Iowa State University's student newspaper began publication on August 7, 1890, as the Iowa State Agricultural Student “objective to create a genuine college newspaper, one free from all alliance.” Prior to its creation, news was transmitted to the student population and alumni via The Aurora, which was published monthly by the Literary Societies of Iowa State.
The name of the paper has changed several times during its existence:
Iowa State Agricultural Student (8/7/1890-5/27/1893, 9/2/1893-11/3/1896)
Weekly Student (6/20/1893-8/26/1893)
The Student (3/15/1897-6/15/1897)
Iowa State College Student (7/28/1897-4/25/1914)
Iowa State Student (4/28/1914-3/12/1938)
Daily Iowa State Student (3/25/1938-6/4/1938)
Iowa State Daily Student (9/17/1938-8/27/1947)
Iowa State Daily (9/20/1947-Present)
The paper was published daily starting in 1938, except for summer months when it was printed on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. The frequency of distribution of the paper changed several times over its existence:
Two-week intervals (8/1890-5/1893)
Weekly (6/1893-11/1896)
Semi-monthly (3/1897-6/1897)
Weekly (7/1897-6/1901)
Semi-weekly (9/1901-5/1906)
Weekly (8/1906-6/1914)
Three times per week (9/1914-3/1938)
Daily (M-F) (3/25/1938-3/13/2020)
For many years, the Iowa State Daily offices were in Hamilton Hall. In 2015, their offices moved to the Kingland Building in the Campustown area of Ames.
The Daily moved to publishing an online-only paper and ceased printing physical copies in 2020.
Scope and Contents Note
This collection contains digital copies of the Daily from 1890 to 2010. Digital copies of issues from 2011-2019 are accessible in the digital repository (https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/99154).
Abstract Note
Iowa State University's student newspaper began publication on August 7, 1890, as the Iowa State Agricultural Student. The name would eventually change to the Iowa State Daily in 1947. This collection contains clippings, written histories, promotional materials, information on lawsuits brought against the Daily, and a sampling of original issues of the paper dating from the 1890s through the 1960s.
This collection contains digital copies of the Daily from 1890 to 2010. Digital copies of issues from 2011-2019 are accessible in the digital repository (https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/99154).
Existence and Location of Originals
Original issues of the Iowa State Daily (in all its previous iterations) can be found in the Iowa State University Special Collections and University Archives. Email archives@iastate.edu for more information.