On January 30, 1889, Governor Edward Stevenson of the Idaho Territory signed the territorial legislature's Council Bill No. 20, championed by attorney Willis Sweet and legislator John W. Brigham, which officially established the UI as the upcoming state's land-grant institution. Nearly four years later, the university opened for classes on October 3, 1892.lib.uidaho.edu – special collections – timeline – accessed 2010-04-06 The choice of location for the University of Idaho was an "Olive Branch of Peace" by Gov. Stevenson for his actions in stymieing the nearly successful effort to detach the north Idaho Panhandle and join the state of Washington.About the UI – A Brief UI History
1800s 1889 – Beta Sigma established as first sororityuidaho.edu timeline 1892 – University opens, first day of classes on October 3 1896 – first four undergraduate degrees awarded to: Stella Maude Allen, Florence May Corbett, Charles Luther Kirtley, and Arthur Prentis Adair. – photo 1898 – first graduate degree awarded UI Alumni Association established 1899 – UI opens first summer school in Northwest – June 21 – photo
1900s 1901 – College of Agriculture established original Engineering Building opens (originally Applied Science, then Mines, then Engineering) – (photo 1) – (photo 2) – demolished in 1951 (unsafe), on site of present Niccolls Building (Home Economics, opened 1952) 1902 – Ridenbaugh Hall completed – (photo 1) – (photo 2) Department of Domestic Science (later Home Economics) established; first in Pacific Northwest – June 11 (photo) 1904 – present Art and Architecture South building completed; originally a gymnasium & armory – (photo) became Women's Gym in 1928, remodeled for Art and Architecture in 1976 1905 – First National Greek organization in Idaho (Kappa Sigma), arrives on September 30 1906 – original Administration Building (photo 1) (photo-2) burns down – March 30 – (photo) – remains later dynamited – (photo) Metallurgical Lab completed, became Mines (1950), Psychology (1961), Art and Architecture (2001) – Pine St. – (photo, left) – (photo, right) Assay Building completed – (later Geology), 1955–84 gallery & museum, demolished in 1984 for Life Sciences North (Gibb Hall) 1907 – Morrill Hall completed – (photo 1) – (photo 2) – financed with insurance funds from destroyed Administration Building – (originally for Agriculture, then Forestry in 1950) – Idaho Ave. at Pine St. College of Engineering established in cooperation with the College of Mines1907–1957 Historical Events, Centennial 1907 – 2007 College of Engineering, University of Idaho construction of new Administration Building begins 1908 – Olmsted Brothers develop master plan for UI campus 1909 – new Administration Building opens (Tudor Gothic) – (later photo) 1910 – Arboretum begun by Charles H. Shattuck, head of forestry department – (photo) 1911 – Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the new Administration Building on April 9 – (photo 1) – (photo 2) on a platform built of Palouse wheat College of Engineering formally established – October 27 1912 – North wing of Administration Building completed – (photo 1) – (photo 2) – (photo 3) – (photo 4)includes auditorium – (first two floors) Hec Edmundson finishes seventh in 800 m at the Olympics 1914 – Football games moved to MacLean Field, west of Administration Building; previously at Main and E streets (SW corner) in north Moscow 1916 – South wing of Administration Building initially completed, extended in 1936 for library 1920 – School of Education established – June 7 Lindley Hall (first dormitory) opens in September – occupied site east of Life Sciences North (Gibb Hall),SW corner of Idaho & Ash; condemned in 1971, demolished in 1973 1922 – UI joins Pacific Coast Conference – member until mid-1959 when PCC disbands 1923 – current Continuing Education Building completed; originally Forney Hall (women's dorm) – (photo 1) – (photo 2) 1924 – current Life Sciences South building completed, originally "Science Building" – (photo) – (photo-left) 1925 – School of Business created; first dean is Harrison Dale. 1927 – current Alumni Center completed, originally Hays Hall (women's dormitory) – (photo) Football team ties for PCC title current steam plant building completed – northeast corner of 6th and Line St. 1928 – Memorial Gymnasium completed – honors state's World War I service – (photo 1) – (photo 2) – (photo 3) 1930 – fourth floor added to Morrill Hall Fight song "Go, Vandals, Go" composed by freshman class vice president J. Morris O'Donnell 1936 – Student Union Building (SUB) established after purchase of Blue Bucket Inn – (photo – 1924 construction) – (photo – 1950 addition) Student Health Center completed, originally "Infirmary" – (photo) Brink Hall opened; originally Willis Sweet Hall (men's dorm), then Faculty Office Complex (FOC) East, until renamed in 1982. south wing (1916) of Administration Building (1909) extended for library expansion – (UI Library completed in 1957) total enrollment at 2,568 in October 1937 – UI Golf Course opens (nine holes) (photo 1938) – second nine holes opens in 1970 (five holes at NW, four at E) Neale Stadium completed – (earthen horseshoe – wood bleachers) (photo 1) – (photo 2), on site of Kibbie Dome 1938 – Eleanor Roosevelt speaks at Memorial Gym – March 26 Phinney Hall completed; originally Chrisman Hall (men's dorm) – (photo); FOC West until 1987. 1940 – total enrollment at 2,686 1942 – Gauss ME Laboratory completed – southeast corner of 6th and Line St. – (original Kirtley Lab #1: Charles L. Kirtley was first UI engineering graduate, in first class of 1896, (photo), later a physician) 1943 – Varsity football cancelled due to lack of turnout in fall, returns in 1945 Food Research Building completed – (orig. Dairy Building, photo), west side of Morrill Hall, NE corner Line St. & Idaho Ave. 1945 – student radio station KUOI (655 KHz) goes on the air – November; became 89.3 MHz in 1968 total enrollment at 1,450 in fall 1946 – Basketball team wins its final Northern Division title in PCC and first since 1923, loses deciding game in title series at California 1948 – inaugural Borah SymposiumThe Borah Foundation at the University of Idaho on foreign policy total enrollment of 3,683 in fall 1950 – new Engineering Building (classrooms) – Janssen Engineering Classroom Building, named for Allen S. Janssen, Dean, College of Engineering (1946–1967), in 1951 Agricultural Science building completed Johnson Electrical Engineering Laboratory completed – (originally Kirtley Lab #2) Administration Building Annex completed, later incorporated into Albertson (2002) 1951 – Music building completed – (photo) – (renamed for Lionel Hampton in 1987) – original Mines, then Engineering Building, (1901) is demolished (unsafe) – (current site of Niccolls (Home Economics)) resident undergraduate fees: $47.50 per semester 1952 – Home Economics building completed – (now Niccolls, photo) on site of old Engineering Building. (1901–51, photo) New "I" water tower is installed (photo) - old tower (1916) (photo) at was directly east; relocated to the UI farm 1954 – boxing dropped as a varsity sport in June – (national co-champs with Gonzaga in 1950) Football team defeats Palouse neighbor Washington State, first win over Cougars in 29 years 1955 – Gault-Upham Halls (men's dorms) dedicated – October 15 (demolished in 2003) 1956 – Gault Hall arson – three fatalities, 4th floor – October 19 – (photo) Arsonist was reporter for UI student newspaper Argonaut, responsible for other campus fires:convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years, paroled in 1968, & died in 1980. total enrollment at 3,674 in fall 1957 – UI Library completed – (photo) – dedicated Nov 2 – on former site of tennis courts – (library was housed in south wing of Administration Building) Park Village Apartments completed (married and graduate housing) – 3rd and Home St. – demolished 2002 1958 – Two Vandals selected in top 50 of 1958 NFL draft: Jerry Kramer (39th) and Wayne Walker (45th) 1959 – Pacific Coast Conference disbands in spring; UI independent for four years, until the Big Sky Conference forms in 1963 total enrollment at 3,906 in October 1960 – resident undergraduate fees: $64.50 per semester; non-residents added $125. 1961 – College of Mines building completed – (photo) – north of Morrill Hall 1962 – UI awards its first doctoral degree in education to Florence Dorothy Aller (counseling and guidance) 1963 – Wallace Complex dormitories (two south wings, four floors each) and cafeteria completed Basketball team packs Northwest gyms and goes 20–6 with center Gus Johnson UI joins the new Big Sky Conference as a charter member, – retains university (later Division I) status for football with its non-conference schedule (all D-I) through 1977 (except for 1967 and 1968) campus radio station KUID-FM (91.7 MHz) goes on the air resident undergraduate fees: $82 per semester, non-residents added $155 1964 – Physical Sciences building completed – (renamed for Malcolm Renfrew in 1985) Baseball wins inaugural Big Sky title 1965 – University Classroom Center (UCC) completed, east of library – closed 2003reconfigured as Teaching & Learning Center, reopened 2005 Third wing (NE, 6 floors) of Wallace Complex dormitory completed campus KUID-TV (Ch.12) goes on the air – Idaho Public Television takes over station in 1982 visitor information center opens at north entrance – (current police substation) – 3rd and Line St. UI joins Big Sky for football after six seasons as independent, but retains university division status enrollment at 4,817 in February resident undergraduate fees: $100.50 per semester, non-residents added $190 Ernest Hartung becomes 12th UI president in August 1966 – Art and Architecture (North) building completed (photo) Baseball wins second Big Sky title and advances to District 7 finals (Sweet Sixteen) final season at MacLean Field (College of Education construction) 1967 – President's Residence (S. side of Shattuck Arboretum) completed Wallace Complex dormitory's fourth and final wing (NW (Gooding), six floors) completedlib.uidaho.edu – UI buildings – W – accessed 2010-03-21 St. Augustine's Catholic Center opens – February – east of SUBlib.uidaho.edu – UI buildings – S – accessed 2010-03-21 Baseball wins consecutive Big Sky titles, third in four years. New baseball field opens in April, became Guy Wicks Field (dedicated 1969) NCAA downgrades UI football program, from university division to college division (two seasons) 1968 – Buchanan Engineering Laboratory (BEL) completed – (CE, ChE, AgE, EE) – dedicated in May 1969 inaugural annual UI jazz festival – February – (renamed Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 1985) student radio station becomes KUOI-FM (89.3 MHz) at ten watts – November; (was 660 KHz) resident undergraduate fees: $143 per semester, non-residents added $250 1969 – College of Education building completed – built on infield of MacLean baseball field Theophilus Tower (12-floor dormitory) completedlib.uidaho.edu – UI buildings – T – accessed 2010-03-21 (twin tower was cancelled) Golf course's new clubhouse is completedlib.uidaho.edu – UI buildings – A – accessed 2010-03-21 Baseball wins fourth Big Sky title and advances to District 7 finals (Sweet Sixteen); falls to eventual national champion Arizona State UI Wilderness Research Center established at Taylor Ranch field station,located in the Idaho Primitive Area (now the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness) NCAA restores UI football to university division after two seasons in college division Neale Stadium (1937) is condemned before football season; destroyed by arson after the season in November, – UI played its two Palouse home games at WSU's Rogers Field total enrollment at 6,343 in fall