The State University of New York at Oswego, also known as Oswego State, was founded in 1861 as Oswego Primary Teachers' Training School by Edward Austin Sheldon. In 1942, state legislation elevated it from a normal school to a degree-granting teachers' college. The New York State Teachers College at Oswego was a founding member of the State University of New York system in 1948. In 1962 Oswego broadened its scope to become an arts and sciences institution. SUNY Oswego has over 73,000 living alumni.