The Aklan State University -  College of Industrial Technology was originally the Roxas Memorial School of Arts and Trades popularly known as RMSAT.  It came into existence by virtue of R.A. Nos. 1592 and 2417.  R.A. 1592 was an act to establish RMSAT in Ibajay, Aklan authored by Hon. Godofredo P. Ramos which was approved in 1957.  However, during the incumbency of Hon. Jose B. Legaspi, he filed R.A. No. 1417 amending the former which reads in part as follows: “An act to establish the RMSAT in the municipality of Kalibo, Aklan province.

            On July 12, 1960 RMSAT threw open her doors to welcome the first batch of young people eager to study in a trade technical school.  With the help of Capiz School of Arts and Trades (CASAT) Principal Mr. Alipio Cruz, the pioneer personnel under the stewardship of Mr. Aurelio P. Tioco (Principal In-Charge) started to steer the oar towards educational efficiency.

            School Year 1960-1961 admitted 120 students who were housed in Legaspi-Tumbokon Building, residences of Hon. Jose B. Legaspi and Hon. Rafael Tumbokon, the Congressman of Aklan and Undersecretary of Health, respectively.  Only three shop courses were approved, namely: Building Construction (BC), Furniture and Cabinet Making (FCM) and Ceramics.

            The school year 1961-1962 ushered in 228 students and six  (6)  shop  courses  were  offered.   The transfer of classes from Legaspi-Tumbokon Building to one shop building and a four-room nipa shed was effected on August 7, 1961.  It was constructed by the Building Construction and Furniture and Cabinet Making students at the school’s present site, the 8-hectare, P64,000 Vizcarra lot.

The next school year enrollment had reached 394 and since then there was a yearly increase of enrollees as buildings began to be erected one after the other.

A milestone in the history of the school’s development is the Colombo Aid Program sponsored by the New Zealand government which enriched the school by more than P100,000 worth of heavy machinery, tools and teaching aids.  The program also included training of faculty members abroad, the first of whom was former superintendent of the school, Mr. Cirilo P. Tamayo who was trained in New Zealand in February 1963.

            In 1964, the Roxas Memorial School of Arts and Trades graduated its first batch of high school vocationally trained students.  In 1969, two-year trade technical courses were offered operating at an annual budget of P187,671 and in 1976, permit was granted to offer Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology(BSIT) and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education (BSIE) courses.  In 1979, the first batch of BSIT and BSIE students finished their bachelor’s degrees.

            A P100,000 worth administration building was constructed, in 1971 when Mr. Lucio M. Arquisola was designated   to  provide   administrative   supervision.  With the assignment of Mr. Celestino R. Abello as Vocational Administrator in 1975 more buildings were put up including the Parent - Teachers Association building.

On June 10, 1983, RMSAT became a national college by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 471 authored by Assemblyman Jose T. Tumbokon.  RMSAT since then became known as the Roxas Memorial College of Arts and Trades (RMCAT).

            Since then RMCAT has been granting degrees in Teacher Education and in Industrial Technology, in addition to curricular offerings in two-year Technical Education, and a Laboratory High School. A graduate curriculum was added to the programs offered in the college with the advent of a tie-up between RMCAT and Western Visayas College of Science and Technology in 1998.  The Commission on Higher Education also approved Bachelor of Physical Education and Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Technology to the curriculum offerings in 1999.

In November 1994, RMCAT became one of the institutions supervised by the Commission on Higher Education until its official integration to the Aklan State College of Agriculture (ASCA) effective October 31, 1999.  R.A. Nos. 7722, 8292 and 8745 mandated this integration of the College to ASCA. In less than two years after its integration to ASCA, a bill was signed into law by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on April 4, 2001 converting ASCA into a State University and to “be known as the Aklan State University.” or the ASU.  With this welcome development, ASCA-RMCAT was consequently absorbed as a tertiary institution and established to become the Aklan State University – College of Industrial Technology.