The State University of New York at Plattsburgh (also known as SUNY Plattsburgh or Plattsburgh State) is a four-year, public liberal arts college in Plattsburgh, New York. The college was founded in 1889 and opened in 1890. The college is currently part of the State University of New York system and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school is also a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. SUNY Plattsburgh has 6,214 students, of whom 5,567 are undergraduates. Former state politician and influential Plattsburgh businessman Smith M. Weed championed endlessly for the cause to build a state Normal School (a teachers college) in the city of Plattsburgh. After multiple proposals to the New York State Senate going as far back as 1869, Weed's final bill was formally proposed on January 12, 1888. With the strong backing of Assemblyman General Stephen Moffitt, the Plattsburgh Normal and Training School bill was passed by both houses of the New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor David B. Hill in June 1889.