It was previously Iowa State College, a school created through the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act.
ISU is known for its degree programs in engineering and agriculture. It consists of the Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Design, Education, Engineering, Family and Consumer Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. The Graduate College exists also, to oversee graduate study in all fields.
It is also noted for VEISHEA, an education and entertainment festival held on campus every spring. The name is an acronym created from the names of the original colleges consituting the institution when VEISHEA was established in 1922: Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics, and Agriculture. It's organizers claim it to be among the largest student-organized cultural festivals in the world.
The sports teams are nicknamed the "Cyclones" because their football team was said to play football like a tornado. In 1895, the Iowa State football team went to Northwestern University and defeated its team 36-0. A Chicago newspaper proclaimed that the team "struck like a Cyclone", and the name stuck. The Cyclone mascot is "Cy the Cardinal". Their colors are cardinal and gold, and they play in the NCAA's Division I-A, and in the Big Twelve Conference.
Some names associated with Iowa State University: