Short answers, pulled from the story.
Michigan Governor Kinsley S. Bingham signed a bill establishing the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan on the 12th of February 1855. John Clough Holmes convinced the state legislature to pass this act just months earlier.
Joseph R. Williams served as the first president and pushed for an all-round education that included natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, and political economy alongside practical farming skills. The State Board of Education soon clashed with Williams over his broad curriculum and demanded a return to strict agricultural focus.
John A. Hannah launched the largest expansion in the institution's history following World War II when he became secretary of the State Board of Agriculture and later president of the college. Enrollment grew from 15,000 students in 1950 to 38,000 by 1965 due to the 1945 G.I. Bill enabling thousands of veterans to attend classes.
The contiguous campus spans 5,200 acres with 563 buildings including 107 academic structures and 166 housing units. Development started in 1856 with three buildings: College Hall, Saints' Rest dormitory, and a barn.
The Spartans won national championships in football in 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, and 1966. They claimed victories in men's basketball in 1979 and 2000 while ice hockey titles were secured in 1966, 1986, and 2007.
On the 16th of May 2018, the university agreed to pay victims $500 million after 156 victims came forward between filing and sentencing. President Lou Anna Simon resigned in January 2018 amid mounting pressure following these allegations.