James Madison University (also known as JMU, The U, Madison, or James Madison) is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison College in 1938 in honor of President James Madison and then James Madison University in 1977.The university is situated in the Shenandoah Valley, with the campus quadrangle located on South Main Street.