With the cessation of the hostilities that marked the end of the
Spanish–American War in 1898, Filipino and American educators agreed that the best way to rebuild a devastated nation was through the establishment of a sound education system. Eight
normal schools were then established in the Philippines by the Americans. One of them was the
Zamboanga Normal School established in 1904. As a secondary school, the Zamboanga Normal School offered a general academic curriculum under the
Department of Mindanao and Sulu primarily designed to cater to the needs of cultural minorities in the provinces of
Cotabato,
Davao,
Lanao,
Sulu, and Zamboanga. In June 1921, the secondary normal curriculum of the Zamboanga Normal School had to be phased out for lack of enrollees. It was re-opened the following year and produced its first batch of graduates in 1926. Until the end of school year 1939–1940, the general secondary academic and normal curricula continued to be simultaneously offered. As a result of the opening of the Zamboanga City High School in 1939, the general secondary academic curriculum was discontinued but was offered at the college level. It was briefly disrupted with the outbreak of the
Second World War. After the war, the school resumed operations enabling those who started first year in the two-year collegiate normal curriculum before the war to continue as sophomore students. In April 1946 they were awarded the Elementary Teacher's Certificate (E.T.C.). The secondary normal curriculum was offered only during the summer term until 1952. Upon its conversion to the
Zamboanga Normal College on June 17, 1961,. by virtue of Republic Act No. 3272, the Zamboanga Normal College was placed under the direct supervision of the Bureau of Public Schools (BPS) until its autonomy in 1963. Gradually, it started to offer new degree programs. The Zamboanga del Norte Agricultural College was the former name of the
Tampilisan campus of Western Mindanao State University. The passage of Republic Act No. 3889 on June 18, 1964, caused the conversion of the Zamboanga del Norte National Agricultural School in
Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, to become a college known as Zamboanga del Norte Agricultural College. The amendment of Republic Act No. 3272 on June 26, 1969 by Republic Act No. 5492 resulted in the conversion of the Zamboanga Normal School into the
Zamboanga State College. Considering the demands of a growing population in a rapidly changing society and upon the initiative of Western Mindanao Regional Commissioner
Rear Admiral Romulo Espaldon, President
Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 1427 on June 10, 1978, elevating the Zamboanga State College into the
Western Mindanao State University. Since its conversion into a state university, the following university presidents have taken its leadership: Dr. Juanito A. Bruno, as Acting President (1978–1986); Dr. Bernabela L. Ko, as first full-fledged president (1986–1991); Dr. Erdulfo B. Fernando (1991–1997); Dr. Eldigario D. Gonzales, DPA, CSEE (1997–2007); Dr. Grace Rebollos, the university's first
summa cum laude graduate (2007–2012); Dr. Milabel Enriquez-Ho (2012–2020); Dr. Ma. Carla Ochotorena (2020–Present). Today, WMSU has a total of 1,000 teaching and administrative support staff catering to over 20,000 students. The university's College of Teacher Education and College of Forestry have been designated as a Centers of Development by the
Commission on Higher Education. ==Campuses==