Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a
public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...
in
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most populo ...
. It is a member of the Colorado State University System (CSU System) and a
Hispanic-Serving Institution
A Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) is defined in federal law as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time equivalent (FTE) stud ...
(HSI).
History
1933 to 1959
The idea for starting a college in Pueblo was initially proposed in 1926, when a bill was put before the state Senate to begin a four-year school in the city. The bill was defeated by one vote.
In the years following the Great Depression, the idea for a college in Pueblo was revived through the efforts of a local school teacher at Centennial High School, Eric T. Kelly.
At the time, Pueblo's primary employer, steelmaker Colorado Fuel & Iron Corp., was no longer hiring, drought and dust storms were plaguing all of Southern Colorado and the city still was trying to recover from the devastating floods of 1921.
Kelly organized a committee that was composed of several local business leaders to discuss the possibility of getting a college started, among them Frank Hoag, Jr., publisher of ''The Pueblo Chieftain'' and Star-Journal newspapers, Dr. C.N. Caldwell and J. Arthur Phelps.
The school originally was planned to be named San Isabel Junior College, but by the time the school had received incorporation it was changed to Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJC). The name change was made in an effort to broaden the recruitment area for the college.
The first classes at SCJC were held in the fall of 1933 in three vacant rooms on the third-floor of the Pueblo County Courthouse. Sixty-three students (31 full-time and 32 part-time) enrolled and the staff consisted of two full-time and eight part-time instructors, a registrar and Kelly, who agreed to serve as the dean of students, of that first class of students, 17 would earn a degree with the first graduating class of 1935.
By 1935, the school's enrollment was steadily increasing, and the need to find a permanent location was imminent. With land donated by the CF&I and local money from the City Federation of Women's Club and the Works Progress Administration, construction of the college's first building—a arts building—began in 1936. The property donated for the college was bordered by the Bessemer ditch, Marilyn Place, Orman Avenue and the alley at Orman and Arthur and became known as the Orman campus.
Kelly gave up his position as dean in 1936, and L.R.Wren took over as president and served in that position until 1939. A year later, Pueblo County residents formed the Pueblo County Junior College District, which allowed for the college to receive tax dollars.
Name changes
The university has operated under five different names:
1933: Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJC)
Southern Colorado Junior College provided two years of college instruction in the arts, literature, and science, adult education and vocational opportunities, and coursework to complete a high school program.
1937: Pueblo Junior College (PJC)
Taking advantage of the Junior College Act of the General Assembly, the Pueblo County Junior College District was formed, making the college part of the public school system supported by county-wide taxes. The name change to Pueblo Junior College brought with it a change in mission. The institution offered the first two years of general study at the college level, providing the educational foundation for students seeking to transfer to complete their higher education degrees at four-year colleges and universities, and continued to offer a range of practical courses for those not seeking a higher education degree.
1961: Southern Colorado State College (SCSC)
The 30th anniversary year saw the State enact legislation making the institution a four-year degree granting college and a member of the state system of higher education. The first juniors were enrolled in 1963, followed in 1964 by the first seniors and the first bachelor's degrees awarded in 1965. The name change to Southern Colorado State College reflected recognition of the need for more advanced degrees and an increase in the number of students pursuing a four-year degree in the southeastern region of Colorado. In 1964, Colorado State Senator Vincent Massari led the college's push to become a four-year university. Senator Massari was instrumental in obtaining funds for a new campus in the Belmont area of Pueblo, moving from the old junior college campus on Orman Avenue.
1975: University of Southern Colorado (USC)
As the demand for higher education programs increased, the number of academic degrees offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels increased. The first graduate program to be offered was the Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in industrial education beginning in 1972. The institution was granted university status and renamed the University of Southern Colorado. In 1978, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education designated USC as a polytechnic institution. In 1985, USC was integrated into the newly created Colorado State University System (CSU System) with Colorado State University, Colorado's land-grant university, and Fort Lewis College. In 2002, Fort Lewis College chose to be a separate entity. Today, the CSU System comprises CSU, CSU Pueblo and CSU Global.
2003: Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo)
With its long history of collaboration with Colorado State University (CSU) and being a Colorado State University System (CSU System) member since 1985, eventually a name change was forthcoming. Also, an independent study of Higher Education in Colorado recommended to change the university's name to reflect the unique relationship with CSU. In May 2002,
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Bill Owens signed legislation changing the institution's mission and name to Colorado State University Pueblo effective July 1, 2003. Today, CSU Pueblo is a regional comprehensive university.
Federal designation and awards
In 2002, CSU Pueblo was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...
. In 2008, CSU Pueblo was awarded the Outstanding HACU-Member Institution Award by the
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
A Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) is defined in federal law as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time equivalent (FTE) stude ...
. In 2015, the university won the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and Solution Generation Leadership in Climate Change Award.
Birth of the ThunderWolves
Prior to the 1995–96 academic school year, the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University Pueblo) adopted the "ThunderWolf" as its mascot. The ThunderWolf came to life as USC looked to modernize its image following more than 60 years as the "Indians."
The original ThunderWolf logo was put into place prior to the 1995–96 school year. Designed to elicit fear and reverence, the original logo contained a detailed head of a ThunderWolf with a mountain range in the background. After a few years of use, the logo was eventually scrapped for a more easily reproduced logo that contained the letters "USC".
The logo remained in use until the University of Southern Colorado changed its name prior to the 2003–04 school year to Colorado State University Pueblo.
Campus
CSU Pueblo is located north of CO-47 in
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most populo ...
, a city of approximately 106,000 residents located in the
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou S ...
region of southern Colorado. The university's main campus is located in the Belmont area of northern Pueblo. The original 850-acre land was donated to build the campus. In 1985, the university determined that the current campus and anticipated growth could be accommodated on 275 acres. Over time the university has sold the excess property. To the northwest of campus sits the Walking Stick Golf Course.
The campus architecture style was called "Modern Aztec" by the designers in 1963. The unique architecture of the buildings earned a national award by the American Institute of Architects. Most campus buildings reflect the International Style of the 1960s. Today, there are 18 buildings, numerous baseball and softball fields, a soccer/lacrosse complex and the ThunderBowl. These include an administration building, student center, library, child care center and student recreation center which is adjacent to the university's primary athletic complex,
Massari Arena
Massari Arena is a 3,900 seat multi-purpose arena in Pueblo, Colorado. It was built in 1971, and underwent a reconstruction starting in 2006 and ending in 2008. The arena is the home of the Colorado State University Pueblo ThunderWolves men's ...
.
The campus began a major renovation in 2007, as renovations were made to Massari Arena and construction began on the new student recreation center, which was completed in time for the start of the 2008–2009 academic year. In 2011, a multimillion-dollar renovation project was completed on the university's Library and Academic Resources Center (LARC) and a 1.2 megawatt solar array, as well as construction of three new residence halls (Culebra, Crestone, and Greenhorn). The LARC was LEED Platinum certified by the
U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...
, the council's highest certification.
The newly renovated Occhiato Student Center opened in January 2018. Future plans include expanding the soccer facility to provide for more services and to allow the addition of a lacrosse program, as well as the demolition and reconstruction of the aging Belmont Residence Hall. Construction on the new academic building began in the summer of 2014, located just west of the Chemistry Building.
Organization
Administration
The Board of Governors presides over the Colorado State University System (CSU System), which comprises Colorado State University, Colorado State University Pueblo and Colorado State University-Global Campus. The Board of Governors consists of nine voting members appointed by the Governor of Colorado and confirmed by the Colorado State Senate and four elected non-voting members. Voting members are community leaders from many fields, including agriculture, business, and public service. A student and faculty representative from each university act as non-voting board members. The board also appoints a chancellor to oversee both university presidents.
Presidents
* Eric T. Kelly – 1933–36 (SCJC)
* Leo R. Wren – 1936–39 (PJC)
* Charles E. Haines – 1939–42 (PJC)
* LuLu Cuthbertson – May 1942 – Aug. 1942 (PJC)**First Female President of the college
* William A. Black – 1942–45 (PJC)
* Marvin C. Knudson – 1945–64 (PJC, PC, SCSC)
* J. Victor Hopper – 1964–71 (SCSC)
* Budge Threlkeld – 1971 (SCSC)
* Harry P. Bowes – 1971–77 (SCSC, USC)
* Gerald Caduff – May 1977 – Oct. 1977 (USC)
* Richard Pesqueria – 1977–79 (USC)
* Alan Love – July 1979 – Aug. 1980 (USC)
* Lyle Wilcox – 1980–84 (USC)
* Robert Shirley – 1984–95 (USC)
* Leslie Wong – 1996–97 (USC)
* Tito Guerrero – 1997–2001 (USC)
* Robert Glennen – 2001–02 (USC)
* Ron Applbaum – 2002–06 (USC, CSU Pueblo)
* Joseph A. Garcia – 2006–10 (CSU Pueblo)
* Tony Frank – 2010 (Interim)
* Julio Leon – 2010–11 (Interim)
* Lesley Di Mare – 2011 (CSU Pueblo)***First Female President of the University
* Timothy Mottet – 2017–present
Academics
Students can choose from 31 undergraduate and 9 graduate programs.
Colorado State University Pueblo's academic colleges are:
* College of Education
* College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
* College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
* Hasan School of Business
* School of Health Sciences and Human Movement
* School of Nursing
Athletics
CSU Pueblo is a member of the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (N ...
(RMAC), the oldest conference operating in
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
and the fourth oldest athletic conference in the United States (founded in 1909). The athletics department supports 16 intercollegiate athletics programs.
In 2007, the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System approved to bring back football,
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
, and women's indoor and outdoor
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
. All three programs returned during the 2008–09 school year, and the football program, playing in the ThunderBowl, finished in the top 10 in the nation in attendance, averaging more than 8,000 fans per game during the 2008 season.
In 2008–09, CSU Pueblo athletics programs won two
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (N ...
championships—in women's basketball (its third RMAC title in four seasons) and baseball (its first since 2004). The seven-year-old CSU Pueblo football team has won the title of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions in the 2011–2014 seasons.
In 2014, the football team won the NCAA Division II Championship, beating Minnesota State University, Mankato, 13–0.
Clubs and activities
CSU Pueblo features a
cheerleading
Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...
squad and
dance team A dance squad or dance team, sometimes called a pom squad or song team, is a team of participants that participates in competitive dance. A dance squad can also include: a jazz squad, ballet squad, or any kind of religion dance squad. Dance squads ...
, club
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
,
racquetball
Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velo ...
,
climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done ...
,
rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
, and men's soccer. Since its establishment in 1996, the CSU Pueblo racquetball team has won 17 NCAA Division I championships (nine straight from 2004 to 2012).
Notable alumni
*
Michael Arnzen
Michael A. Arnzen (born May 17, 1967) is an American horror writer. He has won the Bram Stoker Award three times.
Early life and education
Arnzen was born on May 17, 1967, in Amityville, New York. After a brief stint in the United States Army ...
(USC '91), English professor and author
* Beau Brieske (CSU Pueblo), professional baseball player
* Dax Charles (USC '94), college wrestler and coach
*
Pueblo Chieftain
The ''Pueblo Chieftain'' is an American daily newspaper published in Pueblo, Colorado.
The ''Chieftain'' was established in 1868 by Dr. Michael Beshoar, the first doctor in Trinidad, Colorado. Wilbur Fisk Stone and George A. Hinsdale were the fi ...
''. October 6, 2006. Retrieved on May 15, 2013. "The principal owners were Dr. Edward DeRose and his sons, Dan DeRose and Dr. Michael DeRose; .. and "Dan DeRose is a well-known Pueblo businessman who owns DD Marketing, which was not part of the sale, which took place on Oct. 2." - Available at
HighBeam Research
HighBeam Research was a paid search engine and full text online archive owned by Gale, a subsidiary of Cengage, for thousands of newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines, and encyclopedias in English. It was head ...
, and at
ProQuest
ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...
(ProQuest document ID: 459741602, publication stated as "
McClatchy - Tribune Business News
Tribune Content Agency (TCA) is a Print syndication, syndication company owned by Tribune Publishing. TCA had previously been known as the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate (CTNYNS), Tribune Company Syndicate, a ...
").
* Frank Grant (SCSC), professional football player
* Morgan Fox, professional football player
*
Herman Heard
Herman Willie Heard Jr. (born November 24, 1961) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football t ...
Dana Perino
Dana Marie Perino (born May 9, 1972) is an American political commentator and author who served as the 26th White House Press Secretary, under President George W. Bush from September 14, 2007, to January 20, 2009. She was the second female Whit ...
CSU Pueblo has a peripheral role in one of the most enduring
urban legend
An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
s in entertainment, specifically
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
M&M's
M&M's (stylized as m&m's) are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M ...
, with all brown pieces removed, be present in their dressing room. Notably, media reports in the 1980s often claimed that the band had done more than $85,000 of damage to CSU Pueblo's Massari Arena after discovering brown M&M's backstage. The actual story, as told by David Lee Roth in his autobiography, was decidedly different. As background, Roth noted that the demand was added as a test of each venue's attention to detail after technical errors at smaller venues led to dangerous and even life-threatening situations. In Roth's telling of the CSU Pueblo incident, he admitted to having done about $12,000 of backstage damage after noticing brown M&M's, but indicated that over $80,000 of damage was done to the newly installed basketball floor because it could not support the band's extremely heavy staging.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colorado State University Pueblo
Pueblo
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
CSU Pueblo
Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado. It is a member of the Colorado State University System (CSU System) and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
History 1933 to 1959
The idea for startin ...