority stake in Detroit's iconic Fisher Building . The MSU Research Foundation opened a startup incubator inside the Fisher Building later that year. In early 2023 MSU announced they would begin collaborating with Henry Ford Health on a new research center in Detroit. The College of Human Medicine currently operates smaller campuses as partnerships with local health systems in multiple Michigan cities. The Grand Rapids Secchia Campus
5076-702: The Broad College of Business. This part of campus is home to the MSU Horticulture Gardens and the adjoining 4-H Children's Garden. South of the gardens lie the Canadian National and CSX railroads, which divide the main campus from thousands of acres of university-owned farmland. The university's agricultural facilities include the Horse, Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Poultry Teaching and Research Farms, as well as
5184-455: The City of Lansing, and does not include the 0.18 square miles (0.47 km ) of the combined Hawk Island County Park and adjacent Soldan Dog Park operated by Ingham County within the city of Lansing. All together then, 3.55 square miles (9.2 km ) of the city (or approximately 10%) is publicly administered open space. The city's downtown is dominated by state government buildings, especially
5292-539: The Eastside, Westside, Northwestside, and Southside. Each section contains a diverse array of neighborhoods. The Eastside, located east of the Grand River and north of the Red Cedar River, is the most ethnically diverse side of Lansing, with foreign-born citizens making up more of its population than any other side in the city. The Eastside's commercial districts are located mainly along Michigan Avenue, and to
5400-637: The Old Everett Area. This location once contained the Everett School District and was annexed into the city in 1948. Unincorporated areas adjacent to Lansing include parts of Lansing Charter Township , such as the unincorporated community of Edgemont Park , as well as parts of Delta Charter Township , such as the unincorporated community of Waverly . Though they are not part of the City of Lansing, these unincorporated communities often use Lansing mailing addresses. Lansing has
5508-581: The Pixie-Eared Elephant" in continuity with the ambush of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in his introduction to a 1968 biography of the outlaws. Then teenage Lansing residents who had goaded the elephant later on recalled the incident with sober regret in a local newspaper retrospective in 2011. Lansing is the centerpiece of a region of Michigan known as Mid-Michigan . According to the United States Census Bureau ,
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#17327759748135616-574: The Reorganization Act of 1861. This restored the college's four-year curriculum and gave the college the power to grant master's degrees. Under the act, a newly created body, known as the State Board of Agriculture, took over from the State Board of Education in running the institution. The college changed its name to State Agricultural College , and its first class graduated in the same year. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed
5724-611: The Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, John A. Hannah , became president of the college. After World War II, Hannah began the largest expansion in the institution's history, with the help of the 1945 G.I. Bill , which helped World War II veterans gain college educations. One of Hannah's strategies was to build a new dormitory building, enroll enough students to fill it, and use the income to start construction of another dormitory. Under his plan, enrollment increased from 15,000 in 1950 to 38,000 in 1965. Six years later, during
5832-473: The State Capitol; but downtown has also experienced recent growth in new restaurants, retail stores and residential developments. Downtown Lansing had a historic city market that was one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the United States, until it closed in 2019. Downriver and north of downtown is historic Old Town Lansing with many architecturally significant buildings dating to
5940-458: The State of Michigan , the first of its kind in the country. After the introduction of the Morrill Act in 1862, the state designated the college a land-grant institution in 1863, making it the first of the land-grant colleges in the United States. The college became coeducational in 1870. Today, Michigan State has facilities all across the state and over 634,000 alumni. Michigan State
6048-495: The State of Michigan offered courses of study that would characterize the land-grant philosophy of higher education after the passage of the Morrill Act in 1862. Michigan's agricultural college educated people to be well-informed citizens, as well as good farmers. However, after just two years, Williams ran into conflict with the managing State Board of Education. Despite Williams' eloquent defense of an all-round education for
6156-424: The age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under
6264-474: The age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 34,833, and the median income for a family was $ 41,283. Males had a median income of $ 32,648 versus $ 27,051 for females. The per capita income for
6372-487: The ages of 18 and 24; 30.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 9.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 119,128 people, 49,505 households, and 28,366 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,399.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,312.4/km ). There were 53,159 housing units at an average density of 1,516.8 per square mile (585.6/km ). The racial makeup of
6480-489: The agricultural society, convinced the legislature to pass an act establishing "a State Agricultural School" to be located on a site selected by the Michigan State Agricultural Society within ten miles of Lansing. On February 12, 1855, Michigan Governor Kinsley S. Bingham signed a bill establishing the nation's first agriculture college, the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan . Professor Lautner contrasts Holmes' legacy with that of John Harvard , whose donation of
6588-453: The announcement that Lansing Township had been made the capital, the small settlement quickly transformed into the seat of state government. Within months after it became the capital city, further individual settlements began to develop around it, along three key points along the Grand River in the township: The collection of original settlements ("Upper Town", "Lower Town" and "Middle Town") had for some years been collectively referred to as
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#17327759748136696-661: The arduous stagecoach trek from Lansing. From the early days, female students took the same rigorous scientific agriculture courses as male students. In 1896, the faculty created a "Women Course" that melded a home economics curriculum with liberal arts and sciences. That same year, the college turned the Abbot Hall male dorm into a women's dormitory. It was not until 1899 that the State Agricultural College admitted its first African American student, William O. Thompson. After graduation, he taught at what
6804-612: The campus's northwest corner is the university's hotel, the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The university also has two museums. MSU Museum , initiated in 1857, is one of the Midwest's oldest museums and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum , designed by Zaha Hadid , opened in 2012 as MSU's primary art gallery, and features art from MSU's permanent collection as well as from graduate students on campus. The campus south of
6912-430: The city has a total area of 36.68 square miles (95.00 km ), of which 36.05 square miles (93.37 km ) is land and 0.63 square miles (1.63 km ) is water. This figure includes two 425 Agreements with Alaiedon Township and Meridian Township, and the four 425 Agreements with Delta Township since 2000. Since the 2010 census, the city has entered into two additional 425 Agreements. The first agreement consisted of
7020-494: The city in 1813, but these events led to the dire need to have the center of government relocated further away from hostile British territory . There was also concern with Detroit's strong influence over Michigan politics, being the state's largest city as well as the capital city. During the multi-day session to determine a new location for the state capital, many cities, including Ann Arbor , Marshall , and Jackson , lobbied hard to win this designation. Unable to publicly reach
7128-477: The city was $ 17,924. About 13.2% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over. Michigan State University Michigan State University ( Michigan State or MSU ) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan , United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of
7236-415: The city was 61.2% White (55.5% non-Hispanic White), 23.7% African American, 0.8% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population. Foreign-born residents made up 8.3% of the population. The median age in the city was 32.2 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.3% were between
7344-491: The city was 65.28% White (61.4% non-Hispanic White), 21.91% African American, 0.80% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.54% from other races, and 4.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.0% of the population. The city's foreign-born population stood at 5.9%. As of 2000, the city's population rose by 32,293 (27%) to 151,421 during the day due to the influx of workers. There were 49,505 households, out of which 30.0% had children under
7452-583: The city's economy is diversified among government service, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, banking, and education. In the late 1840s to early 1850s, the citizens of Lansing were unified against slavery, and the city became a secondary stop on the Underground Railroad , as one of the last steps of an escape route that led through Battle Creek, Schoolcraft and Cassopolis. From Lansing, the route led to Durand, and then to either Port Huron or Detroit. The Kerns Hotel fire on December 11, 1934,
7560-522: The city. The area is largely residential in nature (south of Mount Hope Road near the northern edge) and is served by numerous commercial strips along Cedar Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard , Pennsylvania Avenue, and Waverly Road, which run north–south. The large Edgewood District is located in the southernmost part of the Southside and is sometimes referred to as South Lansing. Though it
7668-627: The derivative, carboplatin . Albert Fert , an Adjunct professor at MSU, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics together with Peter Grünberg . Michigan State continues its research with facilities such as the U.S. Department of Energy -sponsored MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and a particle accelerator called the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory . The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science named Michigan State University as
7776-505: The element germanium , called Ge-60. In that same year, Michigan State, in consortium with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the government of Brazil , broke ground on the 4.1-meter Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR) in the Andes Mountains of Chile . The consortium telescope will allow the Physics & Astronomy department to study galaxy formation and origins. Since 1999, MSU has been part of
7884-442: The elephant by Lansing police. Provoked by the growing crowd, Rajje's rampage took her through the men's wear, sporting goods and gift departments of a local Arlan's discount store before leading police on a two-mile chase in which she knocked down and injured a 67-year-old man, tried to move a car, and caused thousands of dollars in damage before being killed. Life Magazine quoted Rajje's trainer, William Pratt, as shouting at
7992-541: The far south side of Lansing along Northrup Street near the Cedar Street intersection, to 833 feet (254 m) to 805.5 feet (246 m) above sea level along the Grand River. The Grand River, the largest river in Michigan, flows through downtown Lansing, and the Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Grand, flows through the campus of Michigan State University to its confluence with the Grand in Lansing. Sycamore Creek ,
8100-403: The following branches of education, viz: an English and scientific course, natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, animal and vegetable anatomy and physiology, geology, mineralogy, meteorology, entomology, veterinary art, mensuration, leveling and political economy, with bookkeeping and the mechanic arts which are directly connected with agriculture..." From its inception, the Agricultural College of
8208-558: The global model leader for land-grant institutions by 2012. Her plans included creating a new residential college and increased grants awarded from the National Institutes of Health past the US$ 100 million mark. While there are over 100 land-grant universities in the United States, she stated she would like Michigan State University to be the leader. MSU's sprawling campus is in East Lansing, Michigan . The campus
8316-524: The intersection of Chestnut and Kalamazoo, just south of the Red Cedar River. This replica replaced the original modernist terra cotta statue, which can still be seen inside Spartan Stadium . Notable academic and research buildings on the South Campus include the Cyclotron , the College of Law , the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building, and
8424-497: The last −20 °F (−29 °C) or colder reading occurred on February 27, 1994; the record low maximum is −4 °F (−20 °C) on January 22, 1883, while, conversely, the record high minimum is 78 °F (26 °C) on August 1, 2006, and July 18, 1942. Freezing temperatures in June are exceedingly rare and have not occurred in July or August since the 19th century; on average, they arrive on October 4 and depart on May 7, allowing
8532-435: The lawmakers who sponsored Michigan's bipartisan civil rights law of 1976 . The Elliott-Larsen Building is a six-story (originally seven-story) U-shaped Classical Revival structure with a flat roof, with a facade of cream-colored sandstone above a granite basement. A cornice separates the second and third floors, forming a base for four-story pilasters with Tuscan capitals above. An entablature with cornice runs above
8640-430: The less successful Clarkmobile around 1903. Over the next decades, the city would be transformed into a major American industrial center for the manufacturing of automobiles and parts , among other industries. The city also continued to grow in area. By 1956, the city had grown to 15 square miles (39 km ), and doubled in size over the next decade to its current size of roughly 33 square miles (85 km ). Today,
8748-457: The main street of the side, lie warehouses and light industrial areas served by a major rail line that runs through Lansing. The most notable landmark of this side is Lansing's airport: Capital Region International Airport . The Southside, usually described as the neighborhoods located south of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers and the I-496 freeway, is physically the largest and most populous side of
8856-485: The masses, the board saw the college as inefficient and had far deviated from the agriculture focus as the founder, John Clough Holmes , had anticipated. Indeed, some agriculturalists began protesting against the college's unpractical curriculum with some even calling for the college's abolition. Williams eventually resigned in 1859. The board then reduced the curriculum to a two-year, vocation-oriented farming program, which proved catastrophic and resulted almost overnight in
8964-405: The mid-19th century. Directly south of downtown on the other side of I-496 along Washington Avenue lies " REO Town ", the birthplace of the automobile in the United States, is where Ransom Eli Olds built factories along Washington Avenue. Ransom Eli Olds ' home, which once overlooked the factories along Washington Avenue, was displaced by I-496. Lansing is generally divided into four sections:
9072-616: The next two decades with the completion of the railroads through the city, a plank road , and the completion of the current capitol building in 1878. Most of what is known as Lansing today is the result of the city becoming an industrial powerhouse which began with the founding of Olds Motor Vehicle Company in August 1897. The company went through many changes, including a buyout, between its founding to 1905 when founder Ransom E. Olds started his new REO Motor Car Company , which would last in Lansing for another 70 years. Olds would be joined by
9180-442: The northwest corner of Ingham County. They platted the land and hoped to build a community they named Biddle City, located south of the convergence of the Grand River and the Red Cedar River, in Lansing's present-day REO Town neighborhood. Biddle City's plat map included plans for a public square, church square and academy square. They sold 21 parcels of it — mostly to other Michiganders, not New Yorkers — and buyers understood that it
9288-657: The pilasters. As originally built, the building had three arched entrances. After the 1951 fire, two entrances were removed, and the main entrance completely rebuilt as a projecting gray granite entryway. State of Michigan government agencies located in Elliot-Larsen Building: This article about a property in Michigan on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lansing, Michigan Lansing ( / ˈ l æ n s ɪ ŋ / )
9396-735: The ratification of the Michigan Constitution of 1964, the university's governing body changed its name from the State Board of Agriculture to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. MSU was affiliated with Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan, from the time of the latter's founding in 1957 (as Michigan State University-Oakland), until 1970 when Oakland University gained institutional independence. In September 2005, President Lou Anna Simon called for Michigan State to become
9504-475: The reconstruction, the seventh floor was removed. The building served as the primary state office building until the completion of the first part of a new state government complex in 1953. The building remains in use by the state. On June 30, 2020, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the renaming of the building as the Elliott-Larsen Building in honor of Daisy Elliott and Melvin L. Larsen ,
9612-450: The river consists mostly of post-World War II International Style buildings, and is characterized by sparser foliage, relatively straight roadways, and many parking lots. The "2020 Vision" Master Plan proposes replacing these parking lots with parking ramps and green space, but these plans will take many years to reach fruition. As part of the master plan, the university erected a new bronze statue of The Spartan in 2005 to be placed at
9720-605: The scene, "Damn these people [...] They wouldn't leave her alone." The incident was widely reported, including a photospread in Life . While the Lansing State Journal coverage stressed the danger of the incident, the Detroit Free Press noted that witnesses cried out "Murderers! Murderers!" as police fired eight shots. Author Nelson Algren cites the injustice and sad end of the pursuit of "Raji,
9828-631: The school's centennial year of 1955, the State of Michigan officially designated the school as a university, even though Hannah and others felt it had been one for decades. The college then became Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science . During the 1950s, Michigan State University was the "preeminent" example of a group of former agricultural colleges which had already evolved into state colleges and were attempting to become research universities. In 1957, Hannah continued MSU's expansion by co-founding Michigan State University–Oakland, now Oakland University , with Matilda Dodge Wilson . After
9936-454: The settlement, having grown to nearly 3,000 and encompassing about seven square miles (18 km ) in area, was incorporated as a city, carving off a section of seven square miles from Lansing Township. The boundaries of the original city were Douglas Avenue to the north, Wood and Regent streets to the east, Mount Hope Avenue to the south, and Jenison Avenue to the west. These boundaries would remain until 1916. Lansing began to grow steadily over
10044-460: The site for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) facility. Construction began in 2014 and was completed in 2022. The $ 730 million facility has a goal to attract top researchers from around the world to conduct experiments in basic nuclear science, astrophysics, and applications of isotopes to other fields. In 2004, scientists at the Cyclotron produced and observed a new isotope of
10152-542: The summer. The City of Lansing operates a total of 3.55 square miles (9.2 km ) of parkland, of which 2.80 square miles (7.3 km ) is parkland, 0.43 square miles (1.1 km ) are golflands, and 0.31 square miles (0.80 km ) are cemetery lands. However, this figure includes the Waverly Hills Golf Course and adjacent Michigan Avenue Park, whose 0.18 square miles (0.47 km ) are located within neighboring Lansing Township, but operated by
10260-621: The temporary 425 Agreements, Lansing administers 34.1 square miles (88 km ) total. Lansing is located in the south-central part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan , where the Grand River meets the Red Cedar River . The city occupies most of what had formerly been part of Lansing Charter Township. It has also annexed adjacent tracts of land in Delta Charter Township and Windsor Township in Eaton County to
10368-733: The temporary transfer of 1,888.2 acres of Lansing Capital Region International Airport to the city from DeWitt Township in 2011. The second agreement consisted of the temporary transfer of 41 acres (17 ha) in Alaiedon Township for the expansion of the headquarters of Jackson National Life Insurance Company in 2013 bringing the area either fully or conditionally under control of the city to 39.69 square miles (102.80 km ). Under Michigan law, 425 Agreements are only temporary land sharing agreements and do not count as official annexations. The Census Bureau, however, for statistical purposes does count these as annexations. Not counting
10476-415: The university has 22,763,025 square feet (2,114,754.2 m ) of indoor space. Connecting it all is 26 miles (42 km) of roads and 100 miles (160 km) of sidewalks. MSU also owns 44 non-campus properties, totaling 22,000 acres (8,900 ha) in 28 different counties. In early 2017, construction of a $ 22.5 million solar project began at five parking lots on campus. MSU's solar carport array
10584-467: The university) of 18.3%. MSU's freshman retention rate is 91.4%, with 82.52% going on to graduate within six years. The university started test-optional admissions with the fall 2021 incoming class in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has extended this through fall 2025. Of the 51% of enrolled freshmen in 2023 who submitted SAT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite scores were 1110–1320. Of
10692-730: The west, Delhi Charter Township in Ingham County to the south, and in DeWitt Charter Township in Clinton County to the north. The city also controls three non-contiguous tracts of land through 425 Agreements (conditional land transfer agreements) with Meridian Charter Township, Delta Charter Township, and Alaiedon Township in Ingham County to the southeast. It is also located between the state's two largest cities, Detroit and Grand Rapids. Lansing elevations range between 890 feet (271 m) above sea level on
10800-485: The winter of 1835 and early 1836, two brothers from New York plotted the area now known as REO Town just south of downtown Lansing and named it "Biddle City". This land lay in a floodplain and was underwater during the majority of the year. Nevertheless, the brothers went back to Lansing, New York , to sell plots for the town that did not exist. They told the New Yorkers this new "city" had an area of 65 blocks,
10908-681: The year and drop to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) on 10.5 nights. Precipitation is generally greatest during summer but still frequent and significant in winter. Snowfall, which normally occurs from November to April, averages 51.1 inches (130 cm) per season, significantly less than areas to the west such as Grand Rapids as Lansing is relatively immune to lake-effect snows ; seasonal snowfall has historically ranged from 16.6 in (42 cm) in 1863−64 to 97.2 in (247 cm) in 1880−81. The highest and lowest officially recorded temperatures were 103 °F (39 °C) on July 6, 2012 , and −37 °F (−38 °C) on February 2, 1868, with
11016-415: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "State Office Building" in 1984. The first state office building in Lansing was constructed in 1853; this was replaced with another building in 1872 and demolished the following year. By the 1910s, the state realized the need for a new office building, and funds were appropriated beginning in 1917 for a new structure. Architect Edwyn A. Bowd of Lansing
11124-481: Was commissioned to design the building, and plans were approved in 1918. Construction commenced in 1919 on the Classical Revival style building, and was completed in 1921. On February 8, 1951, the building was intentionally set on fire by a state office employee. The following morning, part of the seventh floor collapsed down to the next level, which destroyed a large number of state historical records. In
11232-477: Was from. The settlement of fewer than 20 people that would become the City of Lansing remained quiet until the winter of 1847. The state constitution required the capital be moved from Detroit to a more central and safer location in the state's interior in 1847; many were concerned about Detroit's proximity to British -controlled Canada , which had captured Detroit in the War of 1812 . The United States had recaptured
11340-541: Was not yet a real city. Unfortunately, Biddle City never took off. The financial Panic of 1837 forced the brothers to heavily mortgage the property, and the city never materialized. Biddle City was not Lansing's original name, nor a precursor to it, as the plat was located outside of Lansing's original city limits. Originally, all that existed was Lansing Township, named in 1842 by an early settler, Joseph E. North Sr., after Lansing in Tompkins County, NY, where he
11448-528: Was ranked No. 2 in 2007 by The Chronicle of Higher Education in the category of mass communication. The communication doctoral program was ranked No. 4 in a separate category of communication in The Chronicle of Higher Education' s 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, published in 2007. The college's faculty and alumni include eight Pulitzer Prize winners and a two-time Emmy Award winning recording mixer. The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
11556-481: Was ranked No. 39th nationally for 2019–20 by Bloomberg Businessweek . Ninety-two percent of the school's graduates received job offers in 2019. The latest edition of U.S. News ranked Michigan State's undergraduate and graduate supply chain management/logistics programs in the Eli Broad College of Business first in the nation. In addition, the Eli Broad College of Business undergraduate accounting program
11664-513: Was the deadliest in the city's history. Perhaps thirty-four people died in the fire, although the hotel register was also destroyed making an exact count impossible. On February 8, 1951, the Elliott-Larsen Building was intentionally set on fire by a state office employee. The following morning, the seventh floor collapsed down to the next level, which destroyed a large number of state historical records. On September 26, 1963,
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