History of the University of Missouri

This article is about the history of the University of Missouri

University of Missouri

The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...

in Columbia, Missouri

Columbia, Missouri

Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...

and the state-wide University of Missouri System.

Founding and early years

MU was founded in 1839 as part of the Geyer Act

Geyer Act

The Geyer Act of 1839 was an act of the Missouri State Legislature which established the public school system of Missouri as well as the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. The act was introduced by congressman James S. Rollins from Boone County and named after its author, Henry Geyer...

to establish a state land-grant university, the first west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. The year of its founding the citizens of Columbia

Columbia, Missouri

and Boone County

Boone County, Missouri

Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone...

pledged $117,921 in cash and land to beat out five other mid-Missouri counties for the location of the state university. The land on which the university was eventually constructed was just south of Columbia's downtown and owned by James S. Rollins

James S. Rollins

James Sidney Rollins was a nineteenth century Missouri politician and lawyer. He helped establish the University of Missouri, led the successful effort to get it located in Boone County, and gained funding for the University with the passage of a series of acts in the Missouri Legislature...

, who is known as the "father of the university."
It was the first university in Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

's Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...

and was designed in part upon Thomas Jefferson's original plans for the University of Virginia

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

. Because of this, the original tombstone of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

was given to MU by Jefferson's heirs in July 1883.

In 1842 the first courses in civil engineering were taught. The first department of art was taught by the famous Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham

George Caleb Bingham

George Caleb Bingham was an American artist whose paintings of American life in the frontier lands along the Missouri River exemplify the Luminist style. Left to languish in obscurity, Bingham's work was rediscovered in the 1930s...

. The College of Education was opened in 1867 and admitted the first female students in 1868. The entire university was open to female enrollment by 1871.

In 1862 while in the midst of the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, the Board of Curators suspended operations for the university. Academic Hall was occupied by Union troops, the president's house was used by Federal officers and the normal school, forerunner to the College of Education, became an army hospital. It was during this time that the residents of Columbia and defenders of the city became notoriously known as the "fighting tigers of Columbia" due to their insistent fighting to keep the Confederate bushwackers away from the city and university.

Later, in 1890 one alumnus suggested the university's newly-formed football team be called the "Tigers" out of respect for those who fought to defend Columbia.

Early growth

MU growth increased in the latter decades of the 19th century. In 1870 MU was awarded land-grant status because of this. The College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources was then opened. In 1888 the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station opened. This grew to encompass ten centers and research farms around Mid-Missouri. MU soon added schools of law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

and medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

On January 9, 1892, Academic Hall

Academic Hall

Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns stand as the most recognizable symbol of the University of Missouri.- History :...

, the institution's main building, fell victim to a disastrous fire rumored to have been caused by the first electric light bulb west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

. The fire completely gutted the building, leaving little more than six stone Ionic columns standing. After the fire, there was a campaign to move the University to Sedalia, however the town of Columbia was able to rally against the move. But as a token of gratitude, Sedalia received the rights to host the Missouri State Fair in exchange. The columns, which still stand today, became a symbol of the campus and form the center of Francis Quadrangle

David R. Francis Quadrangle

David R. Francis Quadrangle is the historical center of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. It is named after Missouri governor David R. Francis, and is often simply called "The Quad." Within the quad are two of the most recognizable symbols of the school, Jesse Hall and The Columns...

, the oldest part of campus. Also in the quadrangle, and often referred to as its centerpiece, is Jesse Hall

Jesse Hall

Jesse Hall is the main administration building for the University of Missouri. Built in 1893 after Academic Hall burned to the ground, the building is one of the major symbols of the University. It is located at the south end of the David R...

. Built in 1895, Jesse Hall was formerly known as New Academic Hall. Today, Jesse Hall is home to many administrative offices of the university and to Jesse Auditorium. The area of campus around the quadrangle, where the buildings are built of red brick, is known as "red campus." East of the quadrangle, many buildings were built in 1913 and 1914 of white limestone. This section is known as "white campus."

Early 20th century

In 1908 the world's first journalism

Journalism

Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...

school was opened at MU. It became famous world-wide for its "Missouri Method" of teaching. In 1911, MU held the first Homecoming

Homecoming

Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...

at the football game between MU and the University of Kansas

University of Kansas

The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...

. After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

universities around the country grew at an extraordinary pace and MU was no exception. This was due, in part, to the G.I. Bill which allowed veterans to attend college with the assistance of the federal government. It was also during this time that the nickname

Nickname

A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

"Mizzou" was first used.

The usage of the term "Mizzou" was first recorded in a campus yell that used the phrase "Mizzou, Rah, Rah." The commonly accepted origin is that the word is a shortened version of the University's (then-known as the Missouri State University) initials, MSU. When said quickly the initials can be morphed into the affectionate nickname: Mizzou. The name stuck and now is commonly used interchangeably among students, alumni and the residents of Columbia with the newer initials, MU.

Struggle for Integration

Events at the University of Missouri were instrumental in the desegregation of universities and schools nation-wide. In the winter of 1935, four graduates of Lincoln University

Lincoln University (Missouri)

Lincoln University, a historically black college, is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. In 2007, according to U.S. News and World Report, Lincoln University was ranked #3 for economic diversity, #5 for campus ethnic diversity, and #9 for most international students among master's level...

—a traditionally black school

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....

about 30 miles (50 km) away in Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...

—were denied admission to MU's graduate school. One of the students, Lloyd L. Gaines

Lloyd L. Gaines

Lloyd Lionel Gaines was the central figure in Gaines v. Canada , one of the most important court cases in the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1930s....

, brought his case to the United States Supreme Court. On December 12, 1938, in a landmark 6–2 decision, the court ordered the state of Missouri to admit Gaines to MU's law school or provide a facility of equal stature. Gaines, however, disappeared in Chicago on March 19, 1939 under suspicious circumstances. The University granted Gaines a posthumous honorary law degree in May 2006. Undergraduate divisions were integrated by court order in 1950, when the university was compelled to admit African Americans to courses that were not offered at Lincoln University

Lincoln University (Missouri)

Modern Mizzou

In 1962, the University of Missouri became the "University of Missouri–Columbia," the flagship campus of the newly-created University of Missouri System, with additional campuses in Rolla

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology is an institution of higher learning located in Rolla, Missouri, United States, and part of the University of Missouri System...

, Kansas City

University of Missouri–Kansas City

The University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...

, and St. Louis

University of Missouri–St. Louis

The University of Missouri–St. Louis is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System. Established in 1963, it is the newest university in the UM System. , it is the largest university by enrollment in the St. Louis area with 16,548 students...

. Today the Columbia campus ranks number one among institutions in the Association of American Universities

Association of American Universities

The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...

for growth in federally funded research over the last ten years. Mizzou is a member of the Big 12 Conference

Big 12 Conference

The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...

and is the only school in the state with all of its sports in the NCAA Division I-A, the nations highest level of college sports. MU has over a quarter million living alumni worldwide.

In 1970, students upset with the killing of six students at Kent State University

Kent State University

Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...

stormed Chancellor Schwada's office and, for a short time, took over campus. Classes were dismissed and staff were sent home. It was around this same time that Peace Park was dedicated near the journalism school as a permanent monument for the promotion of peace and remembrance.

In 1978, Barbara Uehling became MU's third chancellor and the first woman to lead a major state university in the country.

Presidents and chancellors

Each campus of the University of Missouri System is led by a chancellor

Chancellor (education)

A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....

, who reports to the president

President

A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

of the UM System. Prior to the formation of the system in 1963, the Columbia campus and its offshoot in Rolla

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology is an institution of higher learning located in Rolla, Missouri, United States, and part of the University of Missouri System...

were led directly by the president and the position of chancellor did not exist. See University of Missouri System#Presidents for a list of presidents from 1963–present. This list does not include interim

Interim

Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...

presidents or chancellors. John Lathrop is the only president or chancellor to have served separate terms.

Presidents, 1841–1966

John Hiram Lathrop
John Hiram Lathrop
John Hiram Lathrop was a well-known American educator during the early 19th century . He served as the first President of both the University of Missouri and the University of Wisconsin as well as president of Indiana University.-Early life:John Lathrop was born in Sherburne, New York in 1799...

(1841–1849)
James Shannon
James Shannon (academic)
James Shannon was an Irish American academic, evangelist and second President of the University of Missouri He was born in Monaghan County, Ireland and educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. Shannon was also a co-founder of Columbia College and the first president of...

(1850–1856)
William Wilson Hudson
William Wilson Hudson
William Wilson Hudson was an American educator and third President of the University of Missouri. He was born in Orange County, Virginia in 1808 and was a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at the University of Alabama before moving to Columbia, Missouri in 1838...

(1856–1859)
Benjamin Blake Minor
Benjamin Blake Minor
Benjamin Blake Minor was an American writer, educator, legal scholar, and fourth President of the University of Missouri, from 1860-1862. Today, he is most known as the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger. He also compiled the second edition of the reports of the decisions of George Wythe,...

(1860–1862)
John Hiram Lathrop
John Hiram Lathrop
John Hiram Lathrop was a well-known American educator during the early 19th century . He served as the first President of both the University of Missouri and the University of Wisconsin as well as president of Indiana University.-Early life:John Lathrop was born in Sherburne, New York in 1799...

(1865–1866)
Daniel Read
Daniel Read (academic)
Daniel Read was an American educator in the latter half of the 19th century. He sixth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He established the College of Education and opened the university of women. He was the first president to live in the president's residence on the...

(1866–1876)
Samuel Spahr Laws
Samuel Laws
The Rev. Dr. Samuel Spahr Laws was an American minister, professor, physician, college president, businessman and inventor best known today as the inventor of the Laws Gold Indicator, a predecessor of the ticker tape machine....

(1876–1889)
Richard Henry Jesse
Richard Henry Jesse
Richard Henry Jesse was an American educator and the eighth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He was born in Lancaster County, Virginia 1853 and attended the University of Virginia. He went on to teach at the University of Louisiana and Tulane University before...

(1891–1908)
Albert Ross Hill
Albert Ross Hill
Albert Ross Hill was a Canadian-born American educator and ninth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He was also Commissioner of the European Division of the American Red Cross...

(1908–1921)
John Carleton Jones
John Carleton Jones
John Carleton Jones was an American educator and tenth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri; in recognition, he was initiated as an honorary member of Acacia Fraternity. Though he held the post for only three years he was important in the construction of the Memorial...

(1922–1923)
Stratton Brooks (1923–1930)
Walter Williams
Walter Williams (journalist)
Walter Williams was the founder of the Missouri School of Journalism and a former president of the University of Missouri. An internationalist, he promoted the value of journalism globally.-Biography:...

(1931–1935)
Frederick Middlebush
Frederick Middlebush
Frederick Middlebush was an American educator and thirteenth president of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri from 1935-1954. His presidency was the longest term ever served at the University. His presidency included the completion of the Memorial Union and a tripling in enrollment...

(1935–1954)
Elmer Ellis
Elmer Ellis
Elmer Ellis was an American educator and fourteenth president of the University of Missouri and first president of the University of Missouri System. He was instrumental in the expansion of the university to include the University of Missouri–Kansas City and University of Missouri–St. Louis...

† (1955–1963)

† Chancellors, 1963–present