Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The University of Arizona (Historical Page)
The University of Arizona was approved by the Arizona Territory's "Thieving Thirteenth"
Legislature in 1885. The city of Tucson had hoped to receive the
appropriation for the territory's mental hospital, which carried a
$100,000 allocation instead of the $25,000 allotted to the territory's
only university (Arizona State University was also chartered in 1885,
but at the time it was created as Arizona's normal school, and not a university). Tucson's contingent of legislators was delayed in reaching Prescott due to flooding on the Salt River
and by the time they arrived back-room deals allocating the most
desirable territorial institutions had already been made. Tucson was
largely disappointed at receiving what was viewed as an inferior prize.
With no parties willing to step forth and provide land for the new
institution, the citizens of Tucson prepared to return the money to the
Territorial Legislature until two gamblers and a saloon keeper decided
to donate the land necessary to build the school. Classes met for the
first time in 1891 with 32 students in Old Main, the first building constructed on the 40 acre[9] campus, and still in use to this day.[10]
Because there were no high schools in Arizona Territory, the University
maintained separate preparatory classes for the first 23 years of
operation.
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