San Jose State's version of the Great Seal of California, showing its authentic 1862 year of establishment.

The Legislature created the California State Normal School, the institution that became both SJSU and the CSU system on May 2, 1862, a law which remains in effect to this day.  The San Jose campus recognized this date until about 1957, when a committee planning 1957 "cennential" celebration purported to change the school's time establishment to some unspecified date in 1857.  Historical documents indicate that the committee claimed it had the permission of the Legislature to make this change, but no evidence of this is cited.

The 1857 year refers to the year of establishment of a San Francisco evening high school class to train teachers.  According to historical accounts, the primary name of this high school class was the "San Francisco Normal School" but San Jose State supporters tend to refer to it as "Minns Evening Normal School." 

In addition to violating the willl of the people of the State of California as expressed by its Legislature, use of this date doesn't make sense as a University's year of establishment, since it refers to the date of establishment of a high school class, and not of an institution of higher learning.

CSU activists in San Jose believe the real reason for the year of establishment change was to hide and obfuscate San Jose's identity as the original Cal State insitution of higher learning, an identity that is systematically repressed by the San Jose State Alumni Association and the University administration it currently controls.  Under pressure from such San Jose Statists, the CSU system last year also changed its Seal to reflect the 1857 year. 

CSU-oriented students and alumni in San Jose, on the other hand, consider their school's identity and status as the oldest and original CSU campus a prestigious and valuable asset that can help enhance the recognition of their school and the value of their degrees.

CSU alumni with legal training and experience have brought this violation of California law to the attention of SJSU and CSU officials, who are urged to restore full recognition of the May 2, 1862, year of establishment of SJSU/CSU by all agencies of the State of California. In the event no such changes take place, advocates for the legal rights of CSU students and alumni will take further action to try to enforce California law and secure its benefits for all CSU students, alumni and educators.

In the meantime, CSU activists in San Jose urge Californians and others not to participate in any so-called SJSU 150th celebrations and not to purchase and SJSU 1857 gear from Spartan Shops. CSU students and alumni are also urged to lobby SJSU and the CSU for quick restoration of May 2, 1862, as the official date of establishment of both SJSU and the CSU system.