University of Houston
Encyclopedia
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System
. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of Houston–University Park from 1983 to 1991. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UH as a research university. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities, and is in the Top 300 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
The university offers over 300 degree programs through its 12 academic colleges on campus—including programs leading to professional degrees in law, optometry, and pharmacy. The institution conducts nearly $130 million annually in research, and it operates more than 40 research centers and institutes on campus. Interdisciplinary research includes superconductivity, space commercialization and exploration, biomedical sciences and engineering, energy and natural resources, and artificial intelligence. Awarding more than 7,800 degrees annually, UH's alumni base exceeds 260,000. The economic impact of the university contributes over $3 billion annually to the Texas economy, while generating about 24,000 jobs.
The University of Houston hosts a variety of theatrical performances, concerts, lectures, and events. It has over 400 student organizations and 16 intercollegiate sports teams. Annual UH events and traditions include The Cat's Back, Homecoming, and Frontier Fiesta
. The university's varsity athletic teams, known as the Houston Cougars
, are members of Conference USA and compete in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. The football team regularly makes bowl game appearances, and the men's basketball team has made 19 appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament—including five Final Four appearances. The men's golf team has won 16 national championships—the of any NCAA golf program.
Originally HJC was located in San Jacinto High School and offered only night courses. Its first session began March 7, 1927, with an enrollment of 232 students and 12 faculty. This session was primarily held to educate the future teachers of the junior college, and no freshmen were allowed to enroll. A more accurate date for the official opening of HJC is September 19, 1927, when enrollment was opened to all persons having completed the necessary educational requirements. The first president of HJC was Edison Ellsworth Oberholtzer
, who was the dominant force in establishing the junior college.
UH's first session as a four-year institution began June 4, 1934, at San Jacinto High School with an enrollment of 682. In 1934, the first campus of the University of Houston was established at the Second Baptist Church at Milam and McGowen. The next fall, the campus was moved to the South Main Baptist Church on Main Street—between Richmond Avenue and Eagle Street—where it stayed for the next five years. In May 1935, the institution as a university held its first commencement at Miller Outdoor Theatre.
In 1936, philanthropists Julius Settegast and Ben Taub
donated 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) to the university for use as a permanent location. At this time, there was no road that led to the land tract, but in 1937, the city added Saint Bernard Street, which was later renamed to Cullen Boulevard. It would become a major thoroughfare of the campus. As a project of the National Youth Administration, workers were paid fifty cents an hour to clear the land. In 1938, Hugh Roy Cullen
donated $335,000 for the first building to be built at the location. The Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building
, was dedicated on June 4, 1939, and classes began the next day. The first full semester of classes began officially on Wednesday, September 20, 1939.
On March 12, 1945, Senate Bill 207 was signed into law, removing the control of the University of Houston from HISD and placing it into the hands of a board of regents. In 1945, the university—which had grown too large and complex for the Houston school board to administer—became a private university.
In March 1947, the regents authorized creation of a law school at the university. In 1949, the M.D. Anderson Foundation made a $1.5 million gift to UH for the construction of a dedicated library building on the campus. By 1950, the educational plant at UH consisted of 12 permanent buildings. Enrollment was more than 14,000 with a full-time faculty of more than 300. KUHF
, the university radio station, signed on in November. By 1951, UH was the second-largest university in the State of Texas and was the fastest growing university in the United States.
—the first educational television station in the nation—after the four-year long Federal Communications Commission's television licensing freeze ended. During this period, however, the university as a private institution was facing financial troubles. Tuition failed to cover rising costs, and in turn, tuition increases caused a drop in enrollment.
After a lengthy battle between supporters of the University of Houston, led by school president A.D. Bruce, and forces from state universities geared to block the change, Senate Bill 2 was passed on May 23, 1961, enabling the university to enter the state system in 1963.
As the University of Houston celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Texas Legislature formally established the University of Houston System
in 1977. Philip G. Hoffman resigned from his position as president of UH and became the first chancellor of the University of Houston System. The University of Houston became the oldest and largest member institution in the UH System with nearly 30,000 students.
On April 26, 1983, the university appended its official name to University of Houston–University Park; however, the name was changed back to University of Houston on August 26, 1991. This name change was an effort by the UH System to give its flagship institution a distinctive name that would eliminate confusion with the University of (UHD), which is a separate and distinct degree-granting institution that is not part of the University of Houston.
on the university campus.
On October 15, 2007, Renu Khator
was selected for the position of UH System chancellor and UH president. On November 5, 2007, Khator was confirmed as the third person to hold the UH System chancellor and UH president position simultaneously, and took her position in January 2008.
In January 2011, the University of Houston joined the ranks of the top research universities in the nation with the announcement by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that placed UH in its top category of research universities. The designation makes UH one of only three state research universities in Texas. The university commemorated this milestone on January 28, 2011 with a "Celebration of Excellence" event on campus in recognition of the research designation.
The university campus includes numerous green spaces, fountains, and sculptures, including a work by famed sculptor Jim Sanborn. Renowned architects César Pelli
and Philip Johnson
have designed buildings on the UH campus. Recent campus beautification projects have garnered awards from the Keep Houston Beautiful group for improvements made to the Cullen Boulevard corridor.
The University of Houston (UH) is not a university; it does not have a "main campus" or any branch campus. The University of (UHCL), the University of (UHD), and the University of (UHV) are separate universities; they are not branch campuses of UH.
The inner campus contains the academic core of the university and consists of the M.D. Anderson Library, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the College of Technology, and the Honors College. The interior of the campus has the original buildings: the Roy G. Cullen Building, the Old Science Building, and the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
. Academic and research facilities include the Cullen Performance Hall
, the Science and Engineering Research and Classroom Complex, and Texas Center for Superconductivity, and various other science and liberal arts buildings. This area of campus features the reflecting pool at Cullen Family Plaza, the Lynn Eusan Park, and various plazas and green spaces.
The Arts District is located in the northern part of campus and is home to the university's School of Art
, the Moores School of Music
, the School of Theatre and Dance, the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
, and the Valenti School of Communication. The district also has the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Performing Arts which houses the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre and Moores Opera Center. Other facilities include the Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building, and the Moores Opera House and Choral Recital Hall in the
Moores School of Music Building.
The Professional District is located northeast and east of the university campus. The district has facilities of the University of Houston Law Center
, the Cullen College of Engineering
, and the C.T. Bauer College of Business
. This area of campus is home to Calhoun Lofts, which is an upper-level and graduate housing. The East Parking Garage is located on the east-end of the district. Adjacent to the district is the University Center (UC), the largest of two student unions on campus.
The Wheeler District is located in the southern portion of the campus along Wheeler Avenue and east of Cullen Boulevard. This area has undergraduate dormitories, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
, and the College of Optometry
. Dormitory facilities include the twin 18-story Moody Towers, Cougar Village, and the Quadrangle which has the following five separate halls: Oberholtzer, Bates, Taub, Settegast, and Law. Adjacent to the Moody Towers and Lynn Eusan Park is the Hilton University of Houston Hotel.
is the library system of the university. It consists of the M.D. Anderson Library (the central library) and three branch libraries: the Music Library, the Weston A. Pettey Optometry Library, and the William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library. In addition to the libraries administered by the UH Libraries, the university also has the O'Quinn Law Library and the Conrad N. Hilton Library.
The campus has the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Performing Arts which houses the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre and Moores Opera Center. The Cullen Performance Hall
is a 1,544 seat proscenium theater which offers a variety of events sponsored by departments and organizations at the university in addition to contemporary music concerts, opera, modern dance, and theatrical performances put on by groups in and outside the Houston area. The Blaffer Gallery
exhibits the works of both visiting artists and those of students in the university's School of Art
.
The 264,000 ft² (25,000 m²) Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, which is home to the nation's largest collegiate natatorium, was recognized by the National Intramural-Sports Association as an outstanding facility upon its completion in 2004.
The LeRoy and Lucile Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting houses the studios and offices of KUHT
-TV Houston PBS
, the nation's first public television station; KUHF
(88.7 FM), Houston's NPR
station; the Center for Public Policy Polling; and television studio labs.
The 200000 sq ft (18,580.6 m²) Science and Engineering Research and Classroom Complex (SERCC) was designed by architect César Pelli
. It houses facilities for many interdisciplinary research programs at UH, including bionanotechnology.
The university has an on-campus Hilton hotel that is part of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
. This hotel was established with a donation by the founder of Hilton Hotels, Conrad N. Hilton, and is staffed by students in the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
. The institution was known as University of from 1983 to 1991. UH is not a university; it does not have a "main campus" or any branch campus. The University of (UHCL), the University of (UHD), and the University of (UHV) are separate universities with different missions; they are not branch campuses of UH.
The organization and control of the University of Houston is vested in the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System. The Board has all the rights, powers, and duties that it has with respect to the organization and control of other institutions in the System; however, UH is maintained as a separate and distinct institution.
.
The combined University of Houston System/University of Houston Administration is housed in the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
on the university campus. The Chancellor/President resides in the Wortham House, provided by the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System as part of the chancellor/president's employment contract.
The university offers 300 degree programs: 112 bachelors; 131 masters; 54 research doctorates; and three professional doctorate degrees in law, optometry, and pharmacy. Awarding more than 7,800 degrees annually, UH's alumni base exceeds 260,000 and is the largest in the Houston area.
The University of Houston's faculty includes three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee
, National Medal of Science recipient Paul Chu, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams
.
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences has the Creative Writing Program
, which was founded by alumnus Donald Barthelme
and offers degrees in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Noted writers who have emerged from the program include novelists Robert Clark Young
and Padgett Powell
. The program attracts major authors, including international and award-winning authors.
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
is one of only 36 schools to have an accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
The University of Houston's academic colleges are as follows:
The Princeton Review has listed UH as one of America's best colleges. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities, and is in the Top 300 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. It ranks as a Tier 2 national university in U.S. News & World Reports "Best Colleges."
The University of Houston Law Center
is a top-tier law school—it ranks 56th among the nation's "Best Law Schools" in U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report ranks the C.T. Bauer College of Business
as the top Undergraduate Business Program in Houston, third among public universities in the state of Texas, and 43rd in the nation among public universities. In 2002, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
ranked third in the nation in hospitality management by the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education.
The university conducts nearly $130 million annually in academic and scientific research, and it operates more than 40 research centers and institutes on campus. Through these facilities, UH maintains partnerships with government, health care and private industry. Areas of interdisciplinary research include superconductivity, space commercialization and exploration, biomedical sciences and engineering, energy and natural resources, and artificial intelligence.
Six interdisciplinary research clusters enable scholars to exchange ideas and explore research areas and to work with industry, other research organizations, and the community. University of Houston research clusters include: Arts and Human Enrichment, Bio-Med Sciences and Engineering, Community Advancement and Education, Complex Systems/Space Exploration, Energy and Natural Resources, and Nano-Materials.
is a contemporary art museum dedicated to emerging, mid-career, and underrepresented artists and bodies of work through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. Its educational programs include public lectures, artists' talks, docent tours, audio guides, and youth programs such as Studio Saturday, Summer Arts, and the Young Artist Apprenticeship Program.
Cullen Performance Hall
is a 1,544 seat proscenium theater located near Entrance 1. The hall offers a variety of events sponsored by departments and organizations at the university in addition to contemporary music concerts, opera, modern dance, and theatrical performances put on by groups in and outside the Houston area.
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music
presents concerts in various campus venues: Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building, and in the Moores Opera House and Choral Recital Hall in the music building. Musical events range from opera to jazz with performers including students, faculty, and guest artists.
The School of Theatre and Dance offers a subscription series of five plays each year. Works by classical and modern dramatists, as well as new musical collaborators, are seen in full productions or “gypsy runthroughs.”
The School of Art
exhibits young artists several times a year, including the Master of Fine Arts exhibition held traditionally near the end of the spring semester in the Blaffer Museum. The School of Art also hosts presentations by numerous visiting artists and art historians throughout the academic year.
Moody Towers, frequently just called "The Towers," is one of the tallest complexes on campus and the largest area of residence halls. Each of the two towers consists of eighteen stories and together house 1,100 students. The Towers feature a newly renovated dining hall. The rooms in The Towers are scheduled to be renovated during the summer of 2011.
The Quadrangle, also known as "The Quad," is the oldest housing area on campus and consists of several coed dorm halls: Bates, Law, Oberholtzer, Settegast, and Taub. Oberholtzer Hall features a smaller, albeit cozy dining hall. The Quadrangle houses 800 students. The rooms in The Quads are scheduled to be renovated during the summer of 2011.
In August 2009, Calhoun Lofts—a new university-owned and operated residential facility aimed at graduate and professional students—opened and includes retail stores, lecture halls, and recreation facilities.
Cougar Village is a new freshman/Honors College dorm which opened in August 2010. The dormitory features themed floors with kitchens and lounges, a tutoring center, computer labs, multi-purpose rooms, study areas, a convenience store, a laundry facility, and a fitness center. Cougar Village is exclusive only to freshman and Honor College students. In addition, Cougar Village II has been approved and is scheduled for construction in 2012.
In addition to traditional dormitories, Cougar Place is an apartment-style housing consisting of 400 units. The complex will soon be demolished and replaced with a new on-campus housing for sophomores.
The university has privately-owned apartment complexes on campus: Cullen Oaks, Bayou Oaks, and Cambridge Oaks.
, and has been published since 1927. Students also produce the official University of Houston yearbook, The Houstonian.
The UH Student Video Network
, a student-run network, appears on the University of Houston cable network and is one of the few fee-funded student organizations on campus.
The seal of the University of Houston, officially adopted in 1938, is a stylized version of the coat-of-arms of General Sam Houston
. The first official version was placed on the floor of the Roy Gustav Cullen Building.
The official colors of the University of Houston are scarlet red and albino white. These were the colors of Sam Houston's ancestor, Sir Hugh, and were adopted by UH at the same time as the official seal. Scarlet red symbolizes courage or inner strength to face the unknown, and white symbolizes the goodness and purity of spirit embodied in helping one's fellow man.
The school's official mascot is a cougar, which was adopted in 1947 and later named Shasta
. The university had a live cougar, but the tradition ended in 1989.
The Frontiersmen
is a group of students who participate in university events to drive school spirit. At football games, the Frontiersmen—donning cowboy hats, Wrangler Jeans, and dusters
for attire—run across the field with the university's flag and the Flag of Texas after each score.
Frontier Fiesta
—a re-creation of a 19th-century Western town, with music, food and historical exhibits—is a major event on campus each spring semester. The student led festival is a part of a long-standing tradition at UH dating back to the 1940s.
The BLAZE is an oil field warning siren that was chosen to represent the university’s ties to the petroleum industry. The purchase of the siren was completed in 1991. The Sigma Chi Fraternity has been in charge of the siren and gave it the name “The BLAZE” in honor of its fallen brother, David Blazek.
Cougar First Impressions—a program headed by the UH Staff Council—takes place every year on the first two days of classes, when faculty and staff turn out to welcome new and returning students.
The first time UH played UT in American football was in 1953. Since this was their first meeting, members of Alpha Phi Omega
—the service fraternity in charge of taking care of Shasta I, the university's mascot—brought her to the game. During the trip, Shasta's front paw was caught in the cage door and one toe was cut off. At the game, members of the opposing team discovered what had happened and began taunting UH players by holding up their hands with the ring finger bent. UT went on to win this game 28–7, and UH students began using the sign as notice that they would remember the taunts.
During the second meeting with UT in 1968, the Houston Cougars—holding up the now-adopted symbol of UH pride—played UT to a 20–20 tie. UH did not play UT again until 1976, the first year UH was a member of the Southwest Conference. In front of a record crowd, UH defeated UT 30–0. This solidified the use of the Cougar Paw as a tradition.
. Since the conference was formed in 1995, the Cougars have won 33 C-USA titles. After 61 years of athletics at UH, other notable achievements include 16 national titles in men's golf
, five NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four appearances, and two College World Series appearances.
More than 50 Olympic athletes have attended UH, bringing home 33 medals, including 19 gold. Former Olympian and UH alumnus Leroy Burrell
returned as the men's track and field head coach in 1998, and in April 2010, James Dickey
was named the seventh men's basketball head coach and Todd Buchanan
was named the sixth women's basketball coach. In December 2007, Kevin Sumlin
was introduced as the university's twelfth head football coach.
In addition to varsity sports, the University of Houston offers a variety of intramural sports programs.
The Houston Cougars football
team has made 20 post-season bowl appearances and has to its credit several Southwest Conference championships and Cotton Bowl Classic appearances, as well as the 2006 Conference USA Championship. The 1989 Heisman Trophy winner, Andre Ware
, was a Cougar.
The men's basketball
team has made 19 NCAA Tournament
appearances, with five trips to the Final Four. See also Phi Slama Jama, the Cougars teams of the early 1980s that featured current Basketball Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler
and Hakeem Olajuwon
.
Houston competes with other notable sports teams, such as the baseball
team, which has made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances with two trips to the College World Series; the men's golf
team, which has won 16 NCAA National Championships; the women's soccer team, which was rated as the top first-year women's program in the country in 1998; the swimming and diving teams, which have spawned multiple Olympians and All-Americans; the track and field team, which perennially ranks in the top 10 as an NCAA team; and the volleyball team, which had a streak of ten consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Awarding more than 7,800 degrees annually, UH's alumni base exceeds 260,000. The University of Houston has seen many now notable persons pass through its halls.
Jack Valenti
, long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America and creator of the MPAA film rating system, received his B.B.A. from UH and for decades was one of the most influential people in Hollywood. Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel
is also a University of Houston alum.
Elizabeth Warren
, a Harvard Law School faculty member and chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the U.S. banking bailout during the 2008–2009 financial crisis, received her B.S. from UH in 1970. Alice Sebold
, a noted novelist known for Lucky
and The Lovely Bones
, and Matt Mullenweg
, creator of WordPress (a popular, open-source blogging platform), also attended the university.
Notable athletes within the list include NFL players Wilson Whitley
, Glenn Montgomery
, Alfred Oglesby
, Craig Veasey
, Donnie Avery
, David Klingler
, Kevin Kolb
, Sebastian Vollmer
, and Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware
; baseball stars Doug Drabek
, Michael Bourn
, and Brad Lincoln
; golfers Fred Couples
, Billy Ray Brown
, Steve Elkington
, and Fuzzy Zoeller
; track and field legends Carl Lewis
and Leroy Burrell
; the NBA's Bo Outlaw
, Clyde Drexler
, Elvin Hayes
, Damon Jones
, Hakeem Olajuwon
and Carl Herrera
; and legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry
.
Notable politicians include Gene Green
, a Democratic politician and a U.S. congressman from the state of Texas representing that state's 29th congressional district. The district includes most of eastern Houston, along with large portions of Houston's eastern suburbs. Ted Poe
is a Republican politician currently representing Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes most of northern Houston, as well as most of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area. Tom DeLay
, a former member and majority leader
of the U.S. House of Representatives, who represented Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006, also attended the University of Houston.
Other notable celebrity alumni include Jim Parsons
, star of the television series The Big Bang Theory
, Brent Spiner
of Star Trek: The Next Generation
, actors Robert Wuhl
, Loretta Devine
, Dennis Quaid
, Randy Quaid
, and Brett Cullen
, former attorney and talk show host Star Jones
, Project Runway
contestants Chloe Dao
and Laura Bennett
, sportscasters Jim Nantz
and Robert Flores
, and country music star Larry Gatlin
.
University of Houston System
The University of Houston System is a state university system in Texas, encompassing four separate and distinct universities. It has two system centers, which operate as and distance learning course delivery sites for its universities...
. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of Houston–University Park from 1983 to 1991. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UH as a research university. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities, and is in the Top 300 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
The university offers over 300 degree programs through its 12 academic colleges on campus—including programs leading to professional degrees in law, optometry, and pharmacy. The institution conducts nearly $130 million annually in research, and it operates more than 40 research centers and institutes on campus. Interdisciplinary research includes superconductivity, space commercialization and exploration, biomedical sciences and engineering, energy and natural resources, and artificial intelligence. Awarding more than 7,800 degrees annually, UH's alumni base exceeds 260,000. The economic impact of the university contributes over $3 billion annually to the Texas economy, while generating about 24,000 jobs.
The University of Houston hosts a variety of theatrical performances, concerts, lectures, and events. It has over 400 student organizations and 16 intercollegiate sports teams. Annual UH events and traditions include The Cat's Back, Homecoming, and Frontier Fiesta
Frontier Fiesta
Frontier Fiesta is a three day event at the University of Houston that takes place on campus every spring semester, usually in the last weekend of March to the first weekend in April...
. The university's varsity athletic teams, known as the Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was created by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football...
, are members of Conference USA and compete in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. The football team regularly makes bowl game appearances, and the men's basketball team has made 19 appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament—including five Final Four appearances. The men's golf team has won 16 national championships—the of any NCAA golf program.
Founding
The University of Houston began as Houston Junior College (HJC). On March 7, 1927, trustees of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution that authorized the founding and operating of a junior college. The junior college was operated and controlled by HISD.Originally HJC was located in San Jacinto High School and offered only night courses. Its first session began March 7, 1927, with an enrollment of 232 students and 12 faculty. This session was primarily held to educate the future teachers of the junior college, and no freshmen were allowed to enroll. A more accurate date for the official opening of HJC is September 19, 1927, when enrollment was opened to all persons having completed the necessary educational requirements. The first president of HJC was Edison Ellsworth Oberholtzer
Edison E. Oberholtzer
Edison Ellsworth Oberholtzer was the founder and first president of the University of Houston. Oberholtzer obtained his undergraduate education at Westfield College in Westfield, Illinois and Indiana State Normal School . In 1915, he received his Master of Arts degree from the University of...
, who was the dominant force in establishing the junior college.
University beginnings
The junior college became eligible to become a university in October 1933 when Governor Miriam A. Ferguson signed House Bill 194 into law. On April 30, 1934, HISD's Board of Education adopted a resolution to make the school a four-year institution, and Houston Junior College changed its name to the University of Houston.UH's first session as a four-year institution began June 4, 1934, at San Jacinto High School with an enrollment of 682. In 1934, the first campus of the University of Houston was established at the Second Baptist Church at Milam and McGowen. The next fall, the campus was moved to the South Main Baptist Church on Main Street—between Richmond Avenue and Eagle Street—where it stayed for the next five years. In May 1935, the institution as a university held its first commencement at Miller Outdoor Theatre.
In 1936, philanthropists Julius Settegast and Ben Taub
Ben Taub
Ben Taub , philanthropist and medical benefactor, fourth child of Jacob Nathan Taub, was born in 1889 in Houston .His father immigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1882 and became a tobacco wholesaler. Taub grew up in Houston, where he attended Welch Preparatory School. During World War I,...
donated 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) to the university for use as a permanent location. At this time, there was no road that led to the land tract, but in 1937, the city added Saint Bernard Street, which was later renamed to Cullen Boulevard. It would become a major thoroughfare of the campus. As a project of the National Youth Administration, workers were paid fifty cents an hour to clear the land. In 1938, Hugh Roy Cullen
Hugh Roy Cullen
Hugh Roy Cullen was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Cullen was heavily involved in the petroleum industry, was a large supporter of the University of Houston, and longtime chairman of the board of regents for the university...
donated $335,000 for the first building to be built at the location. The Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building
Roy G. Cullen Memorial Building
The Roy G. Cullen Building is the oldest building on the present-day campus of the University of Houston. It is believed to be the first building on a campus of higher education in the United States with air conditioning...
, was dedicated on June 4, 1939, and classes began the next day. The first full semester of classes began officially on Wednesday, September 20, 1939.
On March 12, 1945, Senate Bill 207 was signed into law, removing the control of the University of Houston from HISD and placing it into the hands of a board of regents. In 1945, the university—which had grown too large and complex for the Houston school board to administer—became a private university.
In March 1947, the regents authorized creation of a law school at the university. In 1949, the M.D. Anderson Foundation made a $1.5 million gift to UH for the construction of a dedicated library building on the campus. By 1950, the educational plant at UH consisted of 12 permanent buildings. Enrollment was more than 14,000 with a full-time faculty of more than 300. KUHF
KUHF
KUHF is a public radio station serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. It broadcasts on a frequency of 88.7 megahertz on the FM dial. The station is owned by and licensed to the University of Houston System...
, the university radio station, signed on in November. By 1951, UH was the second-largest university in the State of Texas and was the fastest growing university in the United States.
State university
In 1953, the university established KUHTKUHT
-Technical firsts:The station is also noted in Houston for many technical firsts at the local level. In 1981, KUHT became Houston's first closed captioned television station, and ten years later, in 1991, it became the first station in Houston to offer Descriptive Video Service , and other services...
—the first educational television station in the nation—after the four-year long Federal Communications Commission's television licensing freeze ended. During this period, however, the university as a private institution was facing financial troubles. Tuition failed to cover rising costs, and in turn, tuition increases caused a drop in enrollment.
After a lengthy battle between supporters of the University of Houston, led by school president A.D. Bruce, and forces from state universities geared to block the change, Senate Bill 2 was passed on May 23, 1961, enabling the university to enter the state system in 1963.
As the University of Houston celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Texas Legislature formally established the University of Houston System
University of Houston System
The University of Houston System is a state university system in Texas, encompassing four separate and distinct universities. It has two system centers, which operate as and distance learning course delivery sites for its universities...
in 1977. Philip G. Hoffman resigned from his position as president of UH and became the first chancellor of the University of Houston System. The University of Houston became the oldest and largest member institution in the UH System with nearly 30,000 students.
On April 26, 1983, the university appended its official name to University of Houston–University Park; however, the name was changed back to University of Houston on August 26, 1991. This name change was an effort by the UH System to give its flagship institution a distinctive name that would eliminate confusion with the University of (UHD), which is a separate and distinct degree-granting institution that is not part of the University of Houston.
Restructuring and growth
In 1997, the UH System and the University of Houston administrations merged into a single governing entity. Arthur K. Smith, then the UH president, became the first person to hold both the UH System chancellorship and University of Houston presidency simultaneously. As of the merger, the University of Houston System Administration has been located in the Ezekiel W. Cullen BuildingEzekiel W. Cullen Building
The Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, usually shortened in pronunciation as the E. Cullen Building, is a building that serves as the main administrative headquarters of the University of Houston and the University of Houston System. It is named in honor of Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen, a former congressman...
on the university campus.
On October 15, 2007, Renu Khator
Renu Khator
Renu Khator is the eighth chancellor of the University of Houston System and the thirteenth president of the University of Houston. She is the first foreign-born president of the university, and the second woman to hold the position...
was selected for the position of UH System chancellor and UH president. On November 5, 2007, Khator was confirmed as the third person to hold the UH System chancellor and UH president position simultaneously, and took her position in January 2008.
In January 2011, the University of Houston joined the ranks of the top research universities in the nation with the announcement by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that placed UH in its top category of research universities. The designation makes UH one of only three state research universities in Texas. The university commemorated this milestone on January 28, 2011 with a "Celebration of Excellence" event on campus in recognition of the research designation.
Campus
The campus of the University of Houston is located in southeast Houston, with an official address of 4800 Calhoun Road. It was known as University of from 1983 to 1991. The campus spans 667 acres (2.7 km²) and is roughly bisected by Cullen Boulevard—a thoroughfare that has become synonymous with the university.The university campus includes numerous green spaces, fountains, and sculptures, including a work by famed sculptor Jim Sanborn. Renowned architects César Pelli
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
and Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson
Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an influential American architect.In 1930, he founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and later , as a trustee, he was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the first Pritzker Architecture...
have designed buildings on the UH campus. Recent campus beautification projects have garnered awards from the Keep Houston Beautiful group for improvements made to the Cullen Boulevard corridor.
The University of Houston (UH) is not a university; it does not have a "main campus" or any branch campus. The University of (UHCL), the University of (UHD), and the University of (UHV) are separate universities; they are not branch campuses of UH.
Campus layout
The University of Houston's campus framework has identified the following five core areas and districts: inner campus, the Arts District, the Professional District, the Wheeler District, and the Stadium District. In addition, the campus contains several outlying areas not identified among the four districts.The inner campus contains the academic core of the university and consists of the M.D. Anderson Library, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the College of Technology, and the Honors College. The interior of the campus has the original buildings: the Roy G. Cullen Building, the Old Science Building, and the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
The Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, usually shortened in pronunciation as the E. Cullen Building, is a building that serves as the main administrative headquarters of the University of Houston and the University of Houston System. It is named in honor of Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen, a former congressman...
. Academic and research facilities include the Cullen Performance Hall
Cullen Performance Hall
Cullen Performance Hall is a concert hall located on the campus of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. The hall, comprising the eastern half of the E. Cullen Building, was named in honor of Ezekiel W. Cullen, a former congressman for the Republic of Texas. The facility seats 1,544, and...
, the Science and Engineering Research and Classroom Complex, and Texas Center for Superconductivity, and various other science and liberal arts buildings. This area of campus features the reflecting pool at Cullen Family Plaza, the Lynn Eusan Park, and various plazas and green spaces.
The Arts District is located in the northern part of campus and is home to the university's School of Art
University of Houston School of Art
The University of Houston School of Art is a department of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences .-Majors:The School of Art hosts 5 undergraduate and 4 graduate majors:...
, the Moores School of Music
Moores School of Music
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...
, the School of Theatre and Dance, the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
Hines College of Architecture
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture is an architecture school and is one of twelve academic colleges of the University of Houston. It offers both undergraduate and graduate level degree programs....
, and the Valenti School of Communication. The district also has the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Performing Arts which houses the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre and Moores Opera Center. Other facilities include the Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building, and the Moores Opera House and Choral Recital Hall in the
Moores School of Music Building.
The Professional District is located northeast and east of the university campus. The district has facilities of the University of Houston Law Center
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
, the Cullen College of Engineering
Cullen College of Engineering
The Cullen College of Engineering, one of twelve academic colleges at the University of Houston, was established in 1941 and is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. More than 3,250 students are enrolled in engineering courses—2,569 undergraduates, 710 masters and doctoral...
, and the C.T. Bauer College of Business
Bauer College of Business
The C.T. Bauer College of Business is the business school of the University of Houston and is fully accredited by the AACSB International. It offers B.B.A., M.B.A., MS Accountancy, MS Finance, and the Houston metropolitan area's only Ph.D...
. This area of campus is home to Calhoun Lofts, which is an upper-level and graduate housing. The East Parking Garage is located on the east-end of the district. Adjacent to the district is the University Center (UC), the largest of two student unions on campus.
The Wheeler District is located in the southern portion of the campus along Wheeler Avenue and east of Cullen Boulevard. This area has undergraduate dormitories, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is one of twelve academic college of the University of Houston. The college, consisting of several facilities, includes a full-service Hilton Hotel. The College currently offers multiple programs that include: Bachelors of Science...
, and the College of Optometry
University of Houston College of Optometry
The University of Houston College of Optometry or UHCO is one of twelve academic colleges at the University of Houston. The college provides master's level and doctoral degrees in the area of optometry including a Doctor of Optometry degree...
. Dormitory facilities include the twin 18-story Moody Towers, Cougar Village, and the Quadrangle which has the following five separate halls: Oberholtzer, Bates, Taub, Settegast, and Law. Adjacent to the Moody Towers and Lynn Eusan Park is the Hilton University of Houston Hotel.
Facilities
The University of Houston LibrariesUniversity of Houston Libraries
The University of Houston Libraries is an academic library system of the University of Houston serving students, faculty, and the general public. The main general collection library of the system is the M.D. Anderson Library. The system has three other branches—all of them existing on-campus at...
is the library system of the university. It consists of the M.D. Anderson Library (the central library) and three branch libraries: the Music Library, the Weston A. Pettey Optometry Library, and the William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library. In addition to the libraries administered by the UH Libraries, the university also has the O'Quinn Law Library and the Conrad N. Hilton Library.
The campus has the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Performing Arts which houses the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre and Moores Opera Center. The Cullen Performance Hall
Cullen Performance Hall
Cullen Performance Hall is a concert hall located on the campus of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. The hall, comprising the eastern half of the E. Cullen Building, was named in honor of Ezekiel W. Cullen, a former congressman for the Republic of Texas. The facility seats 1,544, and...
is a 1,544 seat proscenium theater which offers a variety of events sponsored by departments and organizations at the university in addition to contemporary music concerts, opera, modern dance, and theatrical performances put on by groups in and outside the Houston area. The Blaffer Gallery
Blaffer Gallery
Blaffer Gallery is the art museum of the University of Houston. It was founded in 1973 and has won several awards, including the Coming Up Taller Award as part of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.-History:...
exhibits the works of both visiting artists and those of students in the university's School of Art
University of Houston School of Art
The University of Houston School of Art is a department of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences .-Majors:The School of Art hosts 5 undergraduate and 4 graduate majors:...
.
The LeRoy and Lucile Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting houses the studios and offices of KUHT
KUHT
-Technical firsts:The station is also noted in Houston for many technical firsts at the local level. In 1981, KUHT became Houston's first closed captioned television station, and ten years later, in 1991, it became the first station in Houston to offer Descriptive Video Service , and other services...
-TV Houston PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, the nation's first public television station; KUHF
KUHF
KUHF is a public radio station serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. It broadcasts on a frequency of 88.7 megahertz on the FM dial. The station is owned by and licensed to the University of Houston System...
(88.7 FM), Houston's NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
station; the Center for Public Policy Polling; and television studio labs.
The 200000 sq ft (18,580.6 m²) Science and Engineering Research and Classroom Complex (SERCC) was designed by architect César Pelli
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
. It houses facilities for many interdisciplinary research programs at UH, including bionanotechnology.
The university has an on-campus Hilton hotel that is part of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is one of twelve academic college of the University of Houston. The college, consisting of several facilities, includes a full-service Hilton Hotel. The College currently offers multiple programs that include: Bachelors of Science...
. This hotel was established with a donation by the founder of Hilton Hotels, Conrad N. Hilton, and is staffed by students in the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Institutional structure
The University of Houston (UH) is one of four separate and distinct institutions in the University of Houston SystemUniversity of Houston System
The University of Houston System is a state university system in Texas, encompassing four separate and distinct universities. It has two system centers, which operate as and distance learning course delivery sites for its universities...
. The institution was known as University of from 1983 to 1991. UH is not a university; it does not have a "main campus" or any branch campus. The University of (UHCL), the University of (UHD), and the University of (UHV) are separate universities with different missions; they are not branch campuses of UH.
The organization and control of the University of Houston is vested in the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System. The Board has all the rights, powers, and duties that it has with respect to the organization and control of other institutions in the System; however, UH is maintained as a separate and distinct institution.
Administration
The president is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the University of Houston who also serves as chancellor of the University of Houston System, thus making it a dual position. The chancellor is the CEO of the UH System, and the position is appointed by the board of regents. As of 2008, the chancellor of the System and president of the University of Houston is Renu KhatorRenu Khator
Renu Khator is the eighth chancellor of the University of Houston System and the thirteenth president of the University of Houston. She is the first foreign-born president of the university, and the second woman to hold the position...
.
The combined University of Houston System/University of Houston Administration is housed in the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
The Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, usually shortened in pronunciation as the E. Cullen Building, is a building that serves as the main administrative headquarters of the University of Houston and the University of Houston System. It is named in honor of Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen, a former congressman...
on the university campus. The Chancellor/President resides in the Wortham House, provided by the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System as part of the chancellor/president's employment contract.
Academics
The mission of the University of Houston is to "discover and disseminate knowledge through the education of a diverse population of traditional and nontraditional students, and through research, artistic and scholarly endeavors, as it becomes the nation’s premier public university in an urban setting."The university offers 300 degree programs: 112 bachelors; 131 masters; 54 research doctorates; and three professional doctorate degrees in law, optometry, and pharmacy. Awarding more than 7,800 degrees annually, UH's alumni base exceeds 260,000 and is the largest in the Houston area.
The University of Houston's faculty includes three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
, National Medal of Science recipient Paul Chu, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams
Jody Williams
Jody Williams is an American teacher and aid worker who received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the campaign she worked for, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines...
.
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences has the Creative Writing Program
University of Houston Creative Writing Program
The University of Houston Creative Writing program is a graduate fiction and poetry program located in Houston, Texas. It was rated second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its first annual ranking of writing programs in 1997. It rated 26th in the nation in Poets & Writers and its PhD...
, which was founded by alumnus Donald Barthelme
Donald Barthelme
Donald Barthelme was an American author known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the Houston Post, managing editor of Location magazine, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston , co-founder of Fiction Donald...
and offers degrees in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Noted writers who have emerged from the program include novelists Robert Clark Young
Robert Clark Young
Robert Clark Young is an American author of novels, essays, short stories and journalism. Recurring themes in Young's fiction include the relation between alcoholism, the abuse of power, and institutional dysfunction in American life, while his nonfiction has recently focused on eldercare topics...
and Padgett Powell
Padgett Powell
Padgett Powell is an American novelist in the Southern literary tradition. His debut novel, Edisto , was nominated for the American Book Award and was excerpted in The New Yorker. Powell has written four more novels—including Edisto Revisited , a sequel to his debut, Mrs...
. The program attracts major authors, including international and award-winning authors.
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
Hines College of Architecture
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture is an architecture school and is one of twelve academic colleges of the University of Houston. It offers both undergraduate and graduate level degree programs....
is one of only 36 schools to have an accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
The University of Houston's academic colleges are as follows:
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Rankings
In January 2011, the University of Houston joined the ranks of the top research universities in the nation with the announcement by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that placed UH in its top category of research universities. The designation makes UH one of only three state research universities in Texas.The Princeton Review has listed UH as one of America's best colleges. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities, and is in the Top 300 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. It ranks as a Tier 2 national university in U.S. News & World Reports "Best Colleges."
The University of Houston Law Center
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
is a top-tier law school—it ranks 56th among the nation's "Best Law Schools" in U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report ranks the C.T. Bauer College of Business
Bauer College of Business
The C.T. Bauer College of Business is the business school of the University of Houston and is fully accredited by the AACSB International. It offers B.B.A., M.B.A., MS Accountancy, MS Finance, and the Houston metropolitan area's only Ph.D...
as the top Undergraduate Business Program in Houston, third among public universities in the state of Texas, and 43rd in the nation among public universities. In 2002, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is one of twelve academic college of the University of Houston. The college, consisting of several facilities, includes a full-service Hilton Hotel. The College currently offers multiple programs that include: Bachelors of Science...
ranked third in the nation in hospitality management by the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education.
Research
The University of Houston is a nationally recognized research university. The designation makes UH one of only three state research universities in Texas. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities.The university conducts nearly $130 million annually in academic and scientific research, and it operates more than 40 research centers and institutes on campus. Through these facilities, UH maintains partnerships with government, health care and private industry. Areas of interdisciplinary research include superconductivity, space commercialization and exploration, biomedical sciences and engineering, energy and natural resources, and artificial intelligence.
Six interdisciplinary research clusters enable scholars to exchange ideas and explore research areas and to work with industry, other research organizations, and the community. University of Houston research clusters include: Arts and Human Enrichment, Bio-Med Sciences and Engineering, Community Advancement and Education, Complex Systems/Space Exploration, Energy and Natural Resources, and Nano-Materials.
Student life
The University of Houston is notable for its diverse student body, and U.S. News & World Report ranks UH as the second-most diverse research university in the United States. With 39,820 students in fall 2011, the university has significant numbers of Asian American and Hispanic students. Its international student population is primarily from Asia. The demographic makeup of the student population was 34.1 percent non-Hispanic white, 19.5 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 22.3 percent Hispanic, 12.6 percent non-Hispanic black, 0.3 percent American Indian or Alaskan Native, 8.5 percent International, and 2.7 percent other or unknown.Art, music and theatre
Located in the Fine Arts Building, Blaffer GalleryBlaffer Gallery
Blaffer Gallery is the art museum of the University of Houston. It was founded in 1973 and has won several awards, including the Coming Up Taller Award as part of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.-History:...
is a contemporary art museum dedicated to emerging, mid-career, and underrepresented artists and bodies of work through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. Its educational programs include public lectures, artists' talks, docent tours, audio guides, and youth programs such as Studio Saturday, Summer Arts, and the Young Artist Apprenticeship Program.
Cullen Performance Hall
Cullen Performance Hall
Cullen Performance Hall is a concert hall located on the campus of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. The hall, comprising the eastern half of the E. Cullen Building, was named in honor of Ezekiel W. Cullen, a former congressman for the Republic of Texas. The facility seats 1,544, and...
is a 1,544 seat proscenium theater located near Entrance 1. The hall offers a variety of events sponsored by departments and organizations at the university in addition to contemporary music concerts, opera, modern dance, and theatrical performances put on by groups in and outside the Houston area.
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music
Moores School of Music
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...
presents concerts in various campus venues: Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building, and in the Moores Opera House and Choral Recital Hall in the music building. Musical events range from opera to jazz with performers including students, faculty, and guest artists.
The School of Theatre and Dance offers a subscription series of five plays each year. Works by classical and modern dramatists, as well as new musical collaborators, are seen in full productions or “gypsy runthroughs.”
The School of Art
University of Houston School of Art
The University of Houston School of Art is a department of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences .-Majors:The School of Art hosts 5 undergraduate and 4 graduate majors:...
exhibits young artists several times a year, including the Master of Fine Arts exhibition held traditionally near the end of the spring semester in the Blaffer Museum. The School of Art also hosts presentations by numerous visiting artists and art historians throughout the academic year.
Housing
Fifteen percent of UH students live on campus. UH has several on campus dormitories: Moody Towers, The Quadrangle, Cougar Village, Calhoun Lofts, Bayou Oaks, Cougar Place, Cullen Oaks, and Cambridge Oaks.Moody Towers, frequently just called "The Towers," is one of the tallest complexes on campus and the largest area of residence halls. Each of the two towers consists of eighteen stories and together house 1,100 students. The Towers feature a newly renovated dining hall. The rooms in The Towers are scheduled to be renovated during the summer of 2011.
The Quadrangle, also known as "The Quad," is the oldest housing area on campus and consists of several coed dorm halls: Bates, Law, Oberholtzer, Settegast, and Taub. Oberholtzer Hall features a smaller, albeit cozy dining hall. The Quadrangle houses 800 students. The rooms in The Quads are scheduled to be renovated during the summer of 2011.
In August 2009, Calhoun Lofts—a new university-owned and operated residential facility aimed at graduate and professional students—opened and includes retail stores, lecture halls, and recreation facilities.
Cougar Village is a new freshman/Honors College dorm which opened in August 2010. The dormitory features themed floors with kitchens and lounges, a tutoring center, computer labs, multi-purpose rooms, study areas, a convenience store, a laundry facility, and a fitness center. Cougar Village is exclusive only to freshman and Honor College students. In addition, Cougar Village II has been approved and is scheduled for construction in 2012.
In addition to traditional dormitories, Cougar Place is an apartment-style housing consisting of 400 units. The complex will soon be demolished and replaced with a new on-campus housing for sophomores.
The university has privately-owned apartment complexes on campus: Cullen Oaks, Bayou Oaks, and Cambridge Oaks.
Media
The official student newspaper is The Daily CougarThe Daily Cougar
The Daily Cougar is a daily newspaper run entirely by students at the University of Houston.In publication since April 6, 1928, The Daily Cougar was originally named The Cougar...
, and has been published since 1927. Students also produce the official University of Houston yearbook, The Houstonian.
The UH Student Video Network
University of Houston Student Video Network
The Student Video Network or SVN is a Student television station at the University of Houston. Founded in 1974, it is one of several fee-funded organizations on campus, and broadcasts through Channel 6 on the University of Houston's Cougar Vision cable network.-Station History:SVN began...
, a student-run network, appears on the University of Houston cable network and is one of the few fee-funded student organizations on campus.
Traditions
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
. The first official version was placed on the floor of the Roy Gustav Cullen Building.
The official colors of the University of Houston are scarlet red and albino white. These were the colors of Sam Houston's ancestor, Sir Hugh, and were adopted by UH at the same time as the official seal. Scarlet red symbolizes courage or inner strength to face the unknown, and white symbolizes the goodness and purity of spirit embodied in helping one's fellow man.
The school's official mascot is a cougar, which was adopted in 1947 and later named Shasta
Shasta (mascot)
Shasta is the mascot of the University of Houston athletics teams, the Houston Cougars. Shasta is a female cougar. While previously a live cougar, Shasta is now a costumed mascot.-History:...
. The university had a live cougar, but the tradition ended in 1989.
The Frontiersmen
Frontiersmen (University of Houston)
The Frontiersmen is a group of students from the University of Houston that are involved in many university events including athletic games. The Frontiersmen began as a tradition at the university in 1948.-History:...
is a group of students who participate in university events to drive school spirit. At football games, the Frontiersmen—donning cowboy hats, Wrangler Jeans, and dusters
Duster (clothing)
A duster is a light, loose-fitting long coat.The original dusters were full-length, light-colored canvas or linen coats worn by horsemen to protect their clothing from trail dust. These dusters were typically slit up the back to hip level for ease of wear on horseback and were the recommended...
for attire—run across the field with the university's flag and the Flag of Texas after each score.
Frontier Fiesta
Frontier Fiesta
Frontier Fiesta is a three day event at the University of Houston that takes place on campus every spring semester, usually in the last weekend of March to the first weekend in April...
—a re-creation of a 19th-century Western town, with music, food and historical exhibits—is a major event on campus each spring semester. The student led festival is a part of a long-standing tradition at UH dating back to the 1940s.
The BLAZE is an oil field warning siren that was chosen to represent the university’s ties to the petroleum industry. The purchase of the siren was completed in 1991. The Sigma Chi Fraternity has been in charge of the siren and gave it the name “The BLAZE” in honor of its fallen brother, David Blazek.
Cougar First Impressions—a program headed by the UH Staff Council—takes place every year on the first two days of classes, when faculty and staff turn out to welcome new and returning students.
The Cougar Paw
The Cougar Paw is a popular hand sign used by University of Houston students, faculty, alumni, and athletics fans to represent camaraderie and support. The Cougar Paw tradition was adopted through several athletics events between the University of Houston and the University of Texas.The first time UH played UT in American football was in 1953. Since this was their first meeting, members of Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
—the service fraternity in charge of taking care of Shasta I, the university's mascot—brought her to the game. During the trip, Shasta's front paw was caught in the cage door and one toe was cut off. At the game, members of the opposing team discovered what had happened and began taunting UH players by holding up their hands with the ring finger bent. UT went on to win this game 28–7, and UH students began using the sign as notice that they would remember the taunts.
During the second meeting with UT in 1968, the Houston Cougars—holding up the now-adopted symbol of UH pride—played UT to a 20–20 tie. UH did not play UT again until 1976, the first year UH was a member of the Southwest Conference. In front of a record crowd, UH defeated UT 30–0. This solidified the use of the Cougar Paw as a tradition.
Athletics
UH's 16-sport intercollegiate program is a member of Conference USAConference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
. Since the conference was formed in 1995, the Cougars have won 33 C-USA titles. After 61 years of athletics at UH, other notable achievements include 16 national titles in men's golf
Houston Cougars men's golf
The Houston Cougars golf program is an NCAA Division I golf program at the University of Houston. The program competes in Conference USA as a men's-only sport, and its head coach is Jonathan Dismuke....
, five NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four appearances, and two College World Series appearances.
More than 50 Olympic athletes have attended UH, bringing home 33 medals, including 19 gold. Former Olympian and UH alumnus Leroy Burrell
Leroy Burrell
Leroy Russel Burrell is a former American athlete who twice set the world record for the 100 meters sprint, setting a time of 9.90 seconds in June 1991. This was broken by Carl Lewis in September at the World Track and Field Championships. In that race, Burrell came in second, yet he...
returned as the men's track and field head coach in 1998, and in April 2010, James Dickey
James Dickey
James Lafayette Dickey was an American poet and novelist. He was appointed the eighteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1966.-Early years:...
was named the seventh men's basketball head coach and Todd Buchanan
Todd Buchanan
-External links:*...
was named the sixth women's basketball coach. In December 2007, Kevin Sumlin
Kevin Sumlin
-External links:*...
was introduced as the university's twelfth head football coach.
In addition to varsity sports, the University of Houston offers a variety of intramural sports programs.
Varsity sports
The university has an intercollegiate sports program that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA's Division I sports at the University of Houston include baseball, basketball, cross country, American football, golf, and track and field for men; basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and field for women.The Houston Cougars football
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
team has made 20 post-season bowl appearances and has to its credit several Southwest Conference championships and Cotton Bowl Classic appearances, as well as the 2006 Conference USA Championship. The 1989 Heisman Trophy winner, Andre Ware
Andre Ware
Andre Ware is a sports analyst and commentator and a former American football player. He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback for the University of Houston, becoming the first African-American quarterback to win the award. In the 1990 NFL Draft, Ware was the first round selection ...
, was a Cougar.
The men's basketball
Houston Cougars men's basketball
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
team has made 19 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances, with five trips to the Final Four. See also Phi Slama Jama, the Cougars teams of the early 1980s that featured current Basketball Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
and Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
.
Houston competes with other notable sports teams, such as the baseball
Houston Cougars baseball
The Houston Cougars baseball team is the college baseball team of the University of Houston.Along with the university's other athletic teams, the baseball team is a member of the Conference USA as a Division I team. They play their home games at Cougar Field. In addition to numerous NCAA...
team, which has made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances with two trips to the College World Series; the men's golf
Houston Cougars men's golf
The Houston Cougars golf program is an NCAA Division I golf program at the University of Houston. The program competes in Conference USA as a men's-only sport, and its head coach is Jonathan Dismuke....
team, which has won 16 NCAA National Championships; the women's soccer team, which was rated as the top first-year women's program in the country in 1998; the swimming and diving teams, which have spawned multiple Olympians and All-Americans; the track and field team, which perennially ranks in the top 10 as an NCAA team; and the volleyball team, which had a streak of ten consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Notable people and alumni
Jack Valenti
Jack Valenti
Jack Joseph Valenti was a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38-year tenure in the MPAA, he created the MPAA film rating system, and he was generally regarded as one of the most influential pro-copyright lobbyists in the world...
, long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America and creator of the MPAA film rating system, received his B.B.A. from UH and for decades was one of the most influential people in Hollywood. Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel is an American artist and filmmaker. In the 1980s, Schnabel received international media attention for his "plate paintings"—large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates....
is also a University of Houston alum.
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren is an American bankruptcy expert, policy advocate, Harvard Law School professor, and Democratic Party candidate in the 2012 United States Senate election in Massachusetts. She has written several academic and popular books concerning the American economy and personal finance. She...
, a Harvard Law School faculty member and chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the U.S. banking bailout during the 2008–2009 financial crisis, received her B.S. from UH in 1970. Alice Sebold
Alice Sebold
Alice Sebold is an American novelist. She has published three books: Lucky , The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon .-Early life:...
, a noted novelist known for Lucky
Lucky (memoir)
Lucky is a 1999 memoir by Alice Sebold, author of The Lovely Bones. The memoir describes her experiences of being raped and how the experience shaped the rest of her life.-Summary:...
and The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical...
, and Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg
Matthew Charles Mullenweg is an online social media entrepreneur, web developer and musician living in San Francisco, California. He is best known for his development of the free and open source web software, WordPress...
, creator of WordPress (a popular, open-source blogging platform), also attended the university.
Wilson Whitley
Wilson Whitley was a consensus All-American defensive tackle at the University of Houston from 1972-1976 under defensive coordinator Don Todd. He led the Cougars to the Southwest Conference championship in football during Houston's first season as a conference member and was won the 1976 Lombardi...
, Glenn Montgomery
Glenn Montgomery
Glenn Steven Montgomery was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League.-Football career:...
, Alfred Oglesby
Alfred Oglesby
Alfred Lee Oglesby was a professional American football defensive end and defensive tackle in the National Football League...
, Craig Veasey
Craig Veasey
Craig Veasey is a retired defensive tackle/nose tackle in the NFL. While attending the University of Houston from 1985 to 1989, he earned a starting position in his 4 season. In 1989, he earned the honor as a USA Today All-American at the defensive end position for his 13 sacks and 101 tackles...
, Donnie Avery
Donnie Avery
Donnie D. Avery is a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston.-Early years:...
, David Klingler
David Klingler
David Ryan Klingler , is a former American football player. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals after a record setting quarterback career at the University of Houston...
, Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
, Sebastian Vollmer
Sebastian Vollmer
Sebastian Georg Vollmer is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston.-Early years:Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, Vollmer did not...
, and Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware
Andre Ware
Andre Ware is a sports analyst and commentator and a former American football player. He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback for the University of Houston, becoming the first African-American quarterback to win the award. In the 1990 NFL Draft, Ware was the first round selection ...
; baseball stars Doug Drabek
Doug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
, Michael Bourn
Michael Bourn
Michael Ray Bourn is a professional baseball outfielder with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. He serves as the Atlanta Braves leadoff hitter. He has also been a member of the United States national baseball team....
, and Brad Lincoln
Brad Lincoln
Brad Eric Lincoln is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Amateur career:...
; golfers Fred Couples
Fred Couples
Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship...
, Billy Ray Brown
Billy Ray Brown
Billy Ray Brown is a former American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s, and a current sportscaster for ESPN on ABC....
, Steve Elkington
Steve Elkington
Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:...
, and Fuzzy Zoeller
Fuzzy Zoeller
Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He is one of three golfers to have won The Masters in his first appearance in the event. He also won the 1984 U.S. Open, which earned him the 1985 Bob Jones Award....
; track and field legends Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
and Leroy Burrell
Leroy Burrell
Leroy Russel Burrell is a former American athlete who twice set the world record for the 100 meters sprint, setting a time of 9.90 seconds in June 1991. This was broken by Carl Lewis in September at the World Track and Field Championships. In that race, Burrell came in second, yet he...
; the NBA's Bo Outlaw
Bo Outlaw
Charles "Bo" Outlaw is a former American professional basketball player. Outlaw was known for his athleticism, tenacious defensive approach and sub-par free-throw shooting .-High School:...
, Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
, Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
, Damon Jones
Damon Jones
Damon Darron Jones is an American professional basketball player. A 6'3" point guard–shooting guard, he played college basketball for three years with the University of Houston Cougars before declaring early for the 1997 NBA Draft, but he went undrafted.-High school career:Jones played for...
, Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
and Carl Herrera
Carl Herrera
Carl Víctor Herrera Alleyne is a retired Venezuelan basketball player. A power forward, he was part of the Houston Rockets National Basketball Association championship teams of the mid-1990s....
; and legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
.
Notable politicians include Gene Green
Gene Green
Raymond Eugene "Gene" Green is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, a Democratic politician and a U.S. congressman from the state of Texas representing that state's 29th congressional district. The district includes most of eastern Houston, along with large portions of Houston's eastern suburbs. Ted Poe
Ted Poe
Lloyd "Ted" Poe is a Republican politician currently representing Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes most of northern Houston, as well as most of the Beaumont-Port Arthur metropolitan area. He is the first Republican to ever...
is a Republican politician currently representing Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes most of northern Houston, as well as most of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area. Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
, a former member and majority leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
of the U.S. House of Representatives, who represented Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006, also attended the University of Houston.
Other notable celebrity alumni include Jim Parsons
Jim Parsons
James Joseph "Jim" Parsons is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, with his performance often cited as a significant reason for the program's success...
, star of the television series The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
, Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, actors Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl
-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
, Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine is an American stage, film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy, and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a NAACP Image Award and Emmy award winning actress.-Early life:Devine...
, Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
, Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
, and Brett Cullen
Brett Cullen
Peter Brett Cullen is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins , in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights.Cullen was born in Houston,...
, former attorney and talk show host Star Jones
Star Jones
Star Jones is an American lawyer, journalist, writer, and television personality. She is known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View...
, Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
contestants Chloe Dao
Chloe Dao
Chloe Dao , is an American fashion designer of Vietnamese ancestry who lives and works in Houston, Texas. She was the winner of the second season of the reality show Project Runway with a collection of women's evening wear...
and Laura Bennett
Laura Bennett
Laura Eugenia Bennett is an American architect and fashion designer and one of the four finalists on Bravo's July 2006's Project Runway .-Biography:...
, sportscasters Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
and Robert Flores
Robert Flores
Robert Flores is a sports journalist for ESPN. Joining the network in 2005, Flores is currently an anchor for ESPNEWS and for ESPN's SportsCenter . Robert provides a Taco Bell Studio Update during each game of ABC College Football, and Saturday Night Football. He also serves as a substitute...
, and country music star Larry Gatlin
Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Gatlin has had a total of 33 Top 40 singles...
.