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University of Houston

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University of Houston logo
University of Houston

Established 1927
School type Flagship Public University
Location Houston, Texas USA
President Dr. Jay Gogue
Campus Urban, 551 acres
Enrollment 35,180 (Fall 2004)
Alumni 160,000
Degree Programs 280 Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral and Professional
Degrees Awarded 5,761 (2001-2002)
Sports team Houston Cougars
Mascot Cougar
Website www.uh.edu



The University of Houston, often called U of H or UH, is a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive research university located in Houston, Texas. It is the third largest university in the State of Texas with an enrollment of 35,180 students and is Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution. UH is the only doctoral degree-granting university and is the flagship institution of the
University of Houston System.

Overview

The university was founded in 1927 as Houston Junior College. In 1934, Houston Junior College became a four-year institution and referred to the institution from that point on as the University of Houston. UH then moved to its current location in 1939. In 1985, the school's name was changed to the University of Houston-University Park. Three years later in 1988, the school reverted its name back to the University of Houston.

UH sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporations, civic organizations, and government agencies, and faculty, staff, and students interact with the community daily. In addition, UH is a destination for all who enjoy theater, concerts, lectures, and intercollegiate sports.

The mascot of the University of Houston is the Cougar. The official student newspaper is The Daily Cougar, the second largest English-language daily newspaper in Houston, Texas. The university has an inter-collegiate sports program, which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in Division I-A.

The university has an on-site Hilton hotel. The full-service hotel is a part of of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. It regularly competes with Cornell University for the top spot for hospitality management in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. It is known as one of the world's premier hospitality institutions.

Mission Statement

Provide a range of educational programs that foster an intellectually and culturally diverse environment that enhances individual growth and development. To prepare a broad community of students (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, professional, and non-degree seeking) to make lifelong learning commitments that result in personal, social, economic, and community contributions to an increasingly globally interdependent world.

Create, discover, disseminate, and preserve knowledge and understanding by engaging in basic and applied research, scholarly and artistic activities that benefit students, scholars, and external constituencies.

Serve as a major resource for local, state, national, and global communities by applying scholarly analysis and experience to community problems. Recognize its special responsibility to the Houston metropolitan area by making the knowledge base and other resources of the institution readily accessible to its citizens.

History

Houston Junior College

The University of Houston began as Houston Junior College (HJC). On March 7, 1927, trustess of the Board of Education unanimously passed a historic resolution that authorized the "founding, establishment and operation of a junior college." The junior college was operated and controlled under the guidance of the Houston Independent School District (HISD).

HJC was located in San Jacinto High School and offered only night course. Its first session began June 5, 1927, with an enrollment of 232 students and 12 faculty. This session was primarily held to educate the future teachers of the junior college, an no freshmen were allowed to enroll. A more accurate date for the official opening of HJC is September 19, 1927, when enrollment was opened up to "all persons having completed the necessary educational requirements to enter at a level contingent with higher education needs." The first president of HJC was Dr. Edison Ellsworth Oberholtzer. He was the dominant force in establishing the junior college.

Creation of the University of Houston

The junior college became eligible to become a four-year institution in October 1933 when Governor Miriam A. Furguson signed House Bill 194 into law. On April 30, 1934, HISD's Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution extending the scope and services of the Houston Junior College "to include at least two additional years of college work" and referred to the institution from that point as 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. With its new status, the university needed day classes but had no facility for this purpose. 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 between Richmond and Eagle, where it stayed for the next five years.

The University of Houston moved to its present campus in 1939. Its first building, the Roy Gustav Cullen 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.

The next step was the creation of the University of Houston as an institution separate from HISD. On July 26, 1943, the Board of Education adopted a resolution establishing an Advisory Board of the University of Houston consisting of 15 members. 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 15 HISD-approved regents.

The last obstacle facing UH in its quest to become a major institution of higher education was its entrance into the Texas State System of Higher Education. After a lengthy battle between supporters of the University of Houston 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.

Official Seal

The seal of the University of Houston, officially adopted in 1938, is the coat-of-arms of General Sam Houston. The seal was adopted by the UH in 1938 in conjunction with the construction of the campus. The first official version was placed on the floor of the Roy Gustav Cullen Building.

Colors

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 seal. The red stands for courage or inner strength to face the unknown, and the white stands for the good of helping one's fellow man.

Cougar Sign

The cougar sign, made by folding in the ring finger of the hand towards the palm, has several stories explaining its meaning. The true story of its origin dates back to 1953, the first time UH played The University of Texas (now, The University of Texas at Austin) in football. 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 car 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, say UH's mascot was invalid and so were our players. Texas went on to win this game 28-7. UH students were very upset by this and began using the sign as notice that they wold never let UT forget the incident. Fifteen years later, at their second meeting, the UH Cougars, proudly holding up the now adopted symbol of UH pride, fought Texas to a 20-20 tie.

UH did not play Texas again for eight years, our first year as members of the Southwest Conference. The Cougars were on a mission, and in front of 77,809 spectators (at that time the largest crowd ever in attendance at Memorial Stadium) slammed the lid on the disgrace Texas had attempted to put upon UH 23 years earlier. The final score was the Univerisity of Houston Cougars, 30, the Texas Longhorns, 0.

Academics

UH offers a full range of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as three professional degrees, through its thirteen colleges. UH is also home to over forty research centers and institutes and conducts more than $72 million in research programs every year.

The many nationally ranked academic programs at the University taught by world-class faculty members offer UH students the opportunity to learn from the very best in an environment that mirrors the real world.

Amongst the most prestigious of the University of Houston's colleges is the University of Houston Law Center, a law school that, until recently (2002), was frequently ranked in the top 50 law schools by U.S. News and World Report each year. In addition, the Law Center's Health Law & Policy Institute has never ranked lower than 2nd among such programs at U.S. law schools, while the Law Center's Institute for Intellectual Property & Information Law is consistantly ranked at or near the top 5.

U.S. News & World Report ranks the Bauer College of Business as the top Undergraduate Business Program in Houston and third among public universities in the State of Texas. The ranking places the Bauer College in the top quartile of the approximately 400 AACSB-accredited undergraduate business programs and top five percent among all 1608 undergraduate business programs in the United States. The MBA Program ranked 5th among public universities for CEOs of S&P 500 companies, according to Bloomberg Markets. Houston was tied with the University of Michigan and Dartmouth. The EMBA Program ranked 17th in the U.S. among public EMBA programs according to the 2004 Financial Times ranking of the top 75 EMBA Programs in the World.

The University is home to the Creative Writing Program, which was founded by alumnus Donald Barthelme and offers a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Fiction Writing. Noted writers who have come out of the program include novelist Robert Clark Young. The University is also home to the Blaffer Gallery, which exhibits both visiting artists and student work from the University of Houston Department of Art.

The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Managment regularly competes with Cornell University for the top spot for hospitality management in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. UH's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management is known as one of the world's premier hospitality institutions.

Campus

Students take courses in modern classroom and laboratory facilities located on a beautiful 551-acre campus dotted with parks, fountains, and plazas. Through UH Distance Education, classes and degrees are also available on instructional television, videotape, online, and face-to-face at sites throughout the greater Houston area.

UH Traditions

Student traditions thrive at the University of Houston. Cougar Craze at the beginning of the fall semester provides a great introduction for new students. Activities range from Homecoming and Bonfire to the unique Frontier Fiesta. This recreation of a 19th-century western town, with music, food and living historical exhibits, is a major event on campus each spring semester. Throughout the year, brightly painted Bleacher creatures roam the stands during athletic contests, embodying a decidedly nontraditional take on cheerleading. Cougar First Impressions takes place every year on the first two days of classes, when faculty and staff turn out to welcome new and returning students. And the student body's rich ethnic mix combines with the culinary expertise of hotel and restaurant management students to produce an International Food Festival bursting with world beat flavors.

Demographics

The University of Houston is the most diverse research university in the nation, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students. The university has significant Asian-American and Hispanic populations. Its international student population is primarily from Asia.

  • African American 13%
  • Asian/Pacific Islander 19%
  • Hispanic 18%
  • International 8%
  • Native American 0.4%
  • White/Other 40%
  • Unknown 2%

Colleges

  • Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
  • C.T. Bauer College of Business
  • College of Education
  • Cullen College of Engineering
  • Honors College
  • Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
  • UH Law Center
  • College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
  • College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • College of Optometry
  • College of Pharmacy
  • Graduate School of Social Work
  • College of Technology

Sports

NCAA Division I sports

The University's enviable record of nationally recognized athletic achievements includes:

Baseball - 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, with two trips to the College World Series
Basketball - 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, with five trips to the Final Tour
Football - 14 post-season bowl appearances
Golf - 16 NCAA National Championships, a position unmatched by any school
Soccer - rated as the top first-year women's program in the country in 1998
Track and Field - perennial top-10 NCAA team
Volleyball - a streak of nine consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament

Men

Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Track and Field

Women

Basketball
Cross Country
Soccer
Softball
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball

Club sport and recreation organizations

Badminton
Billiards
Cattle Rustlers
Cougar Bowling
Cougar Flingers
Equestrian
Fencing
Judo
Men's Soccer
Rugby Football
Social Dance
Volleyball
Wall Crawlers
Women's Soccer
Wrestling

Intramural sports

5K Run
Badminton
Basketball
Billiards
Bowling
Cross Country
Flag Football
Frisbee
Golf
Horseshoes
Racquetball
Soccer
Softball
Swimming and Diving
Table Tennis
Tennis
Track
Volleyball

Famous alumni

UH Affiliated Sites

UH Non-Affiliated Sites

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