To help Metro State celebrate its 40th anniversary throughout the 2005-06 academic year, each week @Metro will bring readers a fun or significant fact from years past. Our third installment:

By the fall of 1968, the student headcount at Metropolitan State College had ballooned to 4,629 students - a four-fold increase in enrollment in as many years. "We expected the college to grow," recounts history professor Steve Leonard, "but not as fast as it did. There was a huge amount of pent-up demand, and the place just exploded."

For more information and the latest news about 40th anniversary events go to http://www.mscd.edu/news/fortyyears/

Previous Fortieth facts and features:

• August 31, 2005
• August 25, 2005