Colorado School of Mines

The Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science located in the town of Golden, Colorado. The school was originally founded in 1873 by the Episcopal Church, but in 1874 it was transferred to the Territory of Colorado. It became a state institution when Colorado attained statehood in 1876. Its mascot is Blaster the Burro, the Athletic teams are the Orediggers and its logo designed by architect Jacques Benedict is inside a Reuleaux triangle or Reuleaux tetrahedron.

Early history

Golden, Colorado, established in 1859 as Golden City, served as a supply center for miners and settlers in the area. In 1866, Bishop George Maxwell Randall of Massachusetts arrived in the territory and, seeing a need for higher education facilities in the area, began planning for a university which would include a school of mines. In 1870, he opened the Jarvis Hall collegiate school in the central building of the Colorado University Schools campus just south of the town of Golden, accompanied it with Matthews Hall divinity school in 1872, and in 1873 the School of Mines opened under the auspices of the Episcopal Church in charge of Edward J. Mallet Jr.. In 1874 the School of Mines, supported by the territorial government since efforts began in 1870, was acquired by the territory and has been a state institution since 1876 when Colorado attained statehood.

The first building on the current site of the school was built in 1880 with additions completed in 1882 and 1890. The building, known as "Chemistry Hall," stood where Hill Hall is now located. The next building to be added to the campus was Engineering Hall built in 1894 which is still in use today by the Economics and Business Division.

Other firsts include the first Board of Trustees meeting held in 1879; the first formal commencement held in 1883 for two graduates (William Beebe Middleton and Walter Howard Wiley); the first international student graduated in 1889; and the first female student graduated in 1898. In 1906 Mines became the first school of its kind in the world to own and operate its own experimental mine, designed for practical teaching of the students, which was located on Mt. Zion and succeeded in the 1930s by the Edgar Mine. In 1879, there was some discussion about merging School of Mines and the State University in Boulder (University of Colorado at Boulder). Apparently, because of the specialized focus of School of Mines, it was decided that such a merger would not be appropriate. During the early years of the institution the chief administrator was the "Professor in Charge." The designation President was first used in 1880. The "M" on Mt. Zion, a prominent feature in the Golden area, was constructed in 1908 and lighted in 1932.

The Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science located in the town of Golden, Colorado. The school was originally founded in 1873 by the Episcopal Church, but in 1874 it was transferred to the Territory of Colorado. It became a state institution when Colorado attained statehood in 1876. Its mascot is Blaster the Burro, the Athletic teams are the Orediggers and its logo designed by architect Jacques Benedict is inside a Reuleaux triangle or Reuleaux tetrahedron.