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University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus

University of Colorado Denver
 

History

From two students to more than 28,000 students

Many paths have led to the current University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus. The health sciences component began with the establishment of the School of Medicine in 1883 on the Boulder campus. The Denver campus originated in 1912 as an extension of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Today, the University of Colorado Denver is a combination of:

  • The Denver Campus, a virbrant urban learning center with liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in seven schools and colleges.
  • The Anschutz Medical Campus, located in Aurora and home to six professional schools in the health sciences and extensive research and clinical care facilities, including the University of Colorado Hospital.

Here's a timeline of our evolution:

  • 1883
    Old Main building in Boulder

    School of Medicine opens in Old Main in Boulder - two professors, two students, two classrooms

  • 1898

    School of Nursing founded

  • 1890–1910

    School of Medicine opens a hospital in Denver. Competing private schools objected and took the case to the Colorado Supreme Court, which sent clinical services back to Boulder.

  • 1910

    Colorado State legislature rules the hospital can indeed have a clinical site in Denver.

  • 1912

    The Denver and Gross Colleges of Medicine in Denver merge with CU's School of Medicine, paving the way for the permanent move to Denver.

    The American Medical Association gives the newly-formed college a Class A rating.

    The school offers free dispensary and treats 20,000 cases annually.

    The city of Denver gives Denver City and County Hospital to CU for clinical instruction.

  • 1913

    School of Pharmacy founded

  • 1924

    School of Medicine moves into a quadrangle of four brick buildings at Ninth Ave and Colorado Blvd.

  • 1969

    Denver offerings grow to 34 programs at undergraduate and graduate levels as the University of Colorado Denver Center.

  • 1974
    North Classroom on the Auraria Campus

    The state creates Auraria-three institutions sharing one campus: University of Colorado at Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and Community College of Denver.

  • 1995

    Fitzsimons Army base will close. Negotiations begin to create a new health sciences center.

  • 2004

    The The Anschutz Medical Campus and the Denver Campus consolidate by order of the University of Colorado Regents.

  • 2006
    View of the Anschutz Medical Campus

    The new health sciences campus being built on the site of the closed Fitzsimons Army Medical Center is named the Anschutz Medical Campus in recognition of more than $90 million in donations from the Anschutz Foundation.

  • 2008

    By the end of 2008, academic and research operations of all CU Anschutz Medical Campus health sciences schools and colleges have relocated to the new campus, joining the affiliated University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital.

  • 2009

    The University of Colorado Board of Regents vote unanimously to affirm consolidation of the health sciences and downtown campuses and the name, University of Colorado Denver.

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