History of the University of Texas at Austin facts for kids
The University of Texas at Austin was originally conceived in 1827 under an article in the Constitución de Coahuila y Texas to open a public university in the state of Texas. The Constitution of 1876 also called for the creation of a "university of the first class." Thus, they created "The University of Texas." Since the school's opening in 1883, the University of Texas has expanded greatly with the Austin institution remaining the flagship university of the University of Texas System. By the late 1990s, the University had the largest enrollment in the country and contained many of the country's top programs in the areas of law, architecture, film, engineering, and business.
Establishment
After Texas gained independence, its Congress adopted a constitution which included provisions for establishing public education. President Mirabeau B. Lamar emphasized the importance of education in democracy during his first speech to the Texas Congress. Ezekiel Cullen later presented a bill proposing to set aside twenty leagues of land for a university, which was eventually increased to fifty leagues by Congress. They also reserved 40 acres in Austin for a university campus, serving as the origin of the colloquial term "Forty Acres".
On April 18, 1838, "An Act to Establish the University of Texas" was referred to a special committee of the Texas Congress, but was not reported back for further action. On January 26, 1839, the Texas Congress agreed to set aside fifty leagues of land—approximately 288,000 acres (117,000 ha)—towards the establishment of a publicly funded university. In addition, 40 acres (16 ha) in the new capital of Austin were reserved and designated "College Hill", hence the colloquially term "Forty Acres" used to refer to the university.
After Texas was annexed, the Seventh Texas Legislature on February 11, 1858, passed O.B. 102, establishing the University of Texas and allocating $100,000 in United States bonds from the Compromise of 1850 for its construction. Additionally, land reserved for railroad development was designated to support the university's endowment. On January 31, 1860, wanting to avoid raising taxes, the legislature authorized the funds for the University of Texas.
Article 7, Section 11 of the 1876 Constitution established the Permanent University Fund (PUF), a sovereign wealth fund managed by the Board of Regents of the University of Texas, dedicated to the university's maintenance. To address concerns about excessive spending on academic buildings, Article 7, Section 14 prohibited using state general revenue for university construction, requiring funds for buildings to come from the university's endowment or private gifts.
Texas's secession from the Union and the American Civil War delayed repayment of the borrowed monies. At the end of the Civil War in 1865, the University of Texas's endowment was just over $16,000 in warrants and nothing substantive had been done to organize the university's operations. This effort to establish a university was again mandated by Article 7, Section 10 of the Texas Constitution of 1876 which directed the legislature to "establish, organize and provide for the maintenance, support and direction of a university of the first class, to be located by a vote of the people of this State, and styled 'The University of Texas.'"
After the Civil War, the Texas Constitution of 1876 required the state to establish the university promptly and specified that it should be a "university of the first class." This constitution repealed the railroad land endowment from the Act of 1858 but allocated one million acres of land in West Texas for the university. In 1883, an additional two million acres of land were granted, with the proceeds from land sales or grazing rights designated for The University of Texas. The Texas Constitution also mandated that the university include departments for agriculture, mechanics, pharmaceuticals, and engineering in later years.
On April 10, 1883, the legislature supplemented the Permanent University Fund with another 1,000,000 acres (400,000 ha) of land in west Texas granted to the Texas and Pacific Railroad but returned to the state as seemingly too worthless to even survey. The legislature additionally appropriated $256,272.57 to repay the funds taken from the university in 1860 to pay for frontier defense and for transfers to the state's General Fund in 1861 and 1862. The 1883 grant of land increased the land in the Permanent University Fund to almost 2.2 million acres. Under the Act of 1858, the university was entitled to just over 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land for every mile of railroad built in the state. Had the 1876 Constitution not revoked the original 1858 grant of land, by 1883, the university lands would have totaled 3.2 million acres; the 1883 grant was thus to restore lands taken from the university by the 1876 Constitution, not an act of munificence.
On March 30, 1881, the legislature set forth the university's structure and organization and called for an election to establish its location. By popular election on September 6, 1881, Austin (with 30,913 votes) was chosen as the site. Galveston, having come second in the election (with 20,741 votes), was designated the location of the medical department (Houston was third with 12,586 votes). On November 17, 1882, on the original "College Hill", an official ceremony commemorated the laying of the cornerstone of the Old Main building. University President Ashbel Smith, presiding over the ceremony, prophetically proclaimed "Texas holds embedded in its earth rocks and minerals which now lie idle because unknown, resources of incalculable industrial utility, of wealth and power. Smite the earth, smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." The University of Texas officially opened its doors on September 15, 1883.
19th century
UT's early leadership included Confederate veterans like President Leslie Waggener, Regent George Washington Littlefield, and regent George Washington Brackenridge, a Union sympathizer. In 1890, Brackenridge donated $18,000 for the construction of a three-story brick mess hall known as Brackenridge Hall (affectionately known as "B.Hall"), one of the university's most storied buildings and one that played an important place in university life until its demolition in 1952.
In 1881, Austin was chosen as the site of the "Main University," and Galveston was designated the location of the "Medical Department." In addition, the legislature authorized a governing board of eight regents. An official ceremony began construction on what is now referred to as the Old Main Building in late 1882 on the original "College Hill." The university finally opened its doors on September 15, 1883.
The old Victorian-Gothic Main Building served as the central point of the campus's 40-acre (160,000 m2) site, and was used for nearly all purposes. Built in three stages by architect F. E. Ruffini, the first was completed in 1883 for the University's first class; subsequent construction saw the creation of the central section in 1891 and the east wing in 1899. However, by the 1930s, discussions arose about the need for new library space, and the Main Building was razed in 1934 to much protest. The modern-day tower and Main Building were constructed in its place.
In 1894, the Department of Engineering was established at the University of Texas, marking the foundation of what would later become the College of Engineering.
20th century
The campus was geographically divided by gender, with women's dorms north of the Forty Acres and men's dormitories southeast of the Main Building. In 1903, the Woman's Building became the first women's dormitory at UT Austin, featuring modern amenities like an elevator, gym, swimming pool, infirmary, and spacious living areas. In contrast, male students resided in dorms with limited common areas, barracks-style sleeping arrangements, with only one dormitory offering air conditioning. Female students in early UT dormitories required permission to leave for activities other than classes; male visitors were restricted to certain areas and used phone banks to contact women upstairs.
In 1910, George Washington Brackenridge donated 500 acres (2 km²), located on the Colorado River, to the university. A vote by the regents to move the campus was met with outrage. As a result, in 1921, the legislature appropriated $1,350,000 for the purchase of land adjacent to the main campus. Expansion, however, was hampered by the constitutional restriction against funding the construction of buildings. With the discovery of oil on university-owned grounds in 1923, the institution was able to put its new wealth towards its general endowment fund. These savings allowed the passing of amendments to make way for bond issues in 1931 and 1947, with the latter expansion necessary from the spike in enrollment following World War II. Temporary frame buildings were hastily constructed during this period, and the university built 19 permanent structures between 1950 and 1965.
In 1912, the University of Texas at Austin began offering business classes as part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Over the next decade, the department experienced rapid growth and by April 1922, department chair Spurgeon Bell received news that UT President Robert Vinson intended to propose the creation of a separate School of Business Administration to the Board of Regents. The regents approved this proposal at their meeting in July of the same year, and Bell was appointed as the school's inaugural dean.
In 1916, Texas Governor James E. Ferguson clashed with the University of Texas when he sought to remove faculty members the board of regents refused to dismiss. Ferguson responded by vetoing the university's funding, threatening its closure. This led to his impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives, subsequent conviction by the Senate on charges of misusing public funds, and his removal from office by the Texas Senate.
World War I
The United States' entry into World War I on April 6, 1917, had an immediate impact on campus life at the University of Texas at Austin. During World War I, the university hosted an Air Service training school and aviation cadets received essential ground training at UT Austin before proceeding to the Camp John Dick Aviation Concentration Camp in Dallas for further assignment. During the war, over 1,000 students enlisted and at least 75 former students were killed and as male students enlisted in the armed forces, college enrollments declined sharply. Approximately 40 professors took temporary leaves to serve in government roles. Concurrently, research efforts on campus shifted towards supporting the war effort, particularly in psychology, biology, and chemistry.
Campus life saw military influence, with students in uniform adhering to a strict daily schedule that combined academic studies and military training. Sentries were stationed at university buildings, and professors were required to show proper identification to access their offices and classrooms.
In 1919, the Littlefield Fountain was commissioned as a World War I memorial and installed in 1932. Sculpted by Pompeo Coppini, the structure consisted of a bronze ship's prow representing the "Boat of America," accompanied by allegorical figures including Columbia, the Army, and the Navy, set against a backdrop of sea-horses and merman figures.
The DKR Texas Memorial Stadium was constructed in 1924 as a tribute to Texans who served during World War I. In 1977, the stadium was rededicated as a memorial honoring all individuals who have served in wars.
World War II
During the Second World War, numerous students, faculty, and alumni left to participate in the war effort. Additionally, to facilitate the wartime effort, academic calendars were compressed, allowing for accelerated graduation Among these defense researchers, 22 university scientists contributed to the Manhattan Project. The creation of a Naval ROTC unit transitioned into the V-12 program, headquartered at the Littlefield Home, and mandatory physical education classes and survival training were implemented for all students. After the war, students and faculty returned to school. One notable alumnus, Frank Denius, served in the Marines and being a part of the D-Day invasion and returned to UT afterwards.
Post-War
In 1965, the Texas Legislature granted the university Board of Regents to use eminent domain to purchase additional properties surrounding the original 40 acres (160,000 m2). In the Spring of 1965, the University began buying individual parcels of land to the north, south, and east of the existing campus, particularly in the Blackland neighborhood, in hopes of using the land to relocate the University's intramural fields, baseball field, tennis courts, and parking lots. The University Board of Regents focused on expansion eastward, as the east side's lower property values would lower the cost of acquisition. During the talks of annexation, the University and the City of Austin referred to Blackland neighborhood as the "Winn Tract" (named after an elementary school in the area), the "University East Project", or the Eastern Renewal Area". They had originally planned to annex all the land between I-35 and Chicon Street. However, following 12 years of negotiations, the Blackland Community Development Corporation (CDC) and the university reached a compromise, which allowed the annexation of the land between I-35 and Leona Street to build the Red and Charline McCombs Field and other auxiliary buildings; meanwhile, the University divested all of its previously-acquired property east of Leona Street back to the Blackland CDC.
During the Vietnam War, thousands of student protesters marched along Guadalupe Street toward the Texas State Capitol as part of the ongoing anti-war movement following the Kent State shootings. Though the protest was mostly peaceful, police were reported to have sometimes used clubs and fired tear gas.
The first presidential library on a university campus was dedicated on May 22, 1971 with former President Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson and then-President Richard Nixon in attendance. Constructed on the eastern side of the main campus, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum is one of thirteen presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration.
University President Bryce Jordan appointed a library planning committee, and by April 1972, the Board of Regents approved the committee's recommendation of the facility. In 1977, Perry–Castañeda Library (PCL) was opened to the public, named for two former University professors, Ervin S. Perry and Carlos E. Castañeda. In 1972, Bellmont Hall was constructed as an 11-level building providing facilities for Intercollegiate Athletics, physical education, and various recreational activities.
21st century
In the 2000s, the university experienced a wave of new construction. On April 30, 2006, the school opened a new 155,000-square-foot (14,400 m2) facility named the Blanton Museum of Art. The museum, the largest university art museum in the United States, is home to more than 17,000 works from Europe, the United States and Latin America.
During the early 2000s, students actively protested against the Iraq War, utilizing social media, organizing rallies, demonstrations, and discussions on campus to express opposition to the U.S. government's decision to engage in military action in Iraq.
In August 2008, the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center opened for conferences, seminars and continuing education and executive-education programs. The hotel and conference center are part of a new gateway to the university extending the South Mall. Later the same month, after three years of renovations were completed, Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium became the largest stadium (by seating capacity) in the state of Texas. In addition to numerous improvements, DKR now seated 100,119, up from the previous 94,113.
In 2008, demolition of the old Experimental Sciences Building (ESB) was completed and construction began on a replacement to be named the Norman Hackerman Building (NHB) in honor and memory of Dr. Norman Hackerman, chemist, professor and president emeritus. On January 19, 2011, the university announced the creation of a 24-hour television network in partnership with ESPN, dubbed the Longhorn Network. ESPN agreed to pay a $300 million guaranteed rights fee over 20 years to the university and to IMG College, the school's multimedia rights partner. The network covers the university's intercollegiate athletics, music, cultural arts, and academics programs. The channel first aired in September 2011.
The university implemented a "campus carry" law on August 1, 2016, allowing licensed gun owners to carry concealed handguns on campus premises, making UT Austin one of the public universities in Texas to permit concealed carry on campus. This policy generated significant debate and protests among students, faculty, and staff regarding safety concerns and the impact on academic environments
In July 2019, a tuition-free college program, the Texas Advance Commitment, was launched, supported by a $160 million endowment to cover tuition and fees for low-income and middle-income students. The Texas Advance Commitment aimed to make higher education more accessible and affordable for thousands of undergraduates annually starting Fall 2020.
