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UNO Centennial

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History
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High Level Timeline through 1983


Year: 1908-1920
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1908 »
  • Articles of Incorporation filed.
1909 »
  • First students admitted.
1910 »
  • University of Nebraska agrees to accept all OU course work as the equivalent of its own
  • Graduate program established.
  • Jenkins appointed President.
  • Boomerang (student newspaper) started and ended.
  • First fraternity (ATC Club – later Phi sigma Phi) formed.
  • Student Athletics (basketball/tennis) started.
1911 »
  • Law Department created (becomes College of Law in 1915).
  • The Yellow Sheet (student newspaper) started.
  • First Gala Day held.
1912 »
  • John G. Jacobs Memorial Gymnasium opened.
  • The Student Cabinet (student government) formed.
1913 »
  • State Department of Education authorized OU to grant a ‘First Grade
  • Teachers Certificate.
  • First class graduated (11 graduates).
  • Alumni Association formed.
  • The Metropolitan (a student monthly) started. Was renamed The Gateway in 1914.
1915 »
  • First sororities formed.
1916 »
  • Women’s athletics (basketball) started.
1917 »
  • Joslyn Hall opens.
  • Redick Hall dismantled and moved to Minnesota.
1918 »
  • Extension Division (night classes) opened.

 

Year: 1920-1930
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1920’s »
  • College of Music opened.
  • Sarah Joslyn donated at building downtown for University use.
1920 »
  • First full-time athletic coach hired.
  • OU readmitted as a member of the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
1925 »
  • College of Commerce opened.
1926 »
  • Daniel Jenkins granted a medical leave of absence.
  • W. James Gilbert appointed Acting-President
1927 »
  • Karl Wettstone appointed President.
  • University leases unused public school building at 24th & Ames to relieve crowding on campus.
1928 »
  • Karl Wettstone resigned.
  • Ernest Emery appointed President.
  • First Homecoming held.
1929 »
  • Board of Trustees voted to give the University to the city if the city would accept it.
  • State Legislature passed legislation enabling the creation of a municipal university.
1930 »
  • Voters approved the creation of the Municipal University of Omaha.
  • Ernest Emery replace with W. Gilbert James as Acting President.
  • College of Law and Conservatory of Music separated from the University.

 

Year: 1930-1940
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1931 »
  • Regents of the Municipal University of Omaha accepted the institution of the University of Omaha.
  • Mill levy instituted at 1 mill.
  • William E. Sealock appointed President.
1933 »
  • All impediments to accreditation except the crowded campus were removed.
1934 »
  • 25th Anniversary Celebration replace the traditional Gala Day celebration
1935 »
  • William Sealock removed as President following a crisis involving allegations of communism and the existence of a ‘spy’ network on campus. (William Sealock then committed suicide.)
  • OU first competed in the North Central Conference.
  • First ‘Ma-ie Day’ held in place of the Gala Day.
  • Rowland Haynes appointed President.
1936 »
  • Work-Study program implemented in partnership with local businesses.
  • New campus location purchased.
1938 »
  • Campus relocated to 60th and Dodge Streets. Administration building dedicated.
1939 »
  • OU begins airplane pilot training.
  • OU granted accreditation.
  • “Indians” became the school nickname.

 

Year: 1940-1950
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1941 »
  • Liberal College was split into the College of Arts & Sciences and The College of Applied Arts & Sciences.
1942 »
  • Student strike over lack of support for athletics.
  • Faculty tenure system established.
1945 »
  • “The Shack” (student café/gathering place) opened
1947 »
  • Campus master plan created.
1948 »
  • Rowland Haynes retires.
  • Milo Bail appointed President.
  • First $1,000,000 budget.

 

Year: 1950-1960
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1950 »
  • College of Education created.
  • Fieldhouse completed.
1951 »
  • Bootstrap program started
  • ROTC started.
  • Radio station KWOU started.
  • Mill levy raised to 2 mills.
1952 »
  • First televised courses offered.
1955 »
  • OU won the Tangerine Bowl.
  • Gene Eppley Library completed.
1956 »
  • First $2,000,000 budget.
1959 »
  • Applied Science (Engineering) Building completed.
  • Parking problem reaches a crisis.
  • Men’s baseball team ranked 2nd nationally.

 

Year: 1960-1970
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1960 »
  • Student Center Building completed.
1962 »
  • Tele-lectures (telephone) introduced.
1963 »
  • Mill levy increase voted down.
  • First $4,000,000 budget
1964 »
  • College of Graduate Studies created.
1965 »
  • Milo Bail retires.
  • Leland Traywick appointed President.
  • Broadcasting on KYNE began.
  • Football team won CIC conference championship (Also, 1967 & 1968.)
1966 »
  • Mill levy increase defeated at polls.
  • Traywick removed as President.
  • Kirk Naylor appointed acting president
1967 »
  • Merger agreement drafted by OU and NU.
  • Kirk Naylor appointed President.
  • Merger enabling legislation enacted.
  • Omaha voters approve merger.
  • Afro-American Council for Action held sit-in.
  • Basketball team wins conference championship. (Also, 1969, 1970 and 1979.)
1968 »
  • University (faculty) Senate created.
  • University of Nebraska at Omaha created.
  • End of student dress codes.
1969 »
  • Black Liberators for Action (BLAC) occupied the President’s Office.
  • UNO joins Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

 

Year: 1970-1980
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1970 »
  • Allwine Hall completed
  • University Ombudsman position created.
  • First property acquired for ‘westward’ expansion.
  • Wrestlers win NAIA National Championship.
1971 »
  • Kayser Hall completed.
  • Last Ma-ie Day held.
  • Maverick mascot adopted.
  • Kirk Naylor asked to resign.
  • John Blackwell appointed Interim-Chancellor
1972 »
  • School of Public Affairs created.
  • Goodrich Program funded.
  • Ronald Roskens appointed Chancellor
  • Control of Engineering program moved to UNL.
1973 »
  • Performing Arts Center completed.
  • Office of Minority Affairs created.
  • UNO joins NCAA.
1977 »
  • Del Weber appointed Chancellor
  • UNO achieves highest accreditation level
    • possible from NCA
  • UNO joins NCC (Athletics).
1979 »
  • Faculty chose AAUP as its bargaining agent.

 

Also Visit

UNO's student newspaper, The Gateway, archive is available online. The depth and breadth of this all-digital offering sketches back to 1920s. This resource is searchable. Readers can browse through old newspapers, look for a specific topic or name and even search advertisements.

The online Gateway project was created by Olive Software, and is part of a slate of UNO Centennial happenings, events and celebrations. More recent Gateway content is available at unogateway.com.