One hundred and forty years ago, on February 9, 1874, the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Colorado passed the bill that would establish the School of Mines as a public institution. That was 15 years after gold had been discovered in Colorado, at a time when mining and highly skilled and educated engineers and scientists were vital to the West’s economy. Nine years later we held our first commencement ceremony and conferred the first earned Engineer of Mines degrees’ to exactly two graduates!
From those modest beginnings, Mines has grown into a research university known worldwide for the quality of our programs and graduates, and our reach continues to grow. In May we anticipate conferring more than 950 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees representing 13 disciplines, ranging from engineering to applied science to economics. And we’ve all witnessed the re-emerging importance of skilled engineers and scientists to the Western economy, particularly in the energy industry.
Innovation and discovery are at the heart of what we do. Mines is a vibrant community of learners, educators, researchers and alumni. Our 140th anniversary offers a chance for us to reflect on Mines’ rich history and the impact our community has had, and continues to have, around the globe. In early April, hundreds of alumni marked the occasion during 37 national and international E-Days events, and the celebrations continue over Alumni Weekend at the end of April. Looking ahead, in addition to various alumni events on and off campus, we invite you to join us for the special activities being planned for Homecoming at the end of September. Be sure to connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook to keep informed about this and other university and alumni news. We’re excited about what this year holds for Mines, and we look forward to celebrating our 140th anniversary with you.