Utah

Utah

School Info:

The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah’s oldest institution of higher education. It received its current name in 1892, four years before Utah attained statehood, and moved to its current location in 1900. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education.

The university offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and more than 90 graduate degree programs. Graduate studies include the S.J. Quinney College of Law and the School of Medicine, Utah’s only medical school. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Utah)

How Utah Ranks:

Many graduate level programs at the University of Utah moved up in the new issue of U.S. News & World Report‘s 2011 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. (http://unews.utah.edu/old/p/041510-3.html)

The History of Utah Football:

University of Utah athletics teams are known as the “Utes” in honor of the American Indian tribe for which the state of Utah is named. The Utes have inhabited this area of the country for at least 1,000 years. There were originally 12 “Nuche”, or “The People”, bands throughout Utah and Colorado. The Utes were among the first American Indians to acquire the horse as a means of transportation, and in rock writing the Utes are depicted as horses.

After several armed conflicts with Mormon settlers in 1861, the Utes were relocated to the Uintah Basin in northeastern Utah. Today, tribal headquarters are in Fort Duchesne, Utah, and the Ute Tribe, with a membership of 3,300 and its own tribal government, remains a vibrant part of the state. The University of Utah, in cooperation with the Ute Tribal Business Committee, is proud to share in the tradition of the Ute tribe through the “Utes” nickname.

The Mascot

The University’s mascot, “Swoop,” represents the red-tailed hawk, a bird indigenous to the state of Utah.

The Block U

Students began painting their class numerals on “The Hill” in the early 1900s. Since the numbers changed annually, the students decided they wanted something more permanent that would promote loyalty and pride. The block U was originally built in 1907 on Mount Van Cott. In 1969, the design was modified and 124 lights were installed. Seated 5,300 feet above sea level and standing 100 feet tall, the block U can be seen for miles. Lighted primarily for athletic events, the block U notifies everyone in the Salt Lake valley and beyond that the Utes are playing at home, flashing after a victory. (http://www.collegefootballhistory.com/utes/history.htm)