NAU opened its doors as Northern Arizona Normal School in 1899 with two faculty and an enrollment of thirty-seven. By 1966, the school had changed names four times. Today, NAU ranks among the top 4 percent of universities in terms of student enrollment (19,000 students). The University emphasizes high-quality undergraduate education while offering graduate programs leading to master's and doctoral degrees.

Historian Platt Cline has characterized NAU as an institution that survived against the odds, one that skirmished with a skeptical legislature and competed with sister institutions in southern Arizona. He rightly credits strong leadership and united community support for the school's success. Yet, the reason the institution has thrived must also be attributed to former students and faculty.

The records of NAU and the stories of those who made it great are part of the University Archives. Over 600 boxes of documents, numerous publications, and 100,000 photographs document this rich history.