The predecessor of CCNU is the combination of Huachung University (华中大学), Chunghua University (私立武昌中华大学) and the Pedagogical College of Zhongyuan University, with Huachung University as the main part. Huachung University was the largest and most influential mission university in south central China and it developed from Boone College which was founded in 1903. In 1951 Huazhong University was created after the Pedagogical College of Zhongyuan University merged with Huachung University. Then it was reorganized into Huazhong Higher Normal College in 1952 and later renamed Central China Normal College in 1953. At this time a new campus was established east of Wuchang at Mount Zhutou (豬頭山), a location of over 700 graves and therefore a place thought to have a lot of Yinqi. The mountain was partially leveled off and renamed Mount Guizi (桂子山) after a plant that was widely planted on the mountain and is known for its Yangqi. In 1985 the university was formally named Central China Normal University. Deng Xiaoping, one of the founders of Zhongyuan University, inscribed the name of the university. In 1993 the President and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, wrote an inscription for the university "Developing normal education, improving the nation’s quality".
1929: Lake College of Yueyang incorporated, Yale College of Changsha incorporated.
Public Huazhong University
After the founding of People's Republic of China, the former private status transformed to public Huazhong University.
December 1949: incorporated Chung Yuan Christian University College of Education.
Central China Higher Normal College
In 1952 during national college adjustment process the original public Huachung University included private Chunghua University, Guangxi University Institute of Education, Nanchang University, South China Normal University, Central Teachers College, Hainan Teachers College established the Central Higher Normal School (Central Ecole Normale Superieure).
Central China Normal College
In 1953 the school was renamed the Central China Normal College.
Since the 7th Five-Year Plan was implemented the teaching staff have conducted scientific research projects such as the national high-tech project 863, national "Torch Program".
The university is one of the first institutions in China to offer doctoral and postgraduate degrees as well as confer titles of professor, associate professor and doctoral supervisor. It has established undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral programs and set up full-time adult-education programs.
The national social science research work of CCNU ranked 10th in China and its social science research work ranked 6th for four consecutive years by the Ministry of Education.
CCNU has cooperation with more than 20 universities, colleges and research institutes in America, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, France, Italy, Britain, Japan, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Brazil.
Foreign experts and teachers are invited to teach at the university and faculty members have gone abroad for joint research.
The Ministry of Education chose CCNU as one of the national key universities for a number of disciplines. They consist of Chinese and Foreign Political Systems, Theoretical Physics, Scientific Socialism and International Communist Movement, Education Theory, Chinese Modern and Contemporary History, Literature and Art Studies, Pesticide Science and Basic Principles of Marxism.
CCNU hosts two national key laboratories that are sponsored by the central government and research centers recognized among worldwide academics: Laboratory for Quark and Lepton Physics and Laboratory for Pesticide Science and Chemical Biology.
Students are able to have meals in any of the seven canteens with a campus ID card. CCNU has implemented electronic student IDs that also serve as debit cards. Service desks and ID card machines are in every canteen during opening hours.
Feng Gong (冯巩) - actor, xiangsheng performer, film director, and screenwriter from Tianjin, China. He is the great grandson of Feng Guozhang, a statesman and warlord of China during the early 20th century.
Feng Youlan (冯友兰) - philosopher who was instrumental for reintroducing the study of Chinese philosophy in the modern era.
Wu Mi (吴宓) - founder of Chinese comparative literature, a critic, redologist, educator and poet.
Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) - co-founder of the Zhongyuan University, was a Chinese revolutionary and statesman. He was the leader of China from 1978 until his retirement in 1992.
Chen Yi (陈毅) - co-founder of the Zhongyuan University. He served as Mayor of Shanghai from 1949 to 1958 and as Foreign Minister of China from 1958 to 1972.
Dai Jianye - Chinese classical literature researcher.
