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University of Iowa

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The University of Iowa
University of Iowa Seal
TypePublic university
EstablishedFebruary 25, 1847
Endowment$738 million (FY 2004) NACUBO
PresidentGary Fethke (interim)
Academic staff
1,705
Undergraduates20,301
Postgraduates5,100
Location
Iowa City, Iowa
,
USA
CampusSuburban, 1,900 acres (7.7 km²)
SportsHawkeyes
ColorsBlack and Old Gold
MascotHerky the Hawkeye
Websiteuiowa.edu

The University of Iowa is a major national research university located on a 1,900-acre campus in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, on the Iowa River in East Central Iowa. The University is one of 60 elected members of the prestigious Association of American Universities.

History and Distinctions

The State University of Iowa was founded February 25, 1847, as Iowa's first public institution of higher learning, only 59 days after Iowa became a state. In spite of its original name, it is not to be confused with Iowa State University.

The first faculty offered instruction at the University in March 1855 to students in the Old Mechanics Building, situated where Seashore Hall is now. In September 1855, the student body numbered 124, of which 41 were women. The 1856-57 catalogue listed nine departments offering Ancient Language, Modern Language, Intellectual Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, History, Natural History, Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry.

The original campus was composed of the Iowa Old Capitol Building and the 10 acres of land on which it stood. Following the placing of the cornerstone July 4, 1840, the building housed the Fifth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa (December 5, 1842) and then became the first capitol of the State of Iowa (December 28, 1846). Until that date it had been the third capitol of the Territory of Iowa. When the capitol of Iowa was moved to Des Moines in 1857, Old Capitol became the first permanent "home" of the University.

In 1855, Iowa became the first public university in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis (we are not sure if this is true, there is no proof of it). Additionally, the University was the world's first university to accept creative work in theater, writing, music and art on an equal basis with academic research.

The University was one of the first institutions in America to grant a law degree to a woman (Mary B. Hickey Wilkinson, 1873), to grant a law degree to an African American (G. Alexander Clark, 1879), and to put an African American on a varsity athletic squad (Carleton “Kinney” Holbrook, 1895)[1]. The university offered its first doctoral degree in 1898.

It established the first law school west of the Mississippi River, and was also the first to use television in education (1932) and pioneered the field of standardized testing. Additionally, Iowa was the first Big Ten institution to promote an African American to an administrative vice president’s position (Dr. Phillip Hubbard, promoted in 1966).

The University is also the home of the renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop and the National Advanced Driving Simulator (a virtual reality driving simulator.) U.S. News & World Report has ranked UI Hospitals and Clinics among "America’s Best Hospitals" ever since the rankings began in 1990. The University is currently home to ISCABBS, an aging public bulletin board system that was the largest Internet community in the world prior to the commercialization of the world wide web.

The University is one of 60 elected members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Its Law Library is ranked #1 in the nation by the National Jurist.

On November 1, 1991, five students and administrators were killed and one student permanently paralyzed when physics graduate student Gang Lu went on a shooting rampage, presumably because he was turned down for a prestigious award. On April 13, 2006, a tornado struck the University and adjacent Iowa City, causing moderate damage throughout the campus and town. Despite the damage, injuries were relatively light in the area, although one person in a neighboring county was killed.

Academics

Bachelors, master's, and doctoral programs are offered through the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, the College of Dentistry, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the College of Public Health, the College of Education, the College of Law, the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, the Graduate College, the College of Nursing, and the College of Pharmacy. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Iowa's undergraduate program 60th in the National Universities category, tied with Boston University, Purdue University, Rutgers, Ohio State University, and Texas A&M University.

Campus

File:UIowaOldCapitol.jpg
The Old Capitol, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The University of Iowa's main campus is located in Iowa City, with the campus bordered by Park Road to the north and Dubuque and Gilbert Streets roughly to the east. U.S. Highway 6 traverses the university campus. The Iowa River flows through the campus dividing it into west and east sides.

File:DSCN0987.JPG
View from Cleary Walkway with the Old Capitol in the background

Of architectural note is the Pentacrest at the center of The University of Iowa campus. The Pentacrest is the location of five major campus buildings: Old Capitol, Schaeffer Hall, MacLean Hall, Macbride Hall, and Jessup Hall.

The Colleges of Law, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Public Health are on the western bank of the Iowa River, along with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Additionally, four residence halls, Kinnick Stadium, and Carver-Hawkeye Arena are located on the west campus.

The Oakdale Campus, which is home to some of the university's research facilities and the driving simulator, is located north of Interstate 80 in adjacent Coralville.

Sports

The school's sports teams are called the Hawkeyes. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big Ten Conference.

Iowa's football team plays its home games at historic Kinnick Stadium, named after former Iowa football player Nile Kinnick who won the Heisman Trophy in 1939. Kinnick Stadium hosts 70,585 fans. The stadium unveiled a new look in 2006 with the completion of a 90 million dollar renovation. The renovation included new stands in the south endzone, a new press box, and a statue of Nile Kinnick. In the past few years, the football team has enjoyed much success, making five national bowl appearances since 2001 including Big Ten titles in 2002 and 2004.

Iowa battles Iowa State University annually for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, a traveling award. It also has a Big Ten rivalry with Minnesota. The two schools' football teams meet yearly to battle for Floyd of Rosedale, a traveling trophy in the shape of a bronzed pig. In 2004, Iowa and Wisconsin unveiled the Heartland Trophy, a bronze bull, to be played for in their annual rivalry. The Hawkeye football team has won eleven Big Ten football titles.

The school is also famous for its collegiate wrestling program. Through 2005, the Hawkeyes grapplers have won an amazing 20 national titles and 31 Big Ten titles. Coach Dan Gable's Gang won nine straight NCAA team championships (1978 to 1986) and twice won three in a row (1991 to 1993 and 1995 to 1997). Iowa's 47 NCAA Champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. Furthermore, Iowa's 127 all-Americans have earned all-America status 258 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 29 two-time honorees. Sports Illustrated named the Iowa program one of the top sports dynasties of the 20th century.[2] The program again made the news on March 29, 2006 when it was announced that wrestling coach Jim Zalesky's contract will not be renewed. About a month later Iowa hired former 4 time All-American and Olympic champion Tom Brands as the new head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Carver-Hawkeye Arena seats 15,500 for Iowa basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling.

The trampoline was invented by University members George Nissen and Larry Griswold around 1935. Griswold, was the assistant gymnastics coach and Nissen was a tumbler on the gymnastics team.

On June 23, 2006 it was announced that former University of Wyoming athletic director Gary Barta had been named the new athletic director of the University. Barta replaced Bob Bowlsby, who left the University on July 9th to become the new athletic director of Stanford University.

Notable University of Iowa people

See List of University of Iowa people for a comprehensive list.

The Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratory

As with any major public university, many University of Iowa alumni have achieved fame or notoriety after graduating. These people include athletes, film and television actors, and technological innovators. From its Iowa Writers' Workshop graduates, the University boasts a number of Pulitzer Prizes winners (most recently Michael Cunningham in fiction and Mark Strand in poetry, Tom Brokaw both in 1999), as well as numerous National Book Awards and other major literary honors.

Iowa's 1,700+ faculty members includes three Pulitzer Prize winners, five former clerks to U.S. Supreme Court justices, and numerous members of the nation’s most prestigious scholarly academies:

Past University Presidents

  • Amos Dean (1855-1859)
  • Silas Totten (1859-1862)
  • Oliver Spencer (1862-1867)
  • James Black (1868-1870)
  • George Thacher (1871-1877)
  • Josiah Pickard (1878-1887)
  • Charles Schaeffer (1887-1898)
  • George MacLean (1899-1911)
  • John Bowman (1911-1914)
  • Thomas Macbride (1914-1916)
  • Walter Jessup (1916-1934)
  • Eugene Gilmore (1934-1940)
  • Virgil Hancher (1940-1964)
  • Howard Bowen (1964-1969)
  • Willard Boyd (1969-1981)
  • James O. Freedman (1982-1987)
  • Hunter R. Rawlings III (1988-1995)
  • Mary Sue Coleman (1995-2002)
  • David Skorton (2003-2006)

Its recent past University presidents have gone on to become leaders at other prestigious institutions. David Skorton follows former UI presidents Hunter R. Rawlings III to Cornell University and James O. Freedman, who led Dartmouth College, to Ivy League institutions, and Mary Sue Coleman, the current president of the University of Michigan.

See also


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