Timeline of UB History
The following pages present a chronology of UB History from its inception to the present. Many of the dates noted are "firsts" like the first African American to graduate (1880), the first and only undefeated season in football (1897), the first woman dean (1922), the first issue of the Spectrum (1950), the first student sit-in (1966), UB's first female provost (2000), etc. The timeline reflects the University's development from a small private University focused on medical education to the vibrant research institution that it is today.
1846-1863 | 1864-1883 | 1884-1903 | 1904-1923 | 1924-1943 | 1944-1963 | 1964-1983 | 1984-2004 | 2005-2009 | 2010-present
1836
Subscriptions are solicited for a "University of Western New York" to be located in present day Allentown ("College Street" was meant to mark the western boundary of the proposed campus. The eastern edge was between Delaware and Franklin streets while the northern and the southern boundaries were North and Allen streets respectively). Unfortunately that summer the city of Buffalo experienced a devastating financial crash and plans for a university had to be abandoned.
1846
The University of Buffalo Charter is granted by the New York State Legislature on May 11th with the authorization to grant any degrees whatsoever. The School of Medicine is established as the first division of the University as prominent physicians, Frank H. Hamilton, Austin Flint and James P. White, were among the founding faculty who persuaded the trustees that the Medical School should only be a portion of a full university.
Millard Fillmore, a lawyer and a congressman, is named the University's first Chancellor. At this time the title is honorary only.
1847
The first classes are held on February 24th. The school begins operations in a leased building at the corner of Seneca and Washington streets with 66 registered students and a faculty of seven physicians.
The University's first commencement is on June 16th. Eighteen graduates received medical degrees.
1848
Millard Fillmore, Chancellor of the University of Buffalo, is inaugurated Vice President of the United States on March 4th.
1849
The first building built by the University is dedicated on November 7th. Erected on Main and Virginia; it cost $15,000 to build.
The Hospital of the Sisters of Charity is organized and located adjacent to the school, adding to the facilities for medical teaching.
1850
Millard Fillmore, still Chancellor of the University of Buffalo, is sworn in as 13th President of the United States on July 9th.
James Platt White, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and one of the founding faculty of the UB Medical School is the first in the United States to teach midwifery clinically. Read newspaper articles regarding the controversy over this event.
1851
John C. Dalton, Jr. is elected Professor of Physiology and Medical Jurisprudence. Dalton was the first physician in the United States to introduced animal experimentation as a method of instruction in the classroom, "illustrating the processes of life with living animals, which the action of ether, just then discovered, made it possible to do without pain" (Dictionary of American Biography, c.1998).
According to the 1850-1851 Buffalo City Directory, the Medical Department enrolls 115 students. "Lectures continues 16 weeks. A preliminary term commences 4 weeks before the regular term devoted to dissection, clinical instruction, and lectures on special subjects. The preliminary term is voluntary and gratuitous."
1856
On September 29th the first Faculty Executive Committee was formed. Today there is a Faculty Senate to represent the ever-increasing growth of the University's faculty.
1866
Dr. Austin Flint, one of the founding faculty, endorsed the Cammann stethoscope, the first recognized usable binaural stethoscope, making it one of the most widely used models.
1875
The University's first alumni association was formed with Dr. Thomas D. Strong as the first president.
1876
Mary Blair Moody, UB's first female graduate, receives her medical degree on February 23rd.
1880
J. Robert Love, the first known African-American graduate of UB, receives his medical degree on February 25th.
1882
Orsamus H. Marshall is inaugurated as the University of Buffalo's 2nd Chancellor.
1883
Dr. Roswell Park joins medical school as Professor of Surgery.
1884
Dr. Roswell Park, a physician from Chicago, is elected Professor of Surgery.
1885
E. Carleton Sprague is inaugurated as the University of Buffalo's 3rd Chancellor.
1886
School of Pharmacy is established on March 8th as the 2nd division of the University. First classes begin on September 20th.
1887
The Buffalo Law School (today the School of Law) is established as part of Niagara University as the 3rd division of the University. It did not move to the University of Buffalo until 1891.
1888
The first Pharmacy commencement is held on February 22. Twelve graduates received diplomas, another six received certificates.
1889
University purchases property at 24 High Street to house a new building for the Medical School.
1890
On the initiative of the University, the New York State Legislature passes a bill separating the teaching and licensing authority in medical practice.
1891
The School of Law (known at that time as the Buffalo Law School), formerly part of Niagara University, moves to the University of Buffalo.
Dr. Roswell Park is offered the position of Chair of Surgery at Rush Medical College in Chicago. He declines saying "For seven years I have worked hard to rectify conflicting medical interests here, and to build up a university where we could teach medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine.. I have been astonished at the strong hold which I appear to have on the citizens as well as the profession here, and I felt it my duty to others to remain -- and for this purpose."
1892
The School of Dentistry is established on May 30th as the 4th division of the University.
1893
The new Medical School building at 24 High Street is completed.
1894
The University's first football team is formed.
1895
James O. Putnam is inaugurated as the University of Buffalo's 4th Chancellor.
School of Pedagogy is established on April 30th. Buffalo's first female faculty, Ida C. Bender and Natalie Mankell, join the University to teach in the new school.
1897
First concert of the University's Glee Club.
1898
School of Pedagogy is terminated on January 28th.
The Medical Department at Niagara University merges with the University of Buffalo.
New York State Institute for the Study of Malignant Diseases (now Roswell Park Cancer Institute) is founded as the first government supported cancer research program in the world.
1899
Helen Z. M. Rogers and Cecil B. Weiner (University Archives Collection MS 44) are the first female graduates of the Law School.
1901
In 1901 Buffalo was the 8th largest city in the United States and an industrial and commercial center, making it an ideal setting for the Pan-American Exposition. The Exposition showcased the newest developments in technology and entertained visitors with a variety of cultural offerings. October 17th was University of Buffalo Day at the Pan-American Exposition.
President William McKinley is shot while standing in a receiving line at the Pan American Exposition on September 6th. Dr. Roswell Park, educator in the Department of Surgery at the University, was one of the physicians who attended the President.
1902
Wilson S. Bissell is inaugurated as the University of Buffalo's 5th Chancellor.
1903
The University's football program is canceled after the 1903 season.
1905
Charles P. Norton becomes the University of Buffalo's 6th Chief executive.
1909
The Katherine Pratt Horton Scholarship is established with the creation of a department of Arts and Sciences at the University of Buffalo. The $2,000 scholarship is named for the first President of the City Federation of Women's Clubs who are the sponsors of the scholarship. On January 23rd the University Council obtains permission to borrow the funds towards the purchase of a new site for the University.
Erie County Board of Supervisors deeds 106 acres of land, the site of the Erie County Almshouse on Main Street, to the University on June 16th.1913
The College of Arts and Sciences is informally established on June 18th. Its first classes are held on September 22nd. Within one year the College had over 600 students and 31 full and part-time faculty members.
1915
On January 16th the College of Arts and Sciences is formally established by the University Council.
The University's football program is reinstated for the fall of 1915.
The University constitutes its first "official" basketball team.
Summer sessions is founded as the 5th division of the University.
The Women's Educational and Industrial Union's Buffalo chapter folds. They offered their building (to be named Townsend Hall, for Harriet A. Townsend, the founder and long-time president of the Buffalo chapter) to the University on the condition that the University raise a $100,000 endowment fund by February 22, 1916 for the College of Arts and Sciences.
1916
Emma Elizabeth Deters becomes the first female administrator at the University, serving as a registrar from 1916-1965.
The Medical School has 176 students who pay a total of $27,920 for tuition. There are 18 paid and 82 unpaid instructors.
Grace Millard Knox donates $250,000 to establish the Seymour H. Knox Foundation, honoring the memory of her late husband. The gift provided the financial stability the College of Arts and Sciences needed to open its doors.
1917
During the 1917-1918 academic year the University's first band was formed under the leadership of Dr. Abraham Hoffman.
1918
The Buffalo city line is redrawn and extended to Bailey Avenue, allowing the University to be entirely within the city limits.
Earle Clifford Payne, the first known African-American graduate of the School of Dental Medicine, receives his degree.
1919
A landscape design competition of the University's new campus bordering Main Street and Bailey Avenue is announced. Hallam L. Movius of Boston wins first prize. See the "Introduction to the South Campus" for the history of the South Campus.
University of Buffalo Studies (later known as Buffalo Studies) begins publication.
1920
The University's first combined marching and concert band was organized, managed, and directed by A. Bertram Lemon starting in 1920
Earliest known non-discrimination statement is issued. It states that the University was "For all Buffalo Boys and Girls-- regardless of race, creed or class."
General plan for the campus (currently South Campus) is drawn up after a landscape design competition.
The College of Arts and Sciences graduates its 1st class consisting of 3 students on June 11th.
Ground-breaking for the first building constructed by the University, Foster Hall, also on June 11th.
The University of Buffalo Endowment Campaign begins on October 20th organized by newly elected Chairman of the Council, Walter P. Cooke. The unprecedented city-wide campaign enlisted 24,000 subscribers from the Buffalo community and raised 5 million dollars in 10 days.
1922
Samuel P. Capen, the University's first full-time, salaried Chancellor, is inaugurated on October 28th. In conjunction with the inauguration, Foster Hall and Rotary Field are dedicated.
Graduate work is offered in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Ruth Bartholomew is appointed as the first University Librarian. She served the library for 42 years.
Lillias M. MacDonald, the University's first female dean, is appointed "Dean of Women." Approximately 200 women attended the University in 1922.
The Women's Athletic Association is established with the help of the new Dean of Women, Lillias MacDonald. The club, run by students officers with the help of Gym Instructor, Gretchen Lee, is is the first organized women's sports on campus.
1923
University Faculty Senate is established on January 8th.
Evening Session (later Millard Fillmore College), which includes the Evening School of Business Administration and Journalism, is established on December 11th as the 6th division of the University. It moves into Townsend Hall on Niagara Square where the College of Arts and Sciences was.
Committee on Graduate Study and Degrees, forerunner of the Graduate School, is established on February 7th.
1925
Charles Henry Brent (1862-1929), Bishop of Western New York, is first recipient of Chancellor's Medal, an award endowed by Chancellor Charles Norton at the time of his death to be presented to an outstanding citizen of Buffalo. In his opening remarks, Chancellor Samuel Capen referred to Brant as "the name of one citizen of Buffalo will instantly occur to everyone as that of a man who in character and achievements is without a peer among us, and whose great contributions to the life of his time have brought honor to the place of his residence. We know him as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, as the eloquent interpreter of the finest aspirations of this community, as the ready partner in every worth while civic enterprise, as a true neighbor and as a friend."
1926
In the 1925-1926 academic school year overall enrollment was over 3,500. There were 827 students in the College of Arts and Sciences while the School of Medicine had 261 students, School of Pharmacy -- 239, School of Law -- 285, School of Dentistry -- 135 and the School of Business Administration had 405 students. In addition the Evening Session had 1,280 and the Summer Session had 467 students.
1927
Robert Frost spends three days at the University as "poet-in-residence".
The School of Business Administration (today the School of Management) is established as the 7th division of the University.
1928
Hayes Hall clock and chimes are set in operation on July 19th.
1929
Close of 1929 Endowment Campaign on October 29th.
1930
Architect E. B. Green's plan for the University's campus (currently South Campus) is completed on May 1st. Green and his firm are instrumental in designing many of the University's early buildings.
1931
The School of Education is established on February 13th as the 9th division of the University.
University Bookstore (now Edgar C. Beck Hall) is completed (E.B. Green, architect).
Central Heating Plant, later named in honor of Gerald F. Mackay, is completed (E.B. Green, architect).
1932
Crosby Hall is dedicated on April 28th (E.B. Green, architect).
Because of an financial emergency, the University faculty and staff take a voluntary 10% cut in salary on November 23.
1933
T.S. Eliot is invited by the University to lecture on January 26th.
1934
On February 26th, Norton Hall is dedicated (now Harriman Hall).
1935
Dedication of Lockwood Memorial Library (now Charles D. Abbott Hall, Health Sciences Library) on May 15th. The dedicatory address is delivered by popular novelist and an editor of the Saturday Review of Literature, Christopher Morley.
School of Social Work is established on June 6th as the 10th division of the University. It had previously been a certificate program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
1937
Charles D. Abbott, Director of the University Libraries, establishes the "Poetry Project" collecting rare first editions of modern poetry. Today's greatly expanded Poetry Collection consists of over 100,000 volumes, 5,000 periodical titles, and extensive manuscript holdings.
It is one of the most unique collections of poetry in the world.
Evening Session becomes Millard Fillmore College as of March 25th.
1938
University of Buffalo's Phi Beta Kappa chapter is chartered on January 29th.
The University honors architect E. B Green with the Chancellor's Medal on February 22nd.
Carl Sandburg gives a talk on May 2nd.
On November 2nd, the Irwin B. Clark Memorial Gymnasium is dedicated (E. B. Green, architect).
1939
The Glenn Miller Orchestra plays at the Junior Prom on February 25th.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (in 1962 the name was shortened to Graduate School) is established on June 6th as the 11th division of the University. However, graduate study dates from 1923 when the Committee on Graduate Study and Degrees was established.
1940
The School of Nursing formally separates from the School of Medicine becoming the 12th division of the University.
1941
Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Band perform in Norton Hall on September 22nd for Pep Week.
1943
Duke Ellington and his orchestra perform at the Junior Prom on February 19th.
1946
The University celebrates its centennial with special convocation. During the opening ceremonies on October 4th, Chancellor Samuel Capen said: "The circumstances under which we assemble today are unique in the history of the University of Buffalo. We meet not only to welcome the new members of the University and to start another year of instruction and study. We celebrate also the completion of a century of honorable and useful service by this institution to the community, the state and the nation. We inaugurate officially a new century."
At the Centennial Convocation, twelve honorary degrees are conferred including one to noted poet, William Carlos Williams. Chancellor Capen cited Williams as "Physician and man of letters; innovator in the oldest of the arts of expression; in recognition both of your poetic revelation of the essential quality of American life, and of your guiding influence on the work of your fellow craftsmen, the University of Buffalo confers upon you the degree of Doctor of Laws." Williams' collection of original manuscripts and first editions are in the University Libraries, Poetry Collection.
School of Engineering is created on March 5th as the 13th division of the University. On October 3rd, the Engineering Building is dedicated. The building became Karr Parker Hall during the 1982-83 academic year when UB's engineering programs were moved to North Campus.
1948
New York State Legislature votes to create the State University of New York on March 12th.
1950
T. R. McConnell is inaugurated as the University's 8th Chancellor.
First issue of the student publication, The Spectrum is published on November 17th.
A. Bertram Lemon (Ph.G., 1913), Dean of the School of Pharmacy, receives the first Samuel P. Capen Award, the highest award given to a University of Buffalo Alumnus.
1952
Air Force ROTC unit is activated on July 2nd.
Les Molnar is drafted by the New York Yanks of the National Football League on January 17th. He is the first UB player to be drafted by an NFL team.
1953
Dedication and occupation of the University's first residence halls, Schoellkopf, Cooke (today known as Pritchard Hall), and MacDonald Residence Halls.
Capen Hall (today known as Farber Hall) is also completed.
1954
Albright Art School becomes part of the University on February 1st.
The University's fourth residence hall was dedicated: Michael Hall.
Chancellor McConnell resigns effective June 30, 1954. Seymour H. Knox Jr., Chairman of the Council, is appointed Acting Chancellor for the period of July 1st - August 31st.
Clifford C. Furnas, the University of Buffalo's 9th Chancellor and the State University of New York at Buffalo's 1st president, is inaugurated effective September 1, 1954.
1955
First Slee Beethoven cycle is performed by the renowned Budapest String Quartet.
Emily H. Webster becomes the first woman to receive the Samuel P. Capen Award, the highest award given to a University of Buffalo alumnus. She was an employee for 50 years filling the roles of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs and Assistant Treasurer-Comptroller.
Chancellor Furnas accepts materials from the Polish Arts Club, which later became the Libraries' Polish Collection.
1956
Wende Hall, named for Grover W. Wende, a Buffalo alumnus and professor as well as a prominent area physician, is dedicated on September 29th.
1957
Elizabeth Taylor and current husband, Mike Todd, visit campus on September 20th bringing a gift, Buster, the school's new mascot, "Buster" the Bull.
Kimball Tower is dedicated on September 30th (formerly known as Tower Hall).
Baird Hall, named for Frank Burkett Baird, is dedicated on October 12th (Paul Schweikher, architect). It was renamed Allen Hall, after Cornelia H. Allen, a professor in the School of Social Work, in 1982 after the name "Baird Hall" was transferred to a building on the North Campus.
1958
Enrollment is 14,860.
University College is established.
The dedication of Sherman Hall, named for Dr. Dewitt Halsey Sherman, a University at Buffalo graduate who developed the Pediatrics program at Buffalo and guided the expansion of the Children's Hospital, on October 18th.
The University football team finishes the season 8-1 and wins the Lambert Cup – awarded to the top team of the Eastern Small Colleges. The teams is presented the Lambert Cup on the Ed Sullivan Show on December 14th.
The Tangerine Bowl is held on December 27th in Orlando, Florida. The football team declines their invitation to play because local rules prohibited University of Buffalo's African-American athletes from participating.
1959
WBFO, the University's National Public Radio affiliate, begins broadcasting on January 6th.
Acheson Hall, named for Edward Goodrich Acheson, is completed in July and dedicated on September 12, 1959 (Duane Lyman & Associates architects). An extension to the building was dedicated in November 1963.
The former Federal Reserve building on Main and Swan Streets in downtown Buffalo is slated for destruction. Through the efforts of Cameron Baird and Major A. Burt Hamilton, the ionic columns from the facade are brought to the University. Originally intended to be used as a backdrop for a proposed open-air Greek amphitheater, they sat unused between Schollkopf Hall and Baird Music Hall (today Allen Hall) for almost 18 years. In 1978 the columns were cleaned and transported to Lake LaSalle on the North Campus where they were rededicated as Baird Point.
1960
James R. (Jimmy) Hoffa speaks to University of Buffalo law students on January 10th.
Schussmeisters Ski Club, one of the country's largest ski clubs, is founded.
The Health Sciences Building is dedicated on September 10th (James, Meadows and Howard, architects). It was later renamed Cary Hall.
1961
The Western New York Nuclear Research Center begins operation.
Seymour H. Knox, Jr. receives the first Walter P. Cooke Award which honors notable and meritorious contributions to the University.
e. e. cummings gives a poetry reading in the Butler Auditorium in Capen Hall on December 12th.
1962
Opening of the new Norton Hall (rededicated as Daniel H. Squire Hall in September of 1986), as a student union. The "Old Norton Union" is renamed Harriman Hall. Also Diefendorf Hall opens.
March 12th, the University Council approves agreement to merge with the State University of New York.
The University at Buffalo Foundation is chartered on June 29th by the Regents of the State of New York as a non-profit educational corporation.
The University of Buffalo merges with the State University of New York on September 1st. Full-time enrollment is slightly more than 7,000.
1963
The first women's varsity athletic program, swimming and diving, are established.
Malcolm X speaks on campus at Norton Hall on April 24th.
1964
The University Archives is established by President Furnas.
Full-time student enrollment is in excess of 10,000.
In June, the Board of Trustees approves the site recommendation and makes public its decision to acquire land in Amherst, NY, a suburb north of Buffalo. [At this time the Board stated that the Main Street Campus (now South Campus) would be used for the expanded Health Sciences program of the University at Buffalo.]
Center of the Creative and Performing Arts is created though a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Robert F. Kennedy draws a large crowd during his visit to the campus on October 3rd, speaking from the terrace of Norton Union (now Squire Hall). Kennedy was campaigning for the U.S. Senate.
Carolyn Tripp Clement Hall, a women's residence hall, is dedicated on October 9th (James, Meadows & Howard, architects).
The "Thallus of Marchantia" arrives at the Buffalo Airport on December 16th. The Buffalo News bears the brunt of this large-scale hoax by UB students, which included a rally of students protesting the visit of the supposedly-evil Thallus. The hoax ended up causing $600 of damage to the Greater Buffalo International Airport.
1965
University acquires land in Amherst.
The School of Health Related Professions (now the School of Public Health and Health Professions) is established on October 14th.
The UB Alumni Association elects the first group of sports alumni to the UB Athletic Hall of Fame: James Ailinger (1925), Louis Corriere (1949), Daniel Dalfonso (1938), Edmund Malanowicz (1932), Philip Wells (1937, '39, '41).
1966
School of Information and Library Studies is established by SUNY Board of Trustees on April 15th. It would not become an accredited MLS program until 1972. Dr. Vincent Giuliano is appointed the first Dean.
The first student sit-in to protest the war in Vietnam begins in President Furnas' office on May 2nd.
Martin M. Meyerson becomes the University's 10th president.
1967
The University purchases the Darwin D. Martin House (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) on 125 Jewett Parkway.
SUNY Board of Trustees approves development of a School of Architecture (now the School of Architecture and Planning) on March 9th.
The Faculty Senate approves a university reorganization scheme on January 31st. The reorganization divides the University's academic departments into seven faculties: Arts and Letters, Educational Studies, Engineering and Applied Science, Health Sciences, Law and Jurisprudence, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social Science and Administration.
On November 1st, Dr. Benjamin Spock came to the University to speak on peace and on November 9th Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a University lecture at Kleinhans Hall.
Muhammed Ali gives a talk on campus on December 19th.
The University Libraries is elected to membership in the Association of Research Libraries.
1968
Gordon Bunshaft of the architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, presents the first master plan for the new North Campus on June 12th. This plan called for the construction of one mega-complex, measuring one mile long and 1,4000 feet wide. The State University Construction Fund ultimately rejected Bunshaft's plan.
J. M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize winning author and one of the infamous "Faculty 45," becomes a member of the Department of English faculty. He remained in the department through 1971. Coetzee also served as Butler Professor of English at UB in 1984 and 1986.
On October 31st ground is broken for North Campus, New York State Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller presides.
The University Libraries acquire their 1,000,000 volume.
1969
Governor Rockefeller is presented the Office of Planning Coordination's report entitled "The Buffalo-Amherst Corridor Technical Report" on March 21st.
Peter F. Regan III becomes Acting President on August 11th, a post he would hold until June 30, 1970.
1970
Robert L. Ketter becomes University's 11th president.
First issue of The Reporter is published on January 22nd.
Riot breaks out in Norton Union on February 25th. The police are called to campus.
On March 8th, the "Greiner Report" detailing the events of February 25, 1970, is released. Police occupy campus.
On March 15th the "Faculty 45" are arrested in a Hayes Hall anti-war sit-in.
Hired in October 1968, the architectural firm, Sasaki, Dawson, DeMay and Associates presents the final North Campus master plan in July.
During the fall semester, post-modern philosopher Michel Foucault held the Melodia E. Jones Chair in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He held this chair again during the spring 1972 semester.
Dr. George S. Bobinski is named the new dean of the School of Information and Library Sciences. He later served as Acting Director of the University Libraries.
1971
On January 11th, President Ketter announces the University football program is canceled once again.
Howard H. Kohler, Thurber LeWin, and Stuart L. Vaughn are the first to receive Distinguished Alumni Awards.
1972
French writer and culture critic, Roland Barthes, was a resident scholar at UB, holding the Melodia E. Jones Chair in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
minority faculty members be involved in the tenure review of other minority faculty, that minority faculty and students be involved in an ongoing dialogue with academic departments on minority issues, and that a "privileged communication channel" be established between the president's office and the black contingency.
First meeting of Professional Staff Senate occurs on September 9th.
North Campus' first building, Governors Residence Hall, designed by I.M. Pei is completed in November.
The Center for Media Studies (now the Department of Media Studies) is established under the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
1973
The first classes are held on the North Campus September 20th.
Leslie Fiedler becomes the first Samuel L. Clemens Chair in English. His early papers are held by the University Archives, collection 16/4F/284.
Terry Gross, host of NPR's Fresh Air and UB alumna, begins her radio career at WBFO.
Undergraduate Library opens its doors on December 3rd.
1974
On April 8th, John Lord O'Brian Hall, North Campus' first academic building, is dedicated.
1975
Twelve students, members of the "Attica Brigade" that protested the treatment of Attica State Prison riot defendants at time of trial, were detained by the police.
The first June in Buffalo festival is held on June 2nd. Composers John Cage, Earle Brown, and Christian Wolff are invited by UB professor and composer, Morton Feldman to perform.
Jacques Derrida, French post modernist and leader of the deconstructionist movement, is the Melodia E. Jones Chair during the fall semester
1976
African American authors, Maya Angelou and Sam Greenlee speak at UB during the fall semester
1977
UB is closed by the "Blizzard of 77" from January 26th until February 7th, an unprecedented seven working days.
On April 28th, President Ketter announces that football will return to campus. Football program is reinstated that year at the Division III level.
Robert J. Genco (DDS, 1963), a professor and administrator at the University who specializes in Periodontics, receives the George W. Thorn Award, which is given to University at Buffalo graduates under 40 in recognition of their outstanding national or international contributions to their career field or academic area.
Talbert Hall, named for Mary Burnett Talbert, a prominent African-American Buffalonian, is completed.
After the completion of the Capen/Norton/Talbert complex on North Campus during the 1977-78 academic year, the North Campus becomes the University's main campus.
1978
The ionic columns of Baird Point are formally dedicated on September 14th. They were once part of the facade of the Federal Reserve building on Main and Swan Streets in downtown Buffalo which was destroyed in 1959. Through the efforts of Cameron Baird and Major Burt Hamilton, the columns were brought to the University. Originally intended to be used as a backdrop for a proposed open-air Greek amphitheater, they sat unused between Schollkopf Hall and Baird Music Hall (today Allen Hall) for almost 18 years. In 1978 they were cleaned and transported to Lake LaSalle on the North Campus and rededicated as Baird Point.
1979
The Marian E. White Anthropology Museum opens to the public. Dr. Marian White (1921-1975), a well-known archaeologist in New York State and professor of anthropology at UB, laid the groundwork for establishing a departmental museum in the 1960s. The collections in the museum are now one of the most complete of the extant collections of prehistoric artifacts and site records in Western New York.
The Nancy Welch Award is established in honor of Nancy Welch, a residential coordinator who played a key role in creating a sense of community among students when the Ellicott Complex was new. The Award is presented to students for organizing events that increase UB's level of community.
1980
UB becomes the first American university to have a center in the People's Republic of China when Dr. Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education, establishes a UB center in Beijing, China in cooperation with the Beijing Municipal System of Higher Education.
1981
Robert J. Wagner appointed to newly-created position of Vice President for Academic Services on September 30th.
On November 19th, Slee Concert Hall was dedicated.
Noted scientist, David Harker is awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science
University Libraries add two millionth volume.
1982
In February hundreds of students protest the closing of Squire Hall as the Student Union. Many are arrested for criminal trespassing and 32 students are suspended. There will not be another unified student union at the University until 1992.
Steven B. Sample becomes the University's 12th President.
During the June graduation, the 1000th MLS degree is granted in the School of Information and Library Sciences.
1983
On November 10th, a $1.5 million earthquake simulator in Ketter Hall is dedicated at UB. Dr. George Housner of the California Institute of Technology, widely regarded as "the father of earthquake engineering", is the keynote speaker at the event.
Political scientist and Canadian Ambassador from 1981-1989, Alan E. Gotlieb is awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws
1984
May 5th hails the first Oozfest. Sponsored by the UB Student Alumni Board, the tournament (then called Oozeball), took place at noon outside Clark Gym on the South Campus. By 2004, it was known as one of the largest collegiate mud volleyball tournaments in the United States involving over 1,000 players and volunteers.
UB was awarded the contract for the first MBA program to be offered in China.
1985
Astronaut and UB Alumnus Greg Jarvis gives the commencement address at the 1985 graduation ceremony.
The first presentation of the J. Scott Fleming Merit Award to recognize full-time undergraduate and graduate students whose volunteer and leadership efforts have helped promote student involvement at UB and have enhanced the student experience through their extracurricular work.
Comedian Bob Carroll "tickled UB with his wit" on October 10th and 11th1986
Alexander H. Flax (PhD, 1958), an aeronautical engineer, receives the first Clifford C. Furnas Memorial Award, which is awarded to a graduate of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, or a graduate in one of the natural sciences or mathematics disciplines within the College of Arts and Sciences, who has distinguished himself/herself in a field of science, thereby bringing honor to the University.
On January 28th, UB alumnus Gregory Jarvis (BA, 1967) perishes in the Challenger disaster. The UB flag that he intended to bring into space with him, fluttered out of the destroyed shuttle unscathed and is now housed in the University Archives. Jarvis was awarded the Clifford C. Furnas Memorial Award posthumously in 1999.
UB is awarded a 5-year $25 million from the National Science Foundation to establish the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (now MCEER, the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research). This was the University's first national research center.
Edgar Heap of Birds, a major Native American artist, has a one-month residency at UB during which he conducted master classes, gave lectures, and conducted an exhibit.
The Great Lakes Program is established with the help of then New York State Assemblymen, John B. Sheffer II and William B. Hoyt. Housed within the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, the Great Lakes Program is a center for research, education, and outreach activities related to the Great Lakes ecosystem.
South Campus Metro Station opens on November 12th.
1987
The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) is founded to promote economic development in the region by leveraging University resources that can help industry improve productivity and bottom-line performance.
The New York State Center for Hazardous Waste Management is established by New York State Law to initiate and coordinate research and development in the area of toxic substances and hazardous wastes.
UB's Distinguished Speakers Series is launched. Sam Donaldson, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent, John Tower, US Senator, and Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate on a national party ticket, are all invited to speak during the academic year.
1988
A National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA-Buffalo) is founded as a National Science Foundation center for research in geographic information and its related technologies. It is one of only three such centers in the United States. The University at Buffalo has been involved in geographic information science research since the 1970s.
In December, UB student Gregory Capasso was killed while returning home from a semester abroad in the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy. A memorial plaque was installed in the Student Activities Center during its opening festivities
Poet Stanley Kunitz speaks at the University on November 16th.
1989
Professor Robert Creeley is named poet laureate of New York State
UB is elected to membership in the Association of American Universities.
The UB Study Abroad program begins negotiations leading to the landmark exchange agreement with the Jagiellonian University in Poland.
On July 31st, eight years after the dedication of Slee Hall, the much anticipated C.B. Fisk Organ is delivered. The music department started planning and saving for the organ in 1964.
Former faculty member and Nobel-prize winning author, J.M. Coetzee is awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.
Renowned composer Philip Glass is awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music.
1990
The School of Architecture and Planning celebrates its "Coming of Age" (21st Anniversary).
UB Alumnus Wolf Blitzer (BA, 1970) joins CNN as the network's military-affairs correspondent at the Pentagon.
The University Libraries launches BISON, Buffalo Information System ONline, the Library's online public access catalog.
Noted jazz trumpeter, Wynton Marsalis is awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music.
1991
The United States Postal Service officially designates a research group at the University, the Center of Excellence for Document Analysis and Recognition (CEDAR), after having worked with them since 1984.
The Commons, a commercial complex on Lake LaSalle, opens in the Fall.
1992
The addition to the Student Activities Center (SAC) on the North Campus is completed and officially opens as the new Student Union. There has not been a student union at the University since Squire Hall closed February 26, 1982.
Well-known pop-artist, Marisol Escobar is awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts
On September 18th, William R. Greiner is inaugurated as UB's 13th President.
Poet, literary critic and novelist, Raymond Federman is appointed the Melodia E. Jones Chair of Literature. Federman first began teaching in the French Department in 1964 and then taught in the English Department in 1973. He retired in 1999.
In December, President Greiner appoints Muriel A. Moore (later Muriel A. Howard) UB's first female vice president. Moore would serve as the Vice President for Public Service and Urban Affairs until she was appointed as Buffalo State College's first woman president in 1996.
1993
The Office of Public Service and Urban Affairs is established to coordinate the resources of academic and administrative units with those of the larger community in order to pursue creative solutions to a wide range of economic and social problems. The creation of this office at the vice-presidential level is a first for a United States university.
The new UB Stadium (completed in the summer of 1993 with seating for 16,500) provides facilities for the 1993 World University Games.
The band Nirvana plays to a crowd of over 7,000 in Alumni Arena on November 5th.
1994
Both the $59 million Natural Sciences and Mathematics Complex and the Center for the Arts (a $41.8 million facility, housing four theatres, which includes a 1,820-seat auditorium and a screening room, as well as two art galleries, sound studios, and Art, Media Studies, and Theatre and Dance departments) are opened on North Campus.
The Malaysian Student Association (MASA) was established in 1994. It was disorganized in early 1995, but re-established in March of 1996.
1995
UB enrolls 25,000 students, offers almost 300 degree programs at the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and professional level and has an operating budget of almost $600 million, with some 4,500 associated full-time positions. It is one of Western NY's leading employers.
The Buffalo Chips, a male student a Capella group, is formed.
The University establishes an exchange program with the University of the Western Cape in South Africa.
The School of Architecture and Planning celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
1996
University's Sesquicentennial.
The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences celebrates its 50th anniversary
University Libraries add its three millionth volume: Jacob Rueff's De conceptu et generatione hominis published in Zurich in 1554 was added to the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection
The National Center for Fluoridation Policy & Research is founded as a research unit of the School of Dental Medicine.
UB's Toshiba Stroke Research Center, founded by a $3.6 million gift of equipment and services from Toshiba America Medical Systems, is dedicated to developing new ways of preventing stroke.
On October 4th, UB unveils the new mascot. The bronze buffalo statue is a replica of a statue by G.H. Messmore that once graced the concourse of Buffalo's Central Terminal.
1997
The Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth is founded as a public service program of the University.
1998
The Center for Excellence in Global Enterprise Management was established to deliver leading-edge research driven by industrial need with results that have immediate practical impact.
On July 1st, the College of Arts and Sciences is reestablished at the University to focus on undergraduate education. Kerry S. Grant, the last dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, is appointed the first dean of the new College of Arts and Sciences.
Flickinger Court, the first of five student living complexes on North Campus, is dedicated.
1999
In January, the Center for Computational Research (CCR), one of the world's leading super computing sites, is established at the University.
The University establishes an exchange program with Addis Ababa University(AAU) in Ethiopia
George Voskerchian receives the first Russell J. Gugino Award, which recognizes UB alumni (an individual, couple, or group) who have made significant contributions of time and resources to the university's athletic programs.
2000
The New York State Center for Engineering Design and Industrial Innovation (NYSCEDII) is founded in June within SEAS to provide state-of-the-art technologies and expertise that will enable New York State industry to achieve a greater degree of competitiveness.
January, David K. Anderson, a New York City art dealer, donated to UB the Anderson Gallery building and established a $2 million trust to assist with exhibitions and the upkeep of the gallery.
In December, the first Panasci Entrepreneurial Award, endowed by Henry A. Panasci, Jr. and awarded through the School of Management's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, is awarded to teammates Eric Reich, Michael Weisman, Karen Woodman, and Matthew Worden of Triad College Market Research Group.
Elizabeth D. Capaldi is appointed the first female provost on July 7th. While Provost, she is the highest ranking female at UB.
2001
Victoria S. Bull joins Victor E. Bull as one of UB's mascots. Although she was introduced at the "Rockin' Rally 2001" on August 24th, her first game appearance was August 30 at the football team's home opener against Rutgers.
2002
Joseph S. Mattina receives the first Community Leadership Medal, which is presented in recognition of and in appreciation for outstanding accomplishments in making our university community a better place to live and work.
Beginning June 15, the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education (GSE) offers a 36-credit hour Master of Education Degree in School Counseling through Singapore's Center for American Education (CAE) in Singapore
On April 8th, Carl Dennis, professor of English at the University at Buffalo, is named recipient of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his eighth collection of poems, "Practical Gods."
April 23 is UB Day in Washington. According to former UB President, William Griener, "UB Day in Washington [allowed] us to share the progress we've made with the Buffalo Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and to thank our legislative supporters for their outstanding efforts in helping us bring it to fruition, as well as giving us an opportunity to outline how continued strong federal support will help us move this initiative forward in the year ahead."
Donald L. and Esther P. Davis receive the first Dr. Philip B. Wels Award, which is given to individuals and groups that have contributed to and advanced the University at Buffalo for a specific purpose, or served UB in a voluntary capacity for a significant period of time.
The much-hailed Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics is created at UB with state, federal, and private grant funding. Bioinformatics, the newly developed science that applies computational approaches to biology, in particular to the genome wide identification and prediction of the function of the proteins and their corresponding DNA and RNA molecules, will play a major role in making this vision a reality. The Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics, COE, of the University at Buffalo is poised to be a central player in this emerging revolution in biology.
Christian Bok, Canadian conceptual and sound poet and postdoctoral fellow in UB's Poetics Program, is named one of two winners of the second annual Griffin Poetry Prize, Canada's most prestigious literary prize and a major international literary award.
2003
June is the International 'Frontiers in Bioinformatics' Symposium held by UB Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics. This was one of the first conferences in the world to explore collaborative approaches to structural genomics, evolutionary genomics and large-scale simulations of genome annotation.
The University establishes the Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS).
WBFO 88.7 FM, the National Public Radio affiliate operated by the University at Buffalo, completes its most successful fall membership drive, raising more than $250,000.
Bill Cosby speaks as part of UB's Distinguished Speakers Series (because high winds made flying into Buffalo a near impossibility, Cosby changed his plans to drive instead so as not to have to cancel his appearance).
2004
John B. Simpson becomes the University's 14th President on January 1st.
Two renowned actors of Japanese Noh theater -- Hatta Tatsuya of Tokyo and Fukano Shinjiro of Kyoto -- performed and taught the elements of the 600-year-old theatrical form during a week long Noh residency at UB in February.
Joyce Carol Oates lectures on March 2 as part of the Distinguished Speakers Series.
On September 24th President Simpson launches "UB 2020," the strategic planning campaign to increase the multidisciplinary nature of sponsored research; the imperative for universities to embrace innovation and collaboration; and research, education, and service that is interconnected across local, national, and international boundaries.
The University at Buffalo Bulls basketball team had an extraordinary 2004-2005 season. With a school-record 23 wins, UB finished the season with more overall wins than any other school in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls made it to the finals of the MAC Tournament for the first time in school history.
Head coach Reggie Witherspoon was subsequently named the 2005 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District I Co-Coach of the Year.
2005
The University at Buffalo Bulls mens basketball team has an extraordinary 2004-2005 season. With a school-record 23 wins, UB finishes the season with more overall wins than any other school in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls make it to the finals of the MAC Tournament for the first time in school history. Head coach Reggie Witherspoon was subsequently named the 2005 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District I Co-Coach of the Year.
On March 30th, world-renowned poet and former UB Professor, Robert Creeley dies at the age of 78. The University holds a memorial service celebrating his life, work, and 37 years of service to the University.
On April 26th the Alfiero Center of the University at Buffalo, School of Management is formally dedicated today. It is the first academic facility at UB, and one of only a few in the State University of New York system, to be funded primarily through private donations. Gifts from more than 150 alumni, friends, foundations and corporations provided the majority of the funding for the $7 million center. It was named for Sal and Jeanne Alfiero, who provided a $2 million gift for the three-story student center on UB's North Campus.
In July three of the 17 winning predictor teams from the Sixth Community Wide Experiment on the Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) are from the University at Buffalo. It was unprecedented for three of the winning teams to be from the same institution.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina UB opens its doors to students from four schools in New Orleans that had to suspend classes due to damage from the hurricane. These "visiting" students include five undergraduates from Tulane University, three from the University of New Orleans, and one from Xavier University, as well as two Tulane students and a student from Loyola University who are attending the UB Law School.
On September 29th the University Libraries opens a major exhibit highlighting the University's extensive rare books collection. The exhibit also celebrates the completion of the rare books cataloging project making the collection accessible through both BISON and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC).
On November 14th the University at Buffalo ranks 11th among 2,700 U.S. accredited universities in international student enrollment, according to an annual report on international academic mobility released by the Institute of International Education.
2006
The fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, delivers a major address on the theme of promoting peace across borders through education as part of the 2006-2007 Distinguished Speakers Series on September 18-20th. The visit included audiences with UB students and faculty, an interfaith service with representatives from the local religious communities, and the main address where Hi Holiness was awarded a State University of New York honorary doctorate in humane letters. In the fall, President Simpson traveled to Asia twice. In September he was part of a delegation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of UB's exchange programs with three universities in Beijing. In November, he returned to Asia, this time traveling as part of a delegation led by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, who invited twelve U.S. higher education leaders to accompany her on a history-making educational development trip to Japan, Korea, and China. The UB undergraduate Student Association (SA) organized about 200 students to help participate in neighborhood clean-up efforts. In November a team of UB faculty members from the Center of Virtual Architecture in the School of Architecture and Planning were awarded a $553,045 research grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop educational materials that use advanced media to teach important building principles to architecture students. The University at Buffalo moves up to number 10 among 2,700 accredited U.S. universities in international enrollment, according to an annual report released by the Institute of International Education (IIE).2007
UB officially launches in August, "Building UB," the comprehensive physical planning process that is designed, in concert with the UB 2020 strategic plan, to push the university into the top echelon of public research universities.
In the fall, artist Brian Tolle's installation, For the gentle wind doth move Silently, invisibly was installed in Founder's Plaza on UB's North Campus. Tolle loved the plaza site, which pairs the geometric squares of concrete in the plaza with the classical pedestals and urns—traditional shapes askew from the effects of the wind. The installation was just the initial offering in what is expected to be a broader public art initiative at UB.
UB Believers, a new, broad-based advocacy group is launched in August. The group is comprised of community members who recognize the positive impact of the university on the Buffalo Niagara region, and who are dedicated to raising awareness of its value. Membership is open to all who believe in UB's goal of a stronger future for Western New York including community residents, business leaders, alumni, parents, students, and members of UB's faculty and staff. 3,000 individuals joined UB Believers in the first two months.
A stained-glass hanging medallion celebrating Marie Sklodowska Curie that disappeared from the Polish Collection of the University at Buffalo decades ago was returned, thanks to the eagle eye of a former UB student, Gregory Witul and the generosity of the owner, Greg Lontkowski who donated the medallion back to the Polish Collection.
After its third attempt in the previous four years, an all-woman student team from the University at Buffalo's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences won the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition.
The new home of UB's Ira G. Ross Eye Institute —- a collaboration between the Department of Ophthalmology in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted M.D. Center for the Visually Impaired and University Ophthalmology Services -— opened November 1st in a facility on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
Nils Olsen, professor and dean of the University at Buffalo Law School, received the 2007 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the UB Law School and the UB Law Alumni Association can bestow, in recognition of his extraordinary service to the university and the Western New York community.
The School of Management's new MBA concentration in Global Services and Supply Management (GSSM) addresses the rapidly emerging service, supply and information technology issues that are the result of an increasingly worldwide business model.
2008
During his second annual State of the State address in January, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer endorsed UB 2020. "We will move forward on the University at Buffalo's 2020 expansion as a centerpiece of our strategy to reinvigorate the economy of Western New York," Spitzer said in his address in Albany. "UB will become an economic engine for Buffalo, and a flagship institution for a world-class, public university system."
In February The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo was awarded a $287,182 grant by the John R. Oishei Foundation to establish a program to bring the performing arts and artists into health-care settings enhancing the healing environment for patients and caregivers in Western New York.
2009
Every odd numbered year, the International James Joyce Society sponsors an American conference during Bloomsday (June 16th) known as the North American James Joyce Conference. In 2009, the conference was held in Buffalo honoring the university's Special Collections holdings of James Joyce manuscripts, papers, and artifacts. The conference, called "Eire on the Erie" included a special display of the James Joyce materials.
2011
Dr. Satish K. Tripathi is appointed the 15th president of the University at Buffalo on April 18, 2011.
2013
On August 22, U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at Alumni Arena. The president speaks about the need for all students to be able to afford higher education. He is the first sitting U.S. president to speak on campus since Millard Fillmore in 1853.