The history of Black Hills State University as a public educational institution begins with an act passsed by the Dakota Territorial Legislature in 1881 and a provisional appropriation of building funds in 1883: If Spearfish and surrounding communities could obtain at least forty acres of land and hand over the deed to the Territorial government, the legislature would fund the construction of a school, "the exclusive purpose of which (would) be the instruction of persons both male and female in the art of teaching and in all the various branches that pertain to a good common school education."
The name of the institution has changed many times over the years and at times it has had more than one name:
- 1883 - Dakota Territorial Normal School
- 1885-1922 - Spearfish Normal ("Dakota Normal" and "State Normal")
- 1941 - Black Hills Teachers College
- 1964 - Black Hills State College
- 1989 - Black Hills State University
Film shot in 1913 shows students and faculty marching out and lining up in front of the main campus buildings of the time.
Black Hills State University has grown over the years and it's central mission has expanded. The institution's 2014 mission statement says the school provides "undergraduate (associate and baccalaureate) programs in the arts, humanities, education, behavioral sciences, mathematics, social sciences, natural sciences, business and technology as well as selected disciplines of strength at the graduate level."
A school-ready video clip and teacher's guide are available in SDPB's Digital Learning Library.