Making History Since 1864

Founded in 1864, when Denver was little more than an isolated outpost for gold miners, the University of Denver has long been closely linked to the city it calls home. In fact, founding father John Evans, a close friend of Abraham Lincoln's, was the Colorado Territory's second governor. He's recognized for his significant role in establishing Denver as a hub for the railroad industry.

Mount Evans, a 14,264-foot peak visible from the DU campus, was named for this influential figure. Started with the backing of local businessmen and the Methodist Church, the University of Denver was originally known as Colorado Seminary.

Tough times

The early days at DU, circa late 1800s

Early days on the DU campus

But times were tough in the years immediately following the Civil War, and the seminary closed its doors after a few rough years in Denver's unstable economic landscape.

Despite setbacks, Evans and his backers never relinquished their desire to open a university in Denver.

A budding campus

In 1880, the seminary re-opened as the University of Denver under Chancellor David Hastings Moore in a small building downtown. This time, it was for good, and DU's first graduate, John Hipp, took his diploma in 1884. By the mid-1880s, downtown Denver was better known for its bordellos and gambling halls than for its hallmarks of civilization.

Thinking students might benefit from a less rowdy environment, the University administrators began looking for a better location. They found it several miles away on land donated by Rufus "Potato" Clark, a reformed alcoholic and potato farmer.

Mary Reed, the University's main administration building, under the blanket of freshly fallen spring snow

Mary Reed, the University's main administration building, under a blanket of freshly fallen spring snow

The University's first buildings were built between 1890 and 1892 southeast of downtown Denver at the corner of what is now University Boulevard and Evans Avenue. An early cash-flow crisis nearly forced the University to sell one of those buildings, University Hall, to buyers looking for suitable space for a glue factory. That sad fate was averted when faculty members graciously agreed to accept land and animals as substitutes for paychecks.

Memorable events

The 20th century saw its share of triumphs and setbacks, high points and low points:

  • DU produced its first Rhodes Scholar, Stanley Kuhl Hornbeck, in 1904. Since then, seven more DU students have earned the honor, most recently in 2005.
  • In 1908, DU became one of the first universities in the country to open a college of business. Over the years, the business program has become one of the best in the nation.
  • Like other college campuses around the country, DU saw its enrollment expand rapidly after World War II, when returning soldiers took advantage of the GI Bill. To accommodate all the new students, the University erected Quonset huts and launched a mini building boom.
Josef Korbel, circa 1949

Josef Korbel

  • In 1949, DU welcomed Professsor Josef Korbel, a former diplomat from Czechoslovakia, to campus. Fresh from a stint at the United Nations, Korbel went on to become dean of the Graduate School of International Studies. He is also known as the mentor to two U.S. Secretaries of State; his daughter, Madeleine Albright; and DU alumna Condoleezza Rice.
  • DU landed front and center on the sports pages in 1954 when the ski team won its first national championship. By 2005, the ski team had claimed 18 national championships, more than any other team in the country.
Pioneer Hockey Coach Murray Armstrong, circa 1958

Murray Armstrong

  • Ice hockey secured a national championship in 1958, the first of many under legendary coach Murray Armstrong. By 2005, when the Pioneer team won its third back-to-back NCAA championship, the hockey program had captured seven national titles.
  • DU made national headlines in 1970 with Woodstock West, a student protest against the Vietnam War and the killings of two students at Kent State.

In the early 1990s, the University began extensive planning for the coming century. A capital campaign raised $450 million for improvements to campus infrastructure and new buildings, research centers and professorships. By the time the new century dawned, the University was well positioned to advance its role in the local, national and global arenas.

Chancellors

  • Robert D. Coombe: July 2005-present
  • Daniel L. Ritchie: July 1989-June 2005
  • Dwight Morrell Smith: January 1984-July 1989
  • Ross Pritchard: October 1978-January 1984
  • Maurice Bernard Mitchell: September 1967-March 1978
  • Chester M. Alter: August 1953-July 1966
  • Albert Charles Jacobs: November 1949-March 1953
  • Alfred Clarence Nelson, interim: October 1948-November 1949
  • James F. Price: April-October 1948
  • Ben Mark Cherrington: November 1943-February 1946
  • Caleb Frank Gates: March 1941-November 1943, February 1946-August 1947
  • David Shaw Duncan: September 1935-March 1941
  • Frederick Maurice Hunter: July 1928-September 1935
  • Heber Reece Harper: November 1922-January 1927
  • Henry Augustus Buchtel: December 1899-September 1920
  • William Fraser McDowell: 1890-June 1899
  • David Hastings Moore: October 1880-June 1889

Note: Gaps in the chronology reflect periods when the University was led by an acting chancellor.