Colorado School of Mines
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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 historyGolden, 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. Image:CSMEnginneeringHall.jpeg
Engineering Hall
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. Early academic "departments" were "drafting," physics, metallurgy, chemistry and mining. In the 1920's, departments formed in geology, petroleum engineering and geophysics. Petroleum refining was added in 1946. The Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies and the Department of Physical Education and Athletics provide nontechnical educational opportunities for Mines students. Other facilities include: Ben Parker Student Center, Arthur Lakes Library, Green Center and the Edgar Mine which is located in Idaho Springs. TodayThe Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has the highest admissions standards of any public state university in Colorado. Mines has distinguished itself by developing a curriculum and research program that is geared toward responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. In addition to strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering, Mines is one of a very few institutions in the world having broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production and utilization.[citation needed] As such, Mines occupies an unusual position among the world's institutions of higher education. The school recently completed the process of building a new student recreation center, and expanding its main computer center (the CTLM).[citation needed] On June 19th, 2006, Dr. Bill Scoggins took office as the 16th president of the school, replacing the retiring Dr. John Trefney, who held the position since 2000. The school operates one of the country's most prestigious geology museums. The museum displays rock and mineral specimens collected from Colorado's numerous mining districts as well as around the world. The museum's exhibits include specimens from the Frank Allison gold and silver collection, part of the famous Nininger meteorite collection, and Sweet Home Mine rhodochrosite, as well as a model uranium mine and various pieces of mining related art. The school also maintains one of the oldest mountain monograms in the United States. Perched on Mount Zion above the campus, every evening, the stone monument of the school's M logo is illuminated and can be seen from miles away. During holidays and special occasions, such as finals week, the structure is illuminated different colors and patterns to reflect the season. Also, every year during the first week of school, the bravest of the incoming freshmen class hike up to the "M" and contribute a 10 pound rock to the formation and apply a fresh coating of whitewash. Mines is the host of the annual Colorado State Science Olympiad, which draws teams from both the northern regional (hosted at Poudre High School) and southern regional (hosted at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs) competitions. One or two teams usually advance to the national finals, depending on the number of teams registered to compete. Mines also hosts the Colorado Regional Science Bowl, and shares hosting of the Colorado State MathCounts Competition with University of Denver, alternating biennially. FacilitiesThe Colorado School of Mines campus presents one of the most distinctive and historically significant collections of academic buildings in Colorado. As an unofficial rule throughout its history Mines buildings have been designed in the latest styles and technology since its very first one, reflecting the technical nature of the school. Their design across time has spanned a spectrum of styles from Second Empire to Postmodernist, created by noted Colorado architectural masters including Robert S. Roeschlaub (Hall of Engineering), Jacques Benedict (Steinhauer Field House), and Temple Hoyne Buell (Berthoud Hall). To date two main academic buildings are gone (original Territorial School of Mines, 1871-93; Hall of Chemistry, 1880-1958), while the present campus includes:
Major open-air athletic facilities of the Colorado School of Mines include historic Brooks Field and Darden Field. The honorary named Colorado School of Mines buildings commemorate Dr. Victor C. Alderson, Edward L. Berthoud, George R. Brown, Dr. Regis Chauvenet, Dr. Melville F. Coolbaugh, Cecil H. and Ida Green, Simon Guggenheim, Nathaniel P. Hill, Arthur Lakes, Dr. Paul D. Meyer, Winfield S. Stratton, and Russell K. Volk. List of majors
List of Presidents
Notes: * Professor in Charge ** Began as Professor in Charge, became the first President *** Served as President TwiceNotes
External links
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