ABOUT COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

ENGINEERING THE WAY

Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has the highest admissions standards of any public university in Colorado and among the highest of any public university in the U.S.

Mines has distinguished itself by developing a curriculum and research program geared towards responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. In addition to strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering, Mines is one of a very few institutions in the world having broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production and utilization. As such, Mines occupies a unique position among the world's institutions of higher education.

Since its founding in 1874, the translation of the school's mission into educational programs has been influenced by the needs of society. Those needs are now focused more clearly than ever before. The world faces a crisis in balancing resource availability with environmental protection and Mines and its programs are central to the solution.

Mines offers all the advantages of a world-class research institution with a size that allows for personal attention.

http://www.mines.edu/AboutMines

HISTORY

Golden, Colo., first known as Golden City, was established in 1859 and served as a supply center for miners and settlers in the area. By 1866, Bishop George M. Randall arrived in the territory and, seeing a need for higher education facilities in the area, began planning for a university which would include a school of mines.

In 1870, he opened the Jarvis Hall Collegiate School in a building just south of the town of Golden. In 1873, Mines opened under the auspices of the Episcopal Church and in 1874 the School of Mines became a territorial institution and has been a state institution since 1876 when Coloradoattained statehood. The first Colorado School of Mines Board of Trustees meeting was held in 1879, the first formal commencement for two graduates was held in 1883, the first international student graduated in 1889, and the first female student graduated in 1898.

Courses offered to students during the early years of Colorado School of Mines included chemistry, metallurgy, mineralogy, mining engineering, geology, botany, math and drawing. The focus of the early academic programs was on gold and silver, and the assaying of those minerals. As the institution grew,

its mission expanded to focus specifically on understanding the Earth, harnessing energy and sustaining the environment.

For additional Mines history, see the catalogs, yearbooks, pictures, building plans and unpublished histories housed in the Wood Archives on the lower level of Mines’ Arthur Lakes Library,1400 Illinois St.

http://www.mines.edu/History

MISSION

Colorado School of Mines’ role and mission has remained constant and is written in the Colorado statute as:

The Colorado School of Mines shall be a specialized baccalaureate and graduate research institution with high admission standards. The Colorado School of Mines shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral, and materials science and engineering and associated engineering and science fields. The school shall be the primary institution of higher education offering energy, mineral and materials science and mineral engineering degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. (Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 23-41-105)

Mines’ well-defined and focused mission is achieved by the creation, integration and exchange of knowledge in engineering, the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, business, and their union, to create processes and products to enhance the quality of life of the world’s inhabitants. Mines is consequently committed to serving the people of Colorado, the nation, and the global community by promoting stewardship of the Earth, advancements in energy and sustaining the environment.

http://www.mines.edu/Mission