It's our quasquicentennial!
While English and humanities studies have been part of the Arizona State University story from the beginning (1885), the Department of English was first mentioned in the 1900 Normal School of Arizona catalog.
In 2025, the Department of English at ASU is celebrating its 125th year as an official department.
Quasquicentennial events and initiatives will be added here as they are confirmed; bookmark this page for updates on what's being planned over the next year. And please reach out if you have any questions in the meantime.
Archival Projects
ASU Library is digitizing a hard copy of our written record: "History of the English Department, Arizona State University (to 1971)" by Katharine C. Turner (as corrected to May 1979).
Coming soon: An oral history project! We're working on a way for you to share your ASU Department of English story.
Special Events
May 12-14, 2025: ASU Golden (50-year) Reunion. 1975 graduates are invited to attend Alumni Association events. Watch this space for English department-specific activities, coming soon.
Oct. 23, 2025: ASU Regents Professor and Austenite Devoney Looser will visit the October 2025 meeting of the ASU Book Group to discuss her latest book, "Wild for Austen" (St. Martin's Press). Note: 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birthday! Watch for registration information.
Oct. 23, 2025: A conversation with sci-fi/fantasy writer Nnedi Okorafor ("Death of the Author" and the "Binti" series) and fiction writer Matt Bell ("Appleseed" and "Refuse to Be Done") about writing craft, publishing, Africanfuturism, and more. More details to be announced at a later date.
Ongoing
If you're a graduate of our department, we'd love to be able to keep in touch! Please update your information if you'd like to (re)connect and learn more.
Stay tuned ...