University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Founding Hodgin Hall , the first building on campus. The facade has changed, and the building is now used by the Alumni Association. The University of New Mexico was founded on February 28, 1889, with the passage of House Bill No. 186 by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of New Mexico , which stipulated that: [ 17 ] Said institution is hereby located at or near the town of Albuquerque, in the county of Bernalillo within two miles north of railroad avenue in said town, upon a tract of good high and dry land, of not less than twenty acres suitable for the purposes of such institution. The act also provided that UNM was "intended to be the state University when New Mexico shall [be] admitted as a state into the Union". Bernard Shandon Rodey , a judge of the territory of New Mexico, pushed for Albuquerque as the location of the university and was one of the authors of the statute that created UNM, earning him the title of "Father of the University". Two years later, Elias S. Stover became the first president of the University and the following year the university's first building, Hodgin Hall , opened.

This section does not cite any sources . ( June 2024 ) William Tight The third president of UNM, William G. Tight , who served from 1901 to 1909, introduced many programs for students and faculty, including the first fraternity and sorority . Tight introduced the Pueblo Revival architecture for which the campus has become known. During Tight's term, the first Pueblo Revival style building on campus, the Estufa , was constructed, and the Victorian-style Hodgin Hall was plastered over to create a monument to Pueblo Indian culture. However, Tight was vilified for his primitivism and was removed from office for political reasons, though history would vindicate him as the Pueblo Revival style became the dominant architectural style on campus. Under David Ross Boyd , the university's fifth president, the campus was enlarged from 20 to 300 acres (1.2 km 2 ) and a 200,000-acre (810 km 2 ) federal land grant was made to the university. In 1922, the university was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools . During this time, more facilities were constructed for the university, but it was under the tenure of James F. Zimmerman , the university's seventh president, that the university underwent its first major expansion. Under Zimmerman, many new buildings were constructed, student enrollment increased, new departments were added, and greater support was generated for scientific research. Among the new buildings constructed were Zimmerman Library , Scholes Hall , the first student union building (now the anthropology complex), the university's first gymnasium and its first stadium . John Gaw Meem , an architect based in Santa Fe , was contracted to design many of the buildings constructed during this period and is credited with imbuing the campus with its distinctive Pueblo Revival style.

Mesa Vista Hall. During World War II , UNM was one of 131 U.S. colleges and universities that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program , which offered students a path to a Navy commission. [ 18 ] In 1945, the university hired John Philip Wernette to be its eighth president. Upon arrival, Wernette focused on improving the university's faculty, programs, and services. He instituted an eighteen-point program of procedures for the selection of new faculty and appointed a committee to ensure better teaching candidates for faculty members. He also developed a program for faculty advancement. [ 19 ] Offices of the General Placement Bureau, Veterans Assistance, and Testing and Counseling Services were formed to assist students and Wernette required all seniors in 1946 to take the Graduate Record Examinations test to provide the school with a measurement of how well it was educating its students. [ 19 ] The university started the Law School and School of Business Administration during his tenure. [ 20 ] In 1947, Wernette came into conflict with the Board of Regents over the hiring of two faculty members he thought were unqualified. [ 21 ] His contract was not renewed by the Board the following year. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Thomas L. Popejoy was appointed in 1948 as Wernette's successor, being the first native New Mexican to serve as university president. Holding his position for the next twenty years, Popejoy presided over a period major growth for the university.

During this time, enrollment jumped from nearly 5,000 to more than 14,000; new programs such as medicine, nursing, dental, and law were founded; and numerous new facilities were constructed, including Mesa Vista Hall, Mitchell Hall, Johnson Gymnasium, new dormitories, the current student union building, the College of Education complex, the business center, the engineering complex, the Fine Arts Center, the Student Health Center, University Stadium, University Arena (now officially known by its nickname of The Pit), and North Campus. This period also saw the foundation of UNM's branch facilities in Los Alamos and Gallup and the acquisition of the D.H. Lawrence Ranch north of Taos. During the early 1970s, two sit-in protests at UNM led to a response from law enforcement officers. On May 5, 1970, protestors against the Vietnam War and the Kent State massacre occupied the Student Union Building. The National Guard was ordered to sweep the building and arrest those inside; eleven students and journalists were bayonetted when those outside did not hear the order to disperse given inside. [ 24 ] On May 10, 1972, a peaceful sit-in protest near Kirtland Air Force Base led to the arrest of thirty-five people and was pushed back to UNM, leading to eight more arrests. The following day, tear gas was used against hundreds of demonstrators on campus and the situation continued to deteriorate, leading the university to declare a state of emergency. Humanities Building, added in 1970 New programs and schools were created in the 1970s and the university gained control over the hospital on North Campus. New facilities for the medical and law schools were constructed on North Campus and new Main Campus buildings were constructed on the site of the now demolished Zimmerman Field , including Ortega Hall, Woodward Hall, the Humanities building, and the Art building.