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University of Houston company history timeline

1927

Originally HJC was located on San Jacinto High School campus and offered only night courses to train future teachers. Its first session began March 7, 1927, with an enrollment of 232 students and 12 faculty.

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.

1934

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.

1935

In May of 1935, the institution as a university held its first commencement at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

In May 1935, the institution as a university held its first commencement at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

1937

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.

1938

In 1938, Hugh Roy Cullen donated $335,000 for the first building to be built at the location.

The seal was adopted by UH in 1938 in conjunction with the construction of the campus.

1939

Two years later, the institution acquired land for a permanent campus, and its first building opened in 1939.

1940

Each year, the university celebrates Frontier Fiesta.Dating back to 1940, this student-run event features free live concerts, variety shows by student organizations, carnival booths, multicultural performances, and a world-class BBQ cook-off.

1945

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.

1947

The marching band was first established in 1947, growing in prominence as the University of Houston and its athletics programs began to flourish.

In 1947, the institution launched one of its many rich traditions by adopting the cougar, later named Shasta, as its official mascot.

1948

The UH Frontiersmen display the Texas flag and the University of Houston flag at football games.They were established in 1948 to promote Cougar spirit.

1949

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.

1950

By 1950, the educational plant at UH consisted of 12 permanent buildings.

1951

By 1951, UH had achieved the feat of being the second-largest university in the State of Texas.

1953

The tradition dates back to 1953, when Shasta I, the presiding cougar mascot, lost a toe in a cage door on the way to a game.

In 1953, the university established KUHT—the first educational television station in the nation—after the four-year-long Federal Communications Commission's television licensing freeze ended.

1964

McCandless then served as a fighter pilot and, briefly, as an instrument flight instructor in the United States Navy until 1964.

1966

McCandless was among 19 astronaut candidates chosen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in April 1966.

1970

The tradition of service to others is alive and well with students volunteering both on the UH Campus and in Houston communities. It is a gift the UH Alpha Phi Omega chapter made to the university in 1970.

1971

Clear Lake and Victoria were established as upper-level undergraduate and graduate institutions in 1971; they subsequently were designated permanent degree-granting branches of the university system.

1974

The downtown campus was established in 1974 when the university absorbed South Texas Junior College.

In 1974, the University of Houston acquired the assets of South Texas Junior College and opened the University of Houston-Downtown College (UHDC) at One Main Street as a four-year institution.

1977

As the University of Houston celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Texas Legislature formally established the University of Houston System in 1977.

1984

McCandless’s first spaceflight came as a mission specialist on STS-41-B aboard the Challenger space shuttle on February 3, 1984.

1990

McCandless flew again as a mission specialist on STS-31, launching on the Discovery space shuttle on April 24, 1990.

1991

An oil field warning siren was chosen by 1991, through a number of refinements by the efforts of the "H" Association, the Taxi Squad, Pleas Doyle and the Hruska Family, the purchase of the siren was complete.

In the fall of 1991, a group of students manned a crank siren while waiting for the new siren to arrive.

1997

In 1997, the administrations of the UH System and the University of Houston were combined under a single chief executive officer, with the dual title of Chancellor of the UH System and President of the University of Houston.

2000

In 2000, David Bertman was hired as the director of the Spirit of Houston Marching Band as well as the Cougar Dolls Dance Team and the University of Houston Cheerleaders.

2004

Before a big game, Cougar fans “rub the paws” of the cougar statues in Cullen Family Plaza, in front of the E. Cullen Building.The statues were a gift to the university from John and Rebecca Moores in 2004.

2007

On October 15, 2007, Renu Khator was selected for the position of UH System chancellor and UH president.

2011

In January 2011, the University of Houston was classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a research university with very high research activity.

Following Bertman's promotion to Director of Bands, Troy Bennefield was hired to become the marching band director in 2011.

2012

In 2012, UHD celebrated another milestone as it enrolled the first class of MBA students in the College of Business.

2016

In 2016, a 26,000-square-foot Welcome Center opened its doors, and the O'Kane Gallery landed a new home featuring exhibitions for student, faculty, local and national artists.

2017

In 2017, the College of Business received a historic $10 million endowment from native Houstonian Marilyn Davies (CEO Seismic Bailey LLC) to support the College's growing programs.

2018

In the summer of 2018, Cameron Kubos became the director of Athletic Bands and Spirit Groups.

2020

Four years later in 2020, UHD expanded its campus footprint with the award-winning, state-of-the-art $73 million College of Sciences of Technology Building.

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