University of Colorado - Coloradan Yearbook (Boulder, CO)

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MAIN BUILDING AND UNIVERSITY LAKE

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HISTORY CF THE UNIVERSITY. CHAPTER 1. Here are the leading events in the early history of the University of Colorado, arranged in the order of time. Established November 7th, 1861g legislation of 1861, sub- stantially re-enacted in 18685 first meeting of the Board of Trustees January 29th, 18705 present campus donated in 18713 Hfteen thousand dollars appropriated by the General Assembly and fifteen thousand dollars donated by the citizens of Boulder to erect the Hrst building, February 6, 1874. Corner stone of building laid September 20th, 1875. General Assembly of 1876 appropriated the further sum of fifteen thousand dollars to complete building and open the institution. The building Was completed and accepted April 18th, 1876. March 3d, 1875 Congress, by enabling actfgave the new State seventy-two sections of land for the use and support of a State University. The State Constitution of 1876 recognized and confirmed the Territorial institution as the State University. The General Assembly of 1877 enacted the legislation under which the University is now Working. The institution was opened Sep- tember 5th, 1877. In 1878 Charles G. Bucliingham founded the University Library and J. Alden Smith presented to the institution a Very line and complete geological cabinet. The Assembly of 1879 appropriated seven thousand dollars to provide a chemical lalooratoryg First-class graduated, June 8th, 1882. Colorado Territory WELS established February 28th. 1861, and its Iirst legislative assembly met September 9th of that year and the 'tliill to establish the University of Colorado was introduced in the house October 26. Charles F. Holly, a representative from Boulder County, was the author and promoter of this measure. For brilliancy of imagination and sublimity of faith those early pioneers are unsurpassed. Wlieii this Assembly convened there were only twenty-five thousand peoplehere, children were few and common schools were extremely rare. Yet these forefathers sat calmly clown and C153

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enacted a University into being, with all the accompaniments of medical, legal and Zlzeologzkrzl UD departments. No fear of a clash between Church and State daunted them! In the years that followed were the Civil War and the Indian outbreaks. The Adjutant-Generalis report was the longest and most important public document. No wonder then that this premature child necessarily remained in Nzzbilms and was destined to live for many years on rarilied atmosphere and mountain scenery and in the fond imagination of its friends. The infant having nothing to eat went into a state of protracted hibernation . All that this Assembly could do was to appoint certain lead- ing men of the Territory as Trustees of the institution with au- thority to receive any donations that Uncle Sam or other chari- tably disposed people might feel disposed to make for the support of the youngster. In the Assemblies following the Hrst, whenever business was dull and interest flagged, some solon would introduce a Bill to change the location of the University, and in 1870 a majority report was brought in to change the location from Boulder to Burlington. Shades of the past! YVl1o of the present genera- tion can put his finger on Burlington? Again in 1877, as we look at it now, the opening of the University seemed to be an act of hardihood, not to say rash- ness. The population of the State barely reached one hundred and Efty thousand. The common school system was barely organized and was far from complete. But three high schools existed and an untold number of private institutions of Hhigher education 'l were already in existence and bidding Hercely for pupils. The income of the University was less than tS7,000, and in the expressive language of another, there was not a book for a library, not a piece of apparatus of any kind, and not a cent of money to expend for such purposesfi A naked, ill-constructed building situated in a barren waste and removed from any sidewalk by nearly a mile of mud, was all that marked the place for a future University. Under such circumstances the remark of a cultured citizen of Denver to our first President seems but a slight exaggeration. After visiting the scene and comprehending the situation he dolefully said: You must be God, doctor, if you accomplish anything here-able to make something out of nothing. So the University opened with i175