The campus teamed with activity as homecoming celebrations included a special milestone for the school: 125 years of “education at altitude.” Throughout the weekend, traditions took place that shine a light on the school’s rich history. Friday night began with a parade of clubs and organizations on Main St in downtown Gunnison. The march up Main Street brings the spirit of Western into the heart of the town. “I like the parade because you’re right there on Main Street… backed up to the businesses,” said Josh Scott, a junior ROE major at Western. “It makes me feel like [part of] Gunnison and Western at the same time.”
Following the parade was the lighting of the “W“ which involves covering the landmark in jet fuel-soaked cotton and igniting it after the sun has set. The celebration continued well into the early morning.
Meanwhile on the football field, the Mountaineers faced off against the Adams State Grizzlies, delivering an overwhelming victory of 70 to 21, keeping the team undefeated for the season. “It was the craziest football game I’ve been to,” said student Josh Scott. The seventh-ranked Mountaineers continued their dominance against New Mexico Highlands the following weekend and are now 6-0. “When I started at Western, I never expected to see a start like this,” Scott added. “I’m genuinely so excited to see where this season goes.”
Top O’ The World took the 125-year anniversary as an opportunity to look back at the journey the school has taken to get to where it is now.
When the school was founded in 1901, it was called the Colorado State Normal School. A “normal school” was an academy for teachers, where they would learn the curricula and techniques for education in common schools (comparable to today’s public schools) for children. Normal schools provided a standard for teachers, which improved the quality and consistency of the education system. The founding of the institution was a big step for higher education in the western United States, as it was the very first college on the western slope of Colorado.
The Colorado State Normal School (CSNS) faced challenges with funding shortly after it was founded, and construction of the school halted. Residents of Gunnison, however, were thrilled about the new school and collectively raised $10,000. Adjusted for inflation, this would be more than $350,000 today. This fundraising was used to furnish North Hall (known today as Taylor Hall). Construction was finished in 1910, and the doors first opened to students in the fall of 1911. The first class had 13 students.
In 1923, CSNS was renamed Western State College and became a four-year institution. The focus of the school was still to educate teachers for the western slope, but this change marked Western’s first steps into the national body of liberal arts colleges. 1923 was also the year that the “W” emblem was originally set into the mountainside. Professor John C. Johnson, Ph.D., and a group of students constructed the symbol out of rocks.
In 1928 Dr. Johnson purchased land and founded the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, a site that today is used by leading scientists from around the world.
In 1948, Mountaineer Bowl Opened. The Bowl saw conference championships, national playoff appearances, and birthed stars.
Throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s Western made several historic contributions to competitive outdoor recreation. Athletic Director Paul Wright originally advocated for skiing to be an official NCAA sport. The Cross Country team (both men’s and women’s) won 12 NCAA titles and sent four students to the Olympics.
In the 1970s, enrollment soared 3,200. And in 2018, the Rady program started followed by a new name: Western Colorado Univesity.
“From its earliest days to today, Western’s story has been shaped by resilience, persistence, strong leadership, and a deep sense of community.” says Gary Pierson, Dean of Students. “While the physical transformation of campus is impressive…the most meaningful part of Western’s 125-year history is the spirit behind that growth.
