History & Traditions

CAC Founded

On Feb. 11, 1870, Governor Edward McCook signed a territorial bill authorizing the creation of what today is called Colorado State University. McCook’s authorization built on a piece of legislation called the Morrill Act, which Congress passed and President Abraham Lincoln signed in 1862 to provide grants of public land to establish colleges.

Alumni Association Founded

President Edwards invites first three Colorado Agricultural College  graduates – Leonidas Loomis, Elizabeth (Libbie) Coy, and George Glover – to establish the Alumni Association. Coy is hired as a college instructor and becomes a pillar of the campus and community; Glover establishes the college veterinary program and grows into a statewide veterinary leader; and Loomis becomes a successful area farmer.

Extra, extra!

First issue of the Rocky Mountain Collegian published.

The Oval

The oval serves as the heart of Colorado State University.  It was designed in 1909 as an aesthetically pleasing way to connect main campus buildings.  Surrounding the Oval are historic buildings including Johnson Hall, which was the original student center and the Music Building which was built as a library.  Old Main was the cornerstone of the oval until it was burned to the ground during a demonstration in 1970.

CAC’s First Homecoming

In October 1914, Colorado Agricultural College President Charles A. Lory announced the school’s first-ever alumni reunion – a football game pitting the present team against the alumni. The alumni won, 3 – 0, but showed they weren’t above a little humor. Professors Glover and Pennock took the field for the alumni. Glover scored on the first play, but the touchdown didn’t count because the alumni had 13 men on the field.

Loud and Proud

The customary firing of a cannon during CSU football games started in 1920 and is one of the oldest, and certainly the loudest, of CSU traditions.

First painting of the “A”

Aggie students voted to emblazon an “A” on a hill west of campus during a special assembly held December 4, 1923. Work began shortly after, but wasn’t completed until September 20 the following year. It stretched 450 feet from top to bottom, and 210 feet across at its widest point. Today, the lighting of the A lifts school spirit to even greater heights during Homecoming & Family Weekend’s Friday Night Lights event.

Fight Song

On Nov. 19, 1932, the “Aggie Fight Song” debuted at a game against Utah University. Marching band director and veterinary medicine professor Richard F. Bourne penned the original tune and lyrics.

Birth of A&M

Colorado Agricultural College renamed Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

CAM christened

At halftime at the Colorado A&M vs. Wyo. basketball game, President Morgan christened the school mascot “CAM.” Members of the Alpha Zeta fraternity served as handlers and keepers of CAM at that time. Today, Ram Handlers are selected to proudly represent Colorado State University and the Alumni Association on a volunteer basis.

Colorado A&M becomes CSU

In 1957, the Colorado General Assembly approves the new name of Colorado State University.

Bronze Boot

In 1967, it was decided that the annual Border War football rivalry between CSU and Wyoming needed a traveling trophy, and several ideas were presented. Capt. Dan Romero, an assistant professor of military science at CSU and Vietnam veteran, came up with the idea of bronzing one of his battle-worn boots. The First Bronze Boot was awarded during the inaugural season at Hughes Stadium in 1968.

Landmark lost

Old Main is destroyed by arson amid anti-Vietnam War unrest across campus.

CSU Football wins first WAC championship

A CSU road victory against 6th-ranked Arizona put CSU on the map as they finished the regular season ranked 10th in the nation.

Enrollment exceeds 32,000

For the first time in history, CSU’s overall enrollment surpasses 32,000. The incoming freshman class is the most diverse in the University’s history.

Old Main Bell Rings Again

Around 1910, CAC installed a bell in the tower of Old Main. Manufactured in 1894, it originally announced the start of classes. Later, its peals signified victory on the football field. The bell stopped chiming around 1919, and its whereabouts were a mystery until 2016, when it was anonymously returned to the CSU Alumni Association. Since the time the bell was stolen, it had been well cared for by generations of loyal Aggies and Rams, until the timing was right for it to find a permanent home in the Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center. In the spirit of honoring our history and reviving one of our oldest traditions, the Alumni Association and the Associated Students of CSU worked together to restore the bell. The Old Main Bell now hangs in the Jim and Nadine Henry Family Tower.

Canvas Stadium opening day

Colorado State University celebrates the opening of Canvas Stadium with a 58-27 victory over Oregon State on August 26. The Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center occupies the stadium’s northeast corner.