University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota (UND) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota.

The university has the only schools of law and medicine in the state of North Dakota. The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences was the first in the country to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operation.<ref name="Homeland Security News Wire">Template:Cite press release</ref> Several national research institutions are on the university's campus including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center.<ref name="aboutund"/><ref name="usda">Template:Cite web</ref> It is classified among "R1: Doctoral universities – very high research activity".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Original President's Mansion

Founding

UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state.<ref name="founding">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="founding"/> 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.<ref name="old main">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="old main"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

20th century

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.<ref name="history1910">Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I.<ref name="history1910"/> During the Great Depression, UND provided free housing to students willing to do manual labor on campus.<ref name="history1930">Template:Cite web</ref> "Camp Depression," as it was called, consisted of railroad cabooses that each housed eight male students.<ref name="history1930"/> "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.<ref name="history1930"/>

After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000.<ref name="history1940">Template:Cite web</ref> A large amount of housing and several academic buildings had to be built on campus.<ref name="history1940"/> The 1950s saw the rise of the Fighting Sioux hockey tradition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND.<ref name="history1970">Template:Cite web</ref> The largest was in May 1970 when over 1,500 students protested the Kent State shootings.<ref name="history1970"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the devastating 1997 Red River flood inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

21st century

The start of the 21st century was marked by the opening of two major venues for UND athletics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the fourth-largest employer in the state of North Dakota, after the Air Force.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2021, UND became the first participant in the United States Space Force's University Partnership program.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Campus

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 Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="aboutund"/> 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.<ref name="landmarks">Template:Cite web</ref> There are also northern and western campuses. The western part of the UND campus has modern styles of architecture.<ref name="landmarks" /> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Academics

UND offers more than 225 fields of study, including 108 undergraduate majors, 69 minors, 81 master's programs, 37 doctoral programs, and two professional programs (medicine and law).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> UND also has an interdisciplinary program that allows students to obtain a degree in virtually any course of study.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A collection of online classes and degree programs are offered for students around the nation and world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This online program has been highly ranked by US News and other leading online college rankings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On campus, academic classrooms range from smaller rooms capable of seating around 20 students to large lecture bowls capable of seating hundreds at a time. All areas have wireless access for laptops and technologically equipped classrooms enable professors to offer interactive lectures. Sanford Health, Altru Health System and Essentia Health partnered with the University of North Dakota to further medical education and simulations in a fleet of 4 trucks for North Dakota, allowing continued medical education all across the state.

The university has ten academic divisions:

• John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences
• College of Arts & Sciences
• Nistler College of Business & Public Administration
• College of Education & Human Development
• College of Engineering & Mines
• School of Graduate Studies
• School of Law
• School of Medicine & Health Sciences
• College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines

Libraries

Chester Fritz Library

UND has three major libraries which, together, form the largest system of research libraries in the state of North Dakota.<ref name="aboutlibrary">Template:Cite web</ref> The Chester Fritz Library is the largest library in the state.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It houses 1.6 million volumes, provides access to approximately 28,000 electronic journal subscriptions, and owns over 20,000 electronic books.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also serves as a U.S. patent and trademark depository and a government document depository.<ref name="aboutlibrary" /> UND's special collections department is known for its genealogical resources, including Norwegian Bygdeboker, or Norwegian farm and town records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Branches of the Chester Fritz Library include the Energy and Environmental Research Library, the F.D. Holland Geology Library, and the Gordon Erickson Music Library.<ref name="aboutlibrary" /> The School of Law operates the Thormodsgard Law Library<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the School of Medicine operates the Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Research

Template:See also UND is classified among "R1: Doctoral universities – very high research activity".<ref name=":0" /> This level of research activity is shown in UND's research statistics which, in fiscal year 2006, included program awards that reached $94.3 million, sponsored program expenditures that reached $81.2 million, and an overall research portfolio that included $315 million in total ongoing and committed accounts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Research activity at UND focuses on health sciences, nutrition, energy and environmental protection, aerospace, and engineering.<ref name="aboutund"/> As a major component of the Red River Valley Research Corridor, UND operates many research units including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine, the Institute for Energy Studies, the Center for Rural Health, the Center for Innovation, the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium, the Bureau of Governmental Affairs, the Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research, and the Social Science Research Institute.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), on the eastern fringes of the UND campus, has been recognized as a leader in researching cleaner, more efficient forms of energy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The EERC operates a number of research units at UND including the National Center for Hydrogen Technology.

Student life

Historic enrollments:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1890	24
1900	124
1910	490
1920	1,124
1930	1,765
1940	1,757
1950	2,653
1960	4,491
1970	8,129
1980	10,217
1990	11,885
2000	11,031
2010	14,194
2020	13,615<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Student body

Over 14,000 students<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> attend classes on the UND campus each year.<ref name="autogenerated2"/> About 34 percent of the student body is from North Dakota and the other 56 percent is made up of students from other states and 99 nations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Students can live on or off campus. On campus, there are 14 residence halls<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 700 student apartment units;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> there is also as 13 fraternities<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and seven sororities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are over 275 student organizations at UND<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as an intramural sports program.

Greek life

The fraternity and sorority community has a rich history at the University of North Dakota. There are approximately 20 Greek houses on campus.

Culture

The North Dakota Museum of Art, the official art museum of the state of North Dakota, is in the heart of campus and offers exhibits throughout the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Burtness Theater and the Chester Fritz Auditorium regularly feature theater and concert events.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Ralph Engelstad Arena also features non-athletic events including concerts. The nearby city-owned Alerus Center hosts several concerts each year as well as other events. Each year, UND hosts the University of North Dakota Writers Conference with prominent American and foreign writers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

The Dakota Student is UND's student newspaper.

North Dakota Quarterly, a literary journal, is edited at UND.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The North Dakota Law Review, published by the School of Law since 1924, serves as the journal of the State Bar Association of North Dakota.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Alumni Review is published by the UND Alumni Association and Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Athletics

The North Dakota football team during a game against Indiana State in 2023

North Dakota's 17 athletic teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Teams compete in the Summit League, except men's hockey, which is in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, and the football team, which is in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (within the FCS subdivision).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The men's ice hockey team has won eight national championships, has been runner-up five times and play in the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The football team won the Division II national championship in 2001 and was the runner-up in 2003, and play at the Alerus Center. The basketball and volleyball teams play in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The women's basketball team has won three national championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999 and was runner-up in 2001.

The colors of UND athletics are green and white, which were adopted in the 1920s. The university's official school colors are green and pink, representative of North Dakota's state flower, the Wild Prairie Rose; however, this combination is rarely employed outside of official or ceremonial applications.<ref name="colors"/> From 1904 until 1930, UND's athletic teams bore the name of the Flickertails. Afterward they were the Fighting Sioux, but were without a nickname and mascot from 2012 to 2015, in compliance with the NCAA's policy against the use of Native American nicknames.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On November 18, 2015, it was announced the new nickname would be "Fighting Hawks", effective immediately.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A notable UND athletic alumnus is National Basketball Association (NBA) coach and former player Phil Jackson, widely considered one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.<ref name="50th">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, many UND alumni have played in the National Hockey League (NHL), including: Minnesota Wild wing Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac, Los Angeles Kings defensemen Matt Greene and Mike Commodore, Chicago Blackhawks forward and captain Jonathan Toews, Vancouver Canucks wing Brock Boeser, former NHL goalie Ed Belfour, and Washington Capitals forward T. J. Oshie.

Fight song

The school's primary fight song is "Stand Up and Cheer". Two other fight songs are "UND" and It's for You, North Dakota U (or North Dakota U), composed by Franz Rickaby in 1921.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Notable people and alumni

Alumni of the University of North Dakota have become notable in a variety of different fields including politics and government, business, science, literature, arts and entertainment, and athletics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nine Governors of North Dakota were educated at UND, including Fred G. Aandahl,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kelly Armstrong, Louis B. Hanna,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lynn Frazier,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> William Langer,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> John Moses,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ragnvald A. Nestos,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Allen I. Olson,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Ed Schafer, who was also the US Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Former Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House, Mark Pfeifle is a 1997 graduate in the School of Communications.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many U.S. Senators and Representatives of North Dakota were also graduates of UND, including former Senator Byron Dorgan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and former Representative Earl Pomeroy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is a UND graduate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ronald Davies, a UND graduate and former federal judge, became a part of history when he ordered the integration of Little Rock Central High School during the Civil Rights Movement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leigh Gerdine who was president of Webster University and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1989. UND alumni who went on to notable careers in the business world include chairman of TNSE & president of the Winnipeg Jets hockey club Mark Chipman,<ref name="und">Template:Cite news</ref> current president and former CEO of Cargill Gregory R. Page,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> current president and CEO of the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain Sally J. Smith,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> current CEO of Forum Communications William C. Marcil,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> former Las Vegas casino owner and UND philanthropist Ralph Engelstad,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and former CEO of American Skandia and founder of WealthVest Marketing Wade Dokken.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Former Canadian Football League player and founder of Golden Star Resources, Dave Fennell. Founder and chairman of Nygård International, Peter Nygård.

In the realm of science, notable UND alumni include important contributor to information theory Harry Nyquist,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> pioneer aviator Carl Ben Eielson,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> engineer and NASA astronaut Karen L. Nyberg,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and leading NASA manager John H. Disher. Pearl I. Young, a UND graduate in 1919, became the first female technical employee at NASA (then NACA) in 1922, her contributions to the agency resulted in a theater at NASA Langley in 1995.

Alumni who have become notable through literature include the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author Maxwell Anderson,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rhodes scholar and poet Thomas McGrath,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> essayist and journalist Chuck Klosterman,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and novelist Jon Hassler.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> UND graduates have become editors of major magazines: Carroll Eugene Simcox of The Living Church, former Ebony editor Era Bell Thompson<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and former LIFE editor Edward K. Thompson.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Alumni who have become notable in arts and entertainment include actor Sam Anderson<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and America's Next Top Model winner Nicole Linkletter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Former UND students who have gone on to notable careers in athletics include former NBA player and coach and former president of the New York Knicks, Phil Jackson,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1980 Winter Olympics "Miracle on Ice" hockey player Dave Christian,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> NHL players Ed Belfour and Zach Parise, and professional football players Jim Kleinsasser and Dave Osborn. As of the 2018–19 season, more than 20 former UND players are in the NHL and more than 100 former players have played in the NHL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• University of North Dakota Athletics website
• Template:Cite Collier's
• Template:Cite NSRW
• Template:Cite NIE