University of North Dakota

Original President's Mansion Founding UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state. [ 11 ] UND was founded with a liberal arts foundation and expanded to include scientific research. Grand Forks native George H. Walsh submitted the bill to the Territorial Legislature of Dakota Territory that called for the new state of North Dakota's university to be in Grand Forks. [ 11 ] The first classes were held on September 8, 1884. The first building at UND, Old Main, housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library. [ 12 ] In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property, surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of the city of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train or a horse and carriage bus, dubbed the "Black Maria", from downtown to the campus. [ 12 ] [ 13 ]

Early 20th century campus scenes As the university grew, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to downtown Grand Forks . However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the country's hardest-hit single institution by the flu epidemic that killed 1,400 people in North Dakota alone. [ 14 ] Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I. [ 14 ] During the Great Depression , UND provided free housing to students willing to do manual labor on campus. [ 15 ] "Camp Depression," as it was called, consisted of railroad cabooses that each housed eight male students. [ 15 ] "Camp Depression" students did not get regular meals from the cafeteria and had to be satisfied with free leftovers. However, Grand Forks citizens often opened their homes and kitchen tables to many of these young men. [ 15 ] After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000. [ 16 ] A large amount of housing and several academic buildings had to be built on campus. [ 16 ] The 1950s saw the rise of the Fighting Sioux hockey tradition. [ 17 ] In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND. [ 18 ] The largest was in May 1970 when over 1,500 students protested the Kent State shootings . [ 18 ] In 1975, enrollment swelled to a record 8,500. The 1970s also saw the establishment of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. During the 1980s and 1990s the university continued to grow. [ 19 ] However, the devastating 1997 Red River flood inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year. [ 20 ]

The start of the 21st century was marked by the opening of two major venues for UND athletics . [ 21 ] The Ralph Engelstad Arena , home of men's and women's hockey, and the Alerus Center , home of UND football, both opened in 2001. The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center opened in August 2004, and serves as home to UND volleyball and men's and women's basketball. [ 22 ] Millions of dollars' worth of construction and renovation projects have dotted the campus landscape. As part of a plan to improve student facilities on campus, UND constructed a Wellness Center, a parking garage, new Memorial Union, renovated library, renovated Gershman Center for graduate students, and an apartment-style housing complex. Other construction projects around campus have included a new LEED Platinum-certified alumni center, a renovated and expanded College of Education and Human Development, and an expanded Energy and Environmental Research Center . In 2016, a $124-million Medicine and Health Services building was built on the north end of campus. [ 23 ] In 2015, UND's economic impact on the state and region was estimated to be more than $1.4 billion a year according to the NDUS Systemwide Economic Study by the School of Economics at North Dakota State University. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] It was the fourth-largest employer in the state of North Dakota, after the Air Force . [ 26 ] In August 2021, UND became the first participant in the United States Space Force 's University Partnership program. [ 27 ]

Merrifield Hall, University of North Dakota Historic District The University of North Dakota's main campus sits in the middle of Grand Forks on University Avenue. The campus is made up of 240 buildings (6.4 million square feet) on 521 acres (2.11 km 2 ) . [ 28 ] [ 2 ] The campus stretches roughly one and half miles from east to west and is divided by the meandering English Coulee. The western edge is bordered by Interstate 29 , the eastern edge is bordered with University Park, the Grand Forks railyards sit on the south side, and the north side is marked by U.S. Highway 2 which is called Gateway Drive in Grand Forks. At the heart of campus sits the Chester Fritz Library , the largest library in North Dakota. [ 29 ] There are also northern and western campuses. The western part of the UND campus has modern styles of architecture. [ 29 ] The Gorecki Alumni Center on campus is North Dakota's first LEED Platinum building. A combination of geothermal and solar panels are used to power the building. [ 30 ]