History
The University's oldest college, Arts & Sciences, was founded in 1871. It was officially called the College of Ancient and Modern Literature, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences, but was referred to by the shorter title of College of Literature, Arts and Sciences.
The University’s original charter called for six Colleges: Literature, Arts and Sciences; Agricultural Sciences; Law; Medicine; Civil Engineering and Mechanics; and Fine Arts.
Literature, Arts and Sciences was the only College operating in 1871 when the University opened.
Following the pattern of elite British and American curricula, the original course offerings emphasized Latin, Greek, German, French, Math, and some study in the physical sciences.
Colleges originally with Arts and Sciences
College of Business
In the early 1900s, under pressure from the State Legislature to develop more practical programs of study, Arts & Sciences increased its offerings in business, marketing, and economics. A School of Commerce was created within Arts & Sciences in 1913, and in 1919 it became the independent College of Business.
Teachers College
In the University’s early decades, what little teacher training there was happened mostly in Arts & Sciences. The prevailing view among faculty was that the state’s Normal Schools should take care of such training, not the University. Under considerable pressure from the public and the state legislature, however, the University established Teachers College in 1909. Students in the new College continued to receive their degrees in Arts & Sciences until Teachers College became a fully autonomous degree-granting program in 1921.
College of Journalism
The Department of English offered courses in Journalism beginning in 1894. A School of Journalism was established in Arts & Sciences in 1923. In 1979 the School became largely independent of Arts & Sciences, and in 1985 it was established as a College.
College of Fine Arts
Although the University’s charter designates it as an independent College, financial problems prevented the College from being formed, and the Fine Arts were until recently taught through Arts & Sciences. A separate School of Music was established in 1892, but was financially independent from the University; it was not until 1930 that the University officially incorporated Music. Then in 1938 a School of Fine Arts, which included Music, was established in Arts & Sciences. The School was constituted as a separate College in 1993.
A postcard shows University Hall, the University of Nebraska's first building
Read about this building and others on historicbuildings.unl.edu, which features more than 100 years of campus architecture history.
"An Architecture Tour of Historic UNL" was developed by Kay Logan-Peters, professor and chair of access branch services for the University Libraries. the Web site.
Burnett Hall's construction was delayed nearly 20 years
Originally planned as a companion building to Andrews Hall (which was completed in 1928), the construction of Burnett Hall was delayed for nearly 20 years due to the Great Depression and World War II.
The building is named after Chancellor Edgar A. Burnett, who retired in 1938. Burnett has been credited with keeping the university running through the Depression years.
Pharmacy Hall opened in 1886 for chemistry
Chemical Laboratory, also called Pharmacy Hall, was built in 1885-1886, opening for occupancy in September 1886. The building was located on the modern site of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery.
Originally used for chemistry, the building included three floors. The basement was initially used for elementary classes. The first floor was open to college study, while the top floor included a large lecture room and other rooms for "special investigation."
All images courtesy of Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
Alumni George Flippin: athlete, student, and son of a freed slave
He enrolled at the University of Nebraska in 1891 and became a favorite of students and faculty alike. He used his speaking skills to win the oratorical contest of the Palladian Literary Society, for which he also served as president.
He graduated from NU with a bachelor degree in 1894, going on to earn a medical degree from the University of Illinois. Flippin returned to Nebraska and set up his medical practice in Stromsburg. He established the community's first hospital in 1907 and was credited with saving many lives during a polio outbreak.
President Gerald Ford was a guest political science lecturer at UNL in 1977
Ford, a frequent visitor to Nebraska who served as a lecturer at UNL for one week in 1977, died Dec. 26, 2006. He was 93.
In addition to a number of political stops in Nebraska, Ford gave the May 8, 1976 commencement address at UNL. The full text of the address is online at www.presidency.ucsb.edu.
Goodwin Swezey, UNL's first astronomy professor
Born Jan. 10, 1851, Swezey received a Bachelor's of Arts at Beloit College (Wisc.) in 1873, and a Master's of Arts in 1876.
Swezey also studied at the Yale Divinity School, Andover Theological Seminary and the universities of Illinois and Indiana. He spent the summer months traveling the nation, visiting observatories and meeting with astronomers.
