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From modest beginnings to global reach

Nearly 175 years since classes began in pioneer John Pack’s humble log cabin, the University of Utah now spans multiple continents, generations of students, and world-renowned research faculty responsible for countless medical and engineering innovations.

Originally named the University of Deseret, the school took root soon after the 1847 arrival of settlers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when church president and territorial leader Brigham Young assembled a board of regents. On Feb. 28, 1850, the university was officially founded. The first classes were held on Nov. 11, 1850—a class of 25 male students. Women were admitted in the second term, making the university one of the first schools in the West to do so. And in 1892, the institution was renamed the University of Utah.

“These leaders believed their young community needed access to knowledge in order to prosper,” said Taylor Randall, 17th president of the U. “Their foresight led to the incredible reality we enjoy today.”

The university’s 175th anniversary kicks off on Founders Day, Feb. 27, launching a year of  celebration that will culminate in a historic Homecoming this fall. Events and publications over the next year will highlight how far the state’s flagship institution of higher education has come—from those first lean years to a record enrollment of 37,000 in fall 2024, more than 200 undergraduate degree programs, nearly $770 million in research funding, and 2.2 million U of U Health patient visits.

“We are so excited for this opportunity to celebrate the legacy of this incredible institution and the role we get to play in continuing that legacy,” said Joe Boyden, U student body president.

The story of the University of Utah is not one of uninterrupted growth, but rather, continued determination in the face of obstacles. Three short years after the school began, it closed due to a lack of funds and feeder schools. Though classes were held intermittently in the following years, it would be nearly a decade and a half before the school was re-established in 1867.

While the university never ceased operations entirely again, global challenges such as the Great Depression and World War I and II impacted enrollment and the institution’s growth. Despite those hurdles, in time, the U came to truly embody its role as the state’s flagship school. In 1905, the university established the state’s first medical school, followed by colleges of pharmacy (1946), nursing (1948), and dentistry (2012). Utah’s first law school opened to students in 1913; it was the state’s only law school until the 1970s.

The university also served as a launching pad for Salt Lake City’s fledgling arts and cultural institutions as well–Pioneer Theater Company, Utah Symphony, Ballet West and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company all got their start on campus through student and faculty founders.

“I don’t think it can be overstated that the University of Utah has been a driver of the trajectory of the state of Utah for decades,” said Geoffrey Landward, Utah’s commissioner of higher education.”It’s a crown jewel of our system. It’s our flagship university. I think the word Utah is spoken internationally because of the work that the University of Utah does, and I’m so grateful for that.”

Throughout its history, people have always been what makes the University of Utah exceptional. Home to Utah’s only public medical and law schools and one of the state’s largest student bodies, the U has educated and trained countless leaders in healthcare, politics, business, the arts and more:

  • J. Willard Marriott graduated in 1926; his wife Alice in 1927, before they founded Marriott International, parent to Marriott hotels.
  • Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner finished his bachelor’s degree in 1930.
  • Robert Jarvik, the first surgeon to successfully implant a permanent artificial heart in a patient, graduated from the U’s medical school in 1976.
  • Inventor of the PDF and Co-founder of Adobe John Warnock received two Bachelor of Science degrees (1961), a Master of Mathematics (1964), and a Doctorate of Electrical Engineering (1969) at the U.
  • The author of “Ender’s Game” and other works of science fiction, Orson Scott Card graduated in 1981.
  • Utah civil rights leader and educator Alberta Henry received her degree in 1980.
  • Video game visionary and current president of Nintendo of America Doug Bowser received his BA in communications in 1984.
  • Emmy-winning and barrier-breaking sportscaster Holly Rowe worked on The Daily Utah Chronicle before graduating in 1991.

Several Utah and national politicians call the U their alma mater:

  • Martha Hughes Cannon, the first female state senator in both Utah and the nation, graduated from the University of Deseret in 1878 with a degree in chemistry—an extraordinary feat for a woman of her time.
  • U.S. Sen. Jake Garn graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Finance. He served in the U.S. Senate for 19 years and was the first elected official to travel to space.
  • U.S. Sen. Robert F. “Bob” Bennett served as student body president and graduated in 1957. An endowment named after him in 2016 now awards scholarships to Hinckley interns serving legislative internships in Washington D.C.
  • Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ross “Rocky” Anderson graduated from the U in 1973.
  • Larry Echo Hawk, the first Native American to serve as Attorney General of Idaho and a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, received his law degree at the University of Utah in 1973.
  • The U also has educated several of the state’s governors including Calvin Rampton (1936), Olene Walker (1987), and Jon Huntsman Jr. (1987), who also served as the U.S. ambassador to China and Singapore.

The university has been home to pioneering faculty as well, among them: renowned heart surgeon and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Russell M. Nelson; Willem Kolff, the “father of artificial organs”; leader in HIV/AIDS treatment Kristen Ries; Ballet West’s first ballet mistress Bené Arnold; and Nobel Prize winner Mario Capecchi.

“University of Utah alumni have not only transformed their fields but the world as well,” said Kris Bosman, chief alumni relations officer at the U. “Our story is full of remarkable individuals who did things others could only dream of. Our current and future students celebrate this legacy as they build upon it with their own contributions.”

With the university preparing for its third century, President Randall and other university leaders have set ambitious goals for an era of unprecedented growth and innovation: transforming a historically commuter campus into a residential one, growing the student body to 45,000, and increasing research funding to $1 billion.

“As we embark on rounding out 200 years of higher education in Utah, this institution is poised for even greater success,” Randall said. “With the support of the community around us, business and philanthropic leaders, and our elected state and local officials, we will achieve even greater things.”

“Together, we’re not just celebrating our history—we’re building on it, every single day.”