Zidnak, Pete

In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San Jose, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal School is now San Jose State University offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.

The chronology of San Jose State University's various name changes is as follows: Minns' Evening Normal School is founded in 1857; is renamed California State Normal School in 1862; becomes San Jose State Normal School in 1887; is renamed San Jose State Teachers College in 1921; becomes San Jose State College in 1935; is incorporated into the California State Colleges (now the 23-campus California State University system) in 1961; becomes California State University, San Jose, in 1972; and is renamed its current title, San Jose State University, in 1974.

Dr. Pete Zidnak (1917-2000) received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Southern California. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army and was awarded the Purple Heart. Dr. Zidnak began his career at SJSU in 1957 as a Professor of Business and retired in 1982. He was awarded Emeritus status in 1983. Following retirement, he began compiling a history of intercollegiate athletics at SJSU. From 1991-1996, Dr. Zidnak gathered data and facts about campus sports by utilizing past school newspapers and other archival materials. Dr. Zidnak chronicled the development of the school's intercollegiate competition as far back as the 1890s. Dr. Pete Zidnak died in San Jose, California in 2000.

From the description of Pete Zidnak collection of San Jose State University sports history, 1890-1995. (San Jose Public Library). WorldCat record id: 559114335