UA to Celebrate 175th Anniversary in 2006

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama will celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2006 with events and activities planned throughout the calendar year.

The state’s flagship university, UA was founded on April 12, 1831. The University will commemorate that momentous day on April 12, 2006 with a Founder’s Day program and a community-wide birthday party.

“This anniversary year is an opportunity to celebrate our rich history and to look ahead to a future of continued growth and progress,” said UA President Robert E. Witt. “We invite friends throughout the country to join us as we celebrate the 175th anniversary of Alabama’s first university.”

The anniversary will be celebrated with lectures, speakers, concerts and arts events, culminating with a special event at commencement in December 2006 including the unveiling of a permanent campus marker commemorating the anniversary.

Varsity athletes’ uniforms will sport 175th anniversary patches in 2006, with the football team wearing the insignia for the first time at the 2006 A-Day game. The logo, developed by UA’s Office of University Relations, will be available for use on a wide variety of merchandise.

The University’s history actually began more than 175 years ago when the federal government authorized the Alabama Territory to set aside a township for the establishment of a “seminary of learning” in 1818. Alabama was admitted to the Union on March 2, 1819, and a second township was added to the grant. On Dec. 18, 1820, the seminary was established officially and named the University of the State of Alabama. Tuscaloosa, then the state’s capital, was chosen as the University’s home in 1827.

Inaugural ceremonies were held on April 12, 1831 and the University officially opened. The first students were enrolled on April 18, 1831, and by the end of May, 52 students had enrolled. The campus consisted of just seven buildings: two faculty houses, two dormitories, a laboratory, a hotel (now Gorgas House) and the Rotunda.

Today, the University is home to more than 21,000 students from Alabama and around the world.

For more information on the 175th anniversary, contact Dr. Samory Pruitt, UA vice president for community affairs, at 205/348-8376.