The East Liverpool Campus of Kent State University was permanently established in 1965. It began as an academic center in the International Brotherhood of Pottery building. In June 1968, the center became a Regional Campus of Kent State University and - thanks to the generosity of the East Liverpool City Schools which sold the former high school buildings to Kent for $1.00 - moved to its present facilities on East Fourth Street.

In 1989, the Mary Patterson Building, a former women's residence, was purchased by the Friends of the East Liverpool Campus and was partially renovated in 1993. In 1996, the campus undertook a capital fundraising campaign, "Opening Doors to Opportunity," which raised $956,000 from the community to completely transform the Mary Patterson Building into a state-of-the-art learning center. In addition to the private donations, Kent State University and the State of Ohio contributed a total of $2 million in additional funds to complete the project. The Grand Re-Opening of the building was held in May 2000.