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University of Washington
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- See Washington (disambiguation) for other uses.
University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Also known as Washington and locally as UW (usually pronounced "U Dub") or the U, it is the largest university in the northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast.
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Encyclopedia
- See Washington (disambiguation) for other uses.
University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Also known as Washington and locally as UW (usually pronounced "U Dub") or the U, it is the largest university in the northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast. UW maintains three locations, with its flagship campus in Seattle's University District and branch campuses in Tacoma and Bothell. Its operating budget for fiscal year 2005 was $3.1 billion. The university is also considered a Public Ivy.
In 2008, the school placed 16th in the world's top universities, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
History
The city of Seattle was one of several settlements in the mid to late 19th century vying for primacy in the newly formed Washington Territory. In 1854, territorial governor Isaac Stevens recommended the establishment of a university in Washington. Several prominent Seattle-area residents, chief among them Methodist preacher Daniel Bagley, saw the siting of this University as a chance to add to the city's prestige. They were able to convince early founder of Seattle and member of the territorial legislature Arthur A. Denny of the importance of Seattle winning the school. The legislature initially chartered two universities, one in Seattle and one in Lewis County, but later repealed its decision in favor of a single university in Lewis County, provided locally donated land could be found. When no site emerged, the legislature, encouraged by Denny, relocated the university to Seattle in 1858.
In 1861, scouting began for an appropriate 10 acre (40,000 m²) site in Seattle to serve as the campus for a new university. Denny, along with fellow pioneers Edward Lander and Charlie Terry, donated a site on "Denny's Knoll" in downtown Seattle. This tract was bounded by 4th and 6th Avenues on the west and east and Union and Seneca Streets on the north and south.
UW opened officially on November 4, 1861, as the Territorial University of Washington. The following year, the legislature passed articles formally incorporating the University and establishing a Board of Regents. The school struggled initially, closing three times: in 1863 for lack of students, and again in 1867 and 1876 due to shortage of funds. However, Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt became the first graduate of UW in 1876 when she graduated from UW with a bachelor's degree in science. By the time Washington entered the Union in 1889, both Seattle and the University had grown substantially. Enrollment had increased from an initial 30 students to nearly 300, and the relative isolation of the campus had given way to encroaching development. A special legislative committee headed by UW graduate Edmond Meany was created for the purpose of finding a new campus better able to serve the growing student population. The committee selected a site on Union Bay northeast of downtown, and the legislature appropriated funds for its purchase and subsequent construction.
The University relocated from downtown to the new campus in 1895, moving into the newly built Denny Hall. The regents tried and failed to sell the old campus, and eventually settled on leasing the area. The University still owns what is now called the Metropolitan Tract. In the heart of the city, it is among the most valuable pieces of real estate in Seattle and generates millions of dollars in revenue annually.
The original Territorial University building was torn down in 1908 and its former site currently houses the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The sole surviving remnants of UW's first building are four , white, hand-fluted cedar, Ionic columns. They were salvaged by Edmond S. Meany--one of the University's first graduates and the former head of the history department. Meany and his colleague, Dean Herbert T. Condon, dubbed each of the columns "Loyalty," "Industry," "Faith" and "Efficiency," or "LIFE." The columns now stand in the Sylvan Grove Theater.
Organizers of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition eyed the still largely undeveloped campus as a prime setting for their world's fair. They came to an agreement with the Board of Regents that allowed them to use the campus grounds for the exposition. In exchange, the University would be able to take advantage of the development of the campus for the fair after its conclusion. This included a detailed site plan and several buildings. The plan for the A-Y-P Exposition prepared by John Charles Olmsted was later incorporated into the overall campus master plan and permanently affected the layout of the campus.
Both World Wars brought the military to the campus, with certain facilities temporarily loaned to the federal government. The subsequent post-war periods were times of dramatic growth for the University. The period between the wars saw significant expansion on the upper campus. Construction of the liberal arts quadrangle, known to students as "The Quad," began in 1916 and continued in stages until 1939. The first two wings of Suzzallo Library, considered the architectural centerpiece of the University, were built in 1926 and 1935, respectively. Further growth came with the end of World War II and passage of the G.I. Bill. Among the most important developments of this period was the opening of the medical school in 1946. It would eventually grow into the University of Washington Medical Center, now ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top ten hospitals in the United States. It was during this era in University of Washington history in which many Japanese Americans were sent away from the university to internment camps along the West-coast of the United States as part of Executive Order 9066 following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. As a result, many Japanese American "soon-to-be" graduates were unable to receive their diplomas and be recognized for their accomplishment at the university until the University of Washington's commemoration ceremony for the Japanese Americans entitled The Long Journey Home held on May 18, 2008 at the main campus.
In the early 1950s, the University of Washington Police Department was established. It currently has jurisdiction over the University of Washington campus and University-owned housing, except for the Radford Court apartments in Sand Point.
The 1960s and 1970s are known as the "golden age" of the university due to the tremendous growth in students, facilities, operating budget and prestige under the leadership of Charles Odegaard from 1958 to 1973. Enrollment at UW more than doubled--from around 16,000 to 34,000--as the baby boom generation came of age. As was the case at many American universities, this era was marked by high levels of student activism, with much of the unrest focused around opposition to the Vietnam War. Odegaard instituted a vision of building a "community of scholars" and convinced the state of Washington legislatures to increase their investments towards the university. Additionally, Washington senators, Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson used their political clout to funnel federal research monies to the University of Washington and to this day, UW is among the top recipients of federal research funds in the United States. The results included an operating budget increase of $37 million in 1958, to over $400 million in 1973, and 35 new buildings that doubled the floor space of the university.
The University opened branch campuses in Bothell and Tacoma in 1990. Initially, these campuses offered curricula for students seeking bachelor's degrees who have already completed two years of higher education, but both schools have transitioned to four year universities, accepting the first freshman class in the fall of 2006. Both campuses offer master's degree programs as well.
Campus
The University of Washington, Seattle campus is situated on the shores of Union and Portage Bays, with views of the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Its most popular views are from Suzzallo Library, which has a vista of Mount Rainier to the southeast, the Quad and its Yoshino cherry trees that spectacularly each spring to the north, and Red Square spreading out in front of it to the west.
The main campus is bounded on the west by 15th Avenue N.E., on the north by N.E. 45th Street, on the east by Montlake Boulevard N.E., and on the south by N.E. Pacific Street. East Campus stretches east of Montlake Boulevard to Laurelhurst and is largely taken up by wetlands and sports fields. South Campus occupies the land between Pacific Street and the Lake Washington Ship Canal which used to be a golf course and is given over to the health sciences, oceanography, fisheries, and the University of Washington Medical Center. West Campus is less of a separate entity than the others, many of its facilities being on city streets, and stretches between 15th Avenue and Interstate 5 from the Ship Canal to N.E. 41st Street. University Way, known locally as "The Ave", lies nearby and is a focus for much student life at the university.
The oldest building on campus is Denny Hall. Built in 1895 in the French Renaissance style, it was named in honor of Seattle pioneers Arthur A. and Mary Denny. It served as the core of the University for many years. The Theodore Jacobsen Observatory, the on campus observatory situated just north of Denny Hall, was built from the left over material used in the construction of Denny Hall. Although it is rarely used today, the observatory is the second oldest building on campus. After other structures were erected near Denny Hall with apparently little overall planning, the Board of Regents determined that a master plan was needed. Early plans, including a preliminary proposal by John Charles Olmsted, stepson of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, had little impact.
Instead, it was the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition that defined much of the campus' future layout. The exposition plan, also designed by John C. Olmsted, defined the University's major axis on the lower campus. Oriented to the southeast, it provides the University with its primary vista of Mount Rainier on clear days. Most of the University's science and engineering buildings line this axis.
After the exposition, the Board of Regents sought a master plan that would unite the newly developed lower campus with the original buildings of the upper campus including Denny Hall. Rejecting a further proposal from Olmsted, the regents instead turned to local architects Carl F. Gould and Charles H. Bebb. Their proposal was accepted, and came to be called the Regents' Plan. It specified a northeast-southwest axis on upper campus around which would be centered the University's liberal arts departments. This axis joins the lower campus axis laid down during the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition at an open space left behind after a large temporary structure built for the fair was torn down. This space was later paved with a distinctive red brick and has come to be known as Red Square. Some of the buildings from the exposition were kept by the university and have been retrofitted over the years since. One of these is Architecture Hall.
Bebb and Gould's plan also called for all future construction to adhere to a Collegiate Gothic style. This style is best exemplified on the University campus by the early wings of Suzzallo Library, the University's central library.
New construction in the 1960s saw a deviation from the Collegiate Gothic style as specified in the Regents' Plan. Business facilities on the upper campus, science and engineering structures on lower campus, and a new wing of Suzzallo Library, were all built in a modernist style, as was a unique, glass-walled building housing an experimental nuclear reactor. The reactor opened in 1961; a small radiation leak in 1972 resulted only in a temporary shutdown, but security concerns eventually led to it being decommissioned. It was deactivated in 1988, dismantled in 2006,
and as of 2008 the building is being considered for demolition.
An apparent attempt to harmonize future development with the Regents' Plan can be seen in the University's most recent construction, including the 1990 Kenneth Allen wing of the central library and a new generation of medical, science and engineering buildings. Significant funding came from Microsoft co-founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates, who have strong family connections to the university but did not attend UW. Mary Gates Hall opened in May 2000, and in September 2003, the UW law school relocated to the $74 million William H. Gates Hall on the northwest corner of campus, and the $90 million UW Medical Center surgery pavilion opened for operation. The $72 million Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering opened in October 2003. In March 2006, the $150 million William H. Foege bioengineering and genome sciences building was dedicated by Bill Gates and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter.
In September 2006, President Emmert announced that the University had finalized the purchase of the neighboring 22-story Safeco Plaza (a University District landmark) as well as several adjacent buildings for the sum of $130 million. At present, plans are being finalized to relocate UW administration and support services to the complex, leaving the main campus (one block away) for teaching and research.
Most of the streets and major walkways on campus are named after the state's counties. Major exceptions are Memorial Way and George Washington Lane. Memorial Way is named in honor of members of the UW community who died in World War I and also features a flagpole engraved at its base with the members of the UW community who died in World War II.
Other attractions on campus include the Henry Art Gallery and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The Washington Park Arboretum, south of main campus across Union Bay, is run by the university, though owned by the city of Seattle. The Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Center is also an interesting attraction. The building, at , is the second largest office building in the United States.
Sustainability
President Emmert recently signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. To help follow through on this promise, the UW has created a Climate Action Team. . He has also created an Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC), which recently created an inventory of UW's greenhouse gas emissions , an environmental stewardship coordinator position, and has formalized a policy on environmental stewardship to give full institutional support to the cause of campus sustainability.
As of February 2006, the UW joined a partnership with Seattle City Light as part of their Green Up Program. All of Seattle campus' electricity is purchased from renewable sources. Housing and Food Services (HFS) spends several million dollars annually on locally produced, organic, and natural foods. HFS does not use styrofoam containers for any of its facilities on campus, instead using compostable cups, plates, utensils, and packaging whenever possible. Students Expressing Environmental Concern (SEED) is funded by HFs and is responsible for most of the sustainable changes made to HFS. Several new residence halls are planned for 2020, all of which are expected to meet silver or gold LEED standards.. All new state-funded buildings and major renovations must meet a LEED standard of at least Silver. The University of Washington was one of only six universities to receive the highest grade on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2008, an "A-".
The report card identified the UW as one of 15 Overall College Sustainability Leaders among the 300 institutions surveyed.
Student organizations
Many of the sustainable changes at the University of Washington have resulted from campus activism. Several environmental-activism groups on campus include:
- Students Expressing Environmental Dedication () - SEED works with Housing and Food Services to increase the sustainability of the residence halls and dining areas.
- UW Earth Club - The Earth Club is interested in promoting the expression of environmental attitudes and consciousness through specialized events.
- UW Farm - The UW farm grows crops on campus and advocates urban farming in the UW community.
- Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) - WashPIRG engages students in a variety of activism causes, including environmental projects on campus and the community.
- UW Sierra Student Coalition - SSC is dedicated to many larger environmental issues on campus and providing related opportunities to students.
Organization and administration
The current president of the University of Washington is Dr. Mark Emmert, the former chancellor of Louisiana State University. Emmert, a 1975 graduate, took office as the University's 30th president on June 14, 2004.
The University is governed by ten regents, one of whom is a student. Its most notable current regent is likely William H. Gates, Sr., father of Bill Gates. The undergraduate student government is the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the graduate student government is the Graduate & Professional Student Senate (GPSS).
The University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, themselves organized into various colleges and schools:
Academics and research
In 2006, the University of Washington research budget passed the $1 billion milestone. Virtually all of the funding came from peer-reviewed research proposals. UW research budget consistently ranks among the top 5 in both public and private universities in the United States. UW is also the largest recipient of federal research funding among public universities and second among all public and private universities in the country, a position that the university has held each year since 1974. The university is an elected member of the Association of American Universities.
As of the 2006-07 autumn term, the university has 40,216 students. In 2007, the average high school GPA of incoming freshmen was 3.75, and the average SAT (math and critical reading) score was 1,251. About 33% of all undergraduates are members of ethnic minority groups.
Among the faculty, there are five winners of Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, one winner of the Fields Medal, eight winners of Gairdner International Awards, twelve MacArthur Fellows, two winners of the National Book Award, one winner of the National Medal of Arts, five winners of the National Medal of Science, six Nobel Prize laureates, nineteen winners of the Presidential Early Career Awards in Science and Engineering, and two Pulitzer Prize winners. Additionally, among UW faculty are fifty-eight members of the American Academy for Arts and Sciences, four members of the American Philosophical Society, thirteen Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, forty-eight members of the the Institute of Medicine, fifteen members of the National Academy of Engineering, and sixty members of the National Academy of Sciences.
The University of Washington library system is among the largest academic libraries in the United States, with holdings of more than 6.5 million volumes and 7.5 million microforms. The Association of Research Libraries ranked the UW library system between the top fifth and fifteenth in various categories.
UW is also the host university of ResearchChannel program, the only TV channel in the United States dedicated solely for the dissemination of research from academic institutions and research organizations. Current participation of ResearchChannel includes 36 universities, 15 research organizations, two corporate research centers and many other affiliates. UW also disseminates knowledge through its proprietary UWTV channel and online.
To promote equal academic opportunity, especially for people of low income, UW launched Husky Promise in 2006. Families of income up to 65 percent of state median income or 235 percent of federal poverty level are eligible. With this, up to 30 percent of undergraduate students may be eligible. The cut-off income level that UW set is the highest in the nation, making top quality education available to more people. UW President, Mark Emmert, simply said that being "elitist is not in our DNA". "Last year, the University of Washington moved to a more comprehensive approach [to admissions], in which the admissions staff reads the entire application and looks at grades within the context of the individual high school, rather than relying on computerized cutoffs."
Rankings
UW's undergraduate program was ranked 41st among "national universities" and tied for 11th among public doctoral universities by U.S. News and World Report.
The UW School of Medicine (primary care) and nursing school. are both ranked first and its medical research was ranked sixth in 2008. The UW School of Nursing has been ranked #1 in the nation since 1984, when the first survey of nursing schools was conducted. The U.S News & World Report only began ranking the primary medical school in 1993, ever since which UW has also always been #1. The School of Public Health and Community Medicine is as well ranked fourth by US News.
The graduate program in social work is ranked third, the pharmacy school fifth, the Library and Information School fourth, the graduate school of education seventh, the school of engineering 21st, the UW School of Law 27th, and the undergraduate and graduate business schools ranked 18th and 29th, respectively.
The University of Washington was ranked 16th internationally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2008.
The University of Washington also ranked 22nd internationally by Newsweek "Top 100 Global Universities",
The Performance Ranking of Scientific Research Papers of World Universities ranked UW 4th internationally in terms of overall research productivity.
The Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index created by Academic Analytics ranks University of Washington overall at #19. UW has a total of 7 number 1 rankings for disciplines and only three universities have as many or more #1 rankings.
G Factors ranked UW 7th internationally in 2006,
A private review by the National Opinion Research Center, and published in the Washington Monthly, ranked the university 14th in the United States. In its last published survey in 1995, the The National Research Council ranked UW ninth in the United States in a study that spanned 41 graduate disciplines.
The Top American Research Universities report from the Center at Arizona State ranked UW eleventh overall and third among public institutions.
Global Language Monitor, produced at Austin that ranks college based on media presence, placed University of Washington at #16 in the nation.
University of Washington ranks #1 in Peace Corps volunteers in 2007 and #3 throughout the years.
Kiplinger
ranked the University of Washington #9 of the top 100 colleges in early 2008 as one of the Best values in Public Colleges.
Traditions and student activities
The student newspaper is The Daily of the University of Washington, usually referred to as simply The Daily.
Athletics
UW students, sports teams, and alumni are called Washington Huskies, and often referred to metonymically as "Montlake," due to the campus's location on Montlake Boulevard N.E. (It should be noted that the traditional bounds of the Montlake neighborhood do not extend north of the Montlake Cut to include the campus.) The husky was selected as the school mascot by student committee in 1922. It replaced the "Sun Dodger," an abstract reference to the local weather that was quickly dropped in favor of something more tangible. The costumed "Harry the Husky" performs at sporting and special events, and a live Alaskan Malamute, currently named Dubs, has traditionally led the UW football team onto the field at the start of games. The school colors of purple and gold were adopted in 1892 by student vote. The choice was purportedly inspired by the first stanza of Lord Byron's The Destruction of Sennacherib:
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
The sports teams participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I-A and in the Pacific Ten Conference. Among its facilities on campus are Husky Stadium (football and track & field), the Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (basketball and volleyball), Husky ballpark (baseball), Husky Softball Stadium, The Bill Quillian Tennis Stadium, The Nordstrom Tennis Center, Dempsey Indoor (Indoor track & field, football) and the Conibear Shellhouse (rowing). The golf team plays at the Washington National Golf Club and the swimming team calls the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center and the Husky pool home.
The University football team is traditionally competitive, having won a title in 1960 and a share of the national championship in the 1991 season, to go along with eight Rose Bowl victories and an Orange Bowl title. From 1907 to 1917, Washington football teams were unbeaten in 63 consecutive games, an NCAA record. Tailgating by boat has been a Husky Stadium tradition since 1920 when the stadium was first built on the shores of Lake Washington. The Apple Cup game is an annual game against cross-state rival Washington State University that was first contested in 1900 with UW leading the all-time series, 64 wins to 29 losses and 6 ties. Steve Sarkisian is the current head football coach.
The men's basketball team has been moderately successful, though recently the team has enjoyed a resurgence under coach Lorenzo Romar. With Romar as head coach, the team went to three straight NCAA tournaments (2004-2006), consecutive top 16 (sweet sixteen) appearances, and secured a #1 seed in 2005. On December 23, 2005, the men's basketball team notched their 800th victory in Hec Edmundson Pavilion, the most wins for any NCAA team in its current arena. In 2007, the basketball team, playing in an extremely strong Pac-10 Conference, failed to make the postseason after finishing 7th.
Rowing is a longstanding tradition at the University of Washington dating back to 1901. The Washington men's crew gained international prominence by winning the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, defeating the German and Italian crews much to the chagrin of Adolf Hitler who was in attendance. In 1958, the men's crew furthered their lore with a shocking win over Leningrad Trud's world champion rowers in Moscow, resulting in the first American sporting victory on Soviet soil, and certainly the first time a Russian crowd gave any American team a standing ovation during the Cold War. The Washington men's crew was the collegiate national champion for 2007. In all, the men's crew have won 13 national titles, 15 Olympic gold medals, two silver and five bronze. The women have 10 national titles and two Olympic gold medals.
Other recent national champions include the 2008 NCAA Division I women's Cross Country team and the 2005 women's volleyball team. Individually, James Lepp was the 2005 NCAA men's golf champion. Ryan Brown (men's 800 meters) and Amy Lia (women's 1500 meters) won individual titles at the 2006 NCAA Track & Field Championships. Ryan Brown also won the 800 meter title at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Husky Stadium is one of several places that may have been the birthplace of the crowd phenomenon known as "The Wave." It is claimed that the wave was invented in October 1981 by Husky graduate Robb Weller and UW band director Bill Bissel. Their opponent that night was Stanford.
Song
The University of Washington Husky Marching Band performs at many Husky sporting events including all football games. The band was founded in 1929, and today it is a cornerstone of Husky spirit. The band marches using a traditional high step, and it is one of only a few marching bands left in the United States to do so. Like many college bands, the Husky band has several traditional songs that it has played for decades, including the official fight song "Bow Down to Washington" and "Tequila", as well as fan-favorite "Africano". In addition to athletic events, the band also plays at various other events such as commencement and convocation.
Mascot
The University of Washington has hosted a long line of Alaskan Malamutes as mascots. The 13 dogs thus far have been:
Frosty I (1922-29)
Frosty II (1930-36)
Wasky (1946)
Wasky II (1947-53)
Ski (1954-57)
Denali (1958)
King Chinook (1959-68)
Regent Denali (1969-80)
Sundodger (1981-91)
King Redoubt (1992-97)
Prince Redoubt (1998)
Spirit (1999-2008)
Dubs (2009-)
Originally the dogs were cared for by the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, followed by a 50 year tradition (1959-2008) of care by the Cross family (a UW professor followed by his son).
People
See also
External links
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- Photographs reflecting the early history of the University of Washington campus from its beginnings as the Territorial University through its establishment at its present site on the shores of Lake Washington. The database documents student activities, buildings, departments, and athletics.
- includes images from 1905-1930 of the University of Washington campus and scenes from Seattle including the waterfront, various buildings especially apartments, regrading activities, and the Pike Place Market.
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