University of Colorado Boulder
On the 14th of March 1876, the Colorado territorial legislature passed an amendment to the state constitution that provided money for the establishment of the University of Colorado in Boulder. Two cities competed for the site of the university: Boulder and Cañon City. The consolation prize for the losing city was to be the home to the new Colorado State Prison. Cañon City was at a disadvantage as it was already the home of the Colorado Territorial Prison.
The cornerstone of the building that became Old Main was laid on the 20th of September 1875. The doors of the university opened on the 5th of September 1877. At the time, there were few high schools in the state that could adequately prepare students for university work. A preparatory school formed on campus alongside the university proper. In the fall of 1877, the student body consisted of 15 students in the college proper and 50 students in the preparatory school. There were 38 men and 27 women, and their ages ranged from 12 to 23 years.
CU Boulder's distinctive architecture style, known as Tuscan Vernacular Revival, was designed by architect Charles Klauder. The oldest buildings, such as Old Main (1876) and Macky Auditorium (1923), were originally in the Collegiate Gothic style of many East Coast schools. Klauder updated his design by sketching in a new wrap of rough, textured sandstone walls with sloping, multi-leveled red-orange-tiled roofs and Indiana limestone trim. This formed the basis of a unified style used in the design of fifteen other buildings between 1921 and 1939.
The sandstone used in the construction of nearly all the buildings on campus was selected from a variety of Front Range mountain quarries. Norlin Library was the last building to be designed by Klauder. Two inscriptions on the western face of the building overlook the Norlin Quadrangle. Both were composed by President Norlin. The larger inscription reads "Who knows only his own generation remains always a child," based on a Cicero quotation. The smaller inscription on the marble just over the door reads "Enter here the timeless fellowship of the human spirit." Macky Auditorium opened its doors in 1923, thirteen years after construction started.
In 2021, the university attracted the support of over $634 million for research and spent $536 million on research and development according to the National Science Foundation. It receives the most NASA astrophysics technology grants of all academic institutions. CU Boulder is the only university in the world that has sent instruments to all planets in the Solar System. Alumni, faculty, and researchers have included 12 Nobel Prize laureates. Five of these laureates were affiliated with the university when the prizes were awarded.
Current faculty include Nobel laureates David J. Wineland (physics 2012), John Hall (physics, 2005), Eric Cornell (physics, 2001), and Thomas Robert Cech (chemistry, 1989). Carl Wieman was also awarded a Nobel prize for his work with Eric Cornell. He maintains a part-time appointment at the University of Colorado Boulder but his primary appointment is Professor and Director of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia. The Institute for Behavioral Genetics led the resurging interest in genetic influences on behavior after its founding in 1967.
As of fall 2021, there were 35,897 students enrolled. 66.2 percent of the student population identified as white. 56.9% were Colorado residents and 10.1% were California residents. A 2014 survey found that 16.3% of the students were registered as members of the Republican Party. Most students are aligned with the political left. CU Gaming is the University of Colorado's largest student organization with over 3,500 current members.
Founded in May 1919, the Hiking Club is the longest running student organization at the University of Colorado Boulder. It is a non-profit, student-run organization for university students and affiliates interested in hiking and outdoors activities. The club motto, "half mile more," dates back to the 1940s of the club's tradition-rich history. Founded in December 2015, CU Esports fields over a dozen teams in a variety of games. In November 2020, CU Esports' Valorant Black Team was crowned the Collegiate Valorant Conference Fall 2020 Series Champions after defeating UCF Esports 2, 1 in the finals.
The Colorado Buffaloes compete in 17 varsity sports and are members of the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference. The Buffaloes have won 28 national championships: 20 in skiing, 7 total in men's and women's cross country, and 1 in football. The university has produced 10 Olympic medalists. In 1934, the university teams were officially nicknamed the "Buffaloes." Previous nicknames used by the press included the "Silver Helmets" and "Frontiersmen." The final game of 1934, against the University of Denver, saw the first running of a buffalo in a Colorado football game.
A buffalo calf was rented from a local ranch and ran along the sidelines. The school's live mascot is a female American bison named Ralphie. The costumed mascot CHIP is also a part of the CU Spirit Program. CHIP competes on a national level once a year against mascots from around the country. Most recently CHIP competed in the 2009 UCA national competition and was crowned #1 after performing a skit titled "CHIP's Favorite Video Games." The team has seen renewed success since 2023 with former NFL star Deion Sanders as head coach.
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Common questions
When was the University of Colorado Boulder established by the Colorado territorial legislature?
The Colorado territorial legislature passed an amendment to the state constitution on the 14th of March 1876 that provided money for the establishment of the University of Colorado in Boulder. The cornerstone of Old Main was laid on the 20th of September 1875, and the university doors opened on the 5th of September 1877.
Who designed the distinctive Tuscan Vernacular Revival architecture style at the University of Colorado Boulder?
Architect Charles Klauder designed the distinctive Tuscan Vernacular Revival architecture style used for nearly all buildings on campus between 1921 and 1939. He updated earlier Collegiate Gothic styles by incorporating rough textured sandstone walls from Front Range mountain quarries with sloping multi-leveled red-orange-tiled roofs and Indiana limestone trim.
How many Nobel Prize laureates are affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder as of fall 2021?
Alumni faculty and researchers have included 12 Nobel Prize laureates with five of these laureates affiliated with the university when the prizes were awarded. Current faculty include David J. Wineland who won physics in 2012 John Hall who won physics in 2005 Eric Cornell who won physics in 2001 and Thomas Robert Cech who won chemistry in 1989.
What is the enrollment size and demographic breakdown of the University of Colorado Boulder in fall 2021?
As of fall 2021 there were 35,897 students enrolled with 66.2 percent identifying as white and 56.9 percent being Colorado residents. A 2014 survey found that 16.3 percent of the students were registered members of the Republican Party while most students aligned with the political left.
When did the University of Colorado Boulder football team officially receive the Buffaloes nickname?
The university teams were officially nicknamed the Buffaloes in 1934 after a buffalo calf ran along the sidelines during the final game against the University of Denver. The school's live mascot is a female American bison named Ralphie and the costumed mascot CHIP competes on a national level once a year.