Colorado School of Mines (Mines) is a publicresearch university in Golden, Colorado founded in 1874. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics, with a focus on energy and the environment. While Mines does offer minor degrees in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it only offers major degrees in STEM fields, with the exception of economics. In the Fall 2023 semester, the school had 7,101 students enrolled, with 5,443 in an undergraduate program and 1,658 in a graduate program.[4] The school has been co-educational since its founding; however, enrollment remains predominantly male (68.5% as of Fall 2022).[4] It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".[8]
Golden, Colorado, established in 1859 as Golden City, served as a supply center for miners and settlers in the area. In 1866, Bishop George M. Randall of Massachusetts 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 the central building of the Colorado University Schools campus just south of the town of Golden, accompanied it with Matthews Hall divinity school in 1872, and in 1873 the School of Mines opened under the auspices of the Episcopal Church. In 1874 the School of Mines, supported by the territorial government since efforts began in 1870, was acquired by the territory and has been a state institution since 1876 when Colorado attained statehood. Tuition was originally free to residents of Colorado.
In 1878, Jarvis Hall's main building and Matthews Hall were both destroyed by fires in the span of two days. The School of Mines building was the only structure of the complex left standing. Following the fires, the School of Mines enrollment grew, consisting of prospectors and mine owners. A school library was established with $250, and a gymnasium was built to support the growing student body. The school's fight song, "The Mining Engineer", the first two verses of which are still sung today, was established on campus by 1885.[9]
Following the 1880s, the School of Mines transitioned to become a 4-year university, removing its assaying certificate program. Around this time, silver and blue began to be seen as the official school colors. In 1894, Engineering Hall was completed. As the oldest building on campus, Engineering Hall originally housed the physics and drafting departments, but now houses the Division of Economics and Business.[10] The following year, the CSM Alumni Association was founded with members wearing the first instance of the school's Reuleaux triangle symbol. In 1898, Florence Caldwell became the first female graduate of the School of Mines, earning a Civil Engineering Degree.[11]
20th Century
At the turn of the century, the School of Mines officially changed its name to the Colorado School of Mines. This marked the start of a long period of investment into Mines. In 1905, Simon Guggenheim donated $80,000 for the construction of Guggenheim Hall, which serves as the school's administration building.[12] On nearby Mount Zion, student Herbert Everest designed a large M made out of rocks for his senior thesis, which was constructed by 20 faculty and 250 students.[13] Also on Mt. Zion, the first experimental mine owned by the Colorado School of Mines was opened. Known as the School Tunnel, it served to train mining engineers until 1921, when the Edgar Mine was purchased and the original School Tunnel was abandoned.[14]
In 1919, tensions between the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Denver resulted in Colorado Governor Oliver Shoup threatening intervention after students from Mines held DU students and local news reporter Bill Bliss hostage in Golden.[15]
During World War II, Mines was one of 227 universities that participated in the Army Specialized Training Program by the War Department.[16] The program focused on training students in practical engineering skills for military service.
21st Century
The CoorsTek Center for Applied Science and Engineering, opened to students in September 2017. It is the home building for the Physics Department, and the College of Applied Science and Engineering Dean's Office.
In August 2007, a new student recreation center was completed. In 2008, the school finished expanding its main computer center, the Center for Technology and Learning Media (CTLM). In May 2008 the school completed construction and installation of a new supercomputer nicknamed "Ra"[17] in the CTLM managed by the Golden Energy Computing Organization (GECO), a partnership among the Colorado School of Mines, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Science Foundation. In 2014, CoorsTek granted a $27 million investment to the university, leading to the 2017 opening of the CoorsTek Center for Applied Science and Engineering, a multi-disciplinary building on campus dedicated to both academic and research activities.[18]
Since 1964, the Colorado School of Mines has hosted the annual oil shale symposium, one of the most important international oil shale conferences. Although the series of symposia stopped after 1992, the tradition was restored in 2006.[19]
The President's House, built in 1928, hosts student and alumni events.[20]
Colorado School of Mines is located to the southwest of Golden's downtown, bordered by U.S. Route 6 and Clear Creek. The campus spans 373 acres (1.51 km2),[5] and includes over a dozen academic and research buildings, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, two student centers, a library, eight residential halls, and administration buildings. Additionally, the campus hosts a research building for the United States Geological Survey,[21] housing the National Earthquake Information Center.
Guggenheim Hall
Colorado School of Mines also operates the free admission Mines Museum of Earth Science, which displays rock and mineral specimens collected from Colorado's numerous mining districts, as well as around the world. Notable objects in the collection include one of the "Goodwill" Apollo 17 lunar samples and the Miss Colorado crown.[22][23]
Academics
George R. Brown Hall houses various engineering disciplines, including mining.
Mines began the world's first graduate program in space resources in the fall semester of 2018, offering both master's and PhD degrees.[24]
In 1921, the Colorado School of Mines bought Edgar Mine in nearby Idaho Springs, Colorado. The experimental mine features a classroom, a train, and an extensive network of tunnels.[14]
9th in "USA Today's Top 10 Engineering Schools 2015".[35]
Admissions
For freshmen entering Fall 2021, Colorado School of Mines received 12,022 applications, accepted 6,838 (56.9%) and enrolled 1,449 (12.1% of those who applied).[36] The middle 50% range of SAT scores for the enrolled freshmen was 650–720 for evidence-based reading, and 660–750 for math, while the ACT Composite range was 29–33.[36] The average GPA was 3.84. Of the incoming class, 32.7% were women.[36]
Traditions
M Climb
Freshmen students at Colorado School of Mines are expected (but not required) to participate in the M Climb during orientation week. During this climb, students carry a ten-pound rock up Mt. Zion. Before ascending up the mountain, students are given colored hard-hats, which are spray-painted by members of the Blue Key Honor Society.[37] Along the climb, non-freshmen encourage the new students with water balloons, silly string, and lead the new students in learning the Mines' fight song. At the top of the mountain, students place their rock on the "M," a large sign made of rocks in the shape of Mines' M logo, and paint the M white using whitewash.[38] On graduation, seniors are invited to take a rock from the M as a keepsake of their time at Mines.[39]
E-Days
Beginning in 1934, Mines students have celebrated Engineering Days during the spring semester.[40] During E-Days, classes are canceled and students attend a variety of events beginning with the ore cart pull. Students take turns pulling an ore cart down 7.5 miles of Colfax Avenue to the state capitol building, where the governor of Colorado officially declares the start of E-Days.[41] E-Days continues with field events, tech demos, concerts, comedians, manual mining competitions, and a trebuchet contest. The next morning, teams race cardboard boats down Clear Creek, competing to see which team sails the farthest before sinking. A carnival is held during the day and the Formula SAE club hosts a car show.[42]
Silver Diplomas
The tradition of awarding silver diplomas was started in 1934 by Charles Hull, an Instrument Designer at Mines.[43] In 1935, President Herbert Hoover, who was a guest at the commencement ceremonies, was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Engineering for his contribution in translating De re metallica from Latin to English.[44]
Blaster the Burro
In the 1930s, a Golden local began to bring his donkey to football games. The donkey quickly became the school mascot, now known as "Blaster the Burro".[45]
Colorado School of Mines was ranked No. 1 Best NCAA D2 school in the U.S. for student-athletes, according to Next College Student Athlete's 2022 NCSA Power Rankings.[46] The NCSA Power Rankings recognize the best colleges and universities in the U.S. for student-athletes.[47]
In 2022, the Orediggers won their third national title in men's cross country, posting the largest margin of victory in meet history with 143-points.[48] In December 2022, Oredigger football played in their first NCAA Division II national championship in McKinney, Texas, and lost to Ferris State 41-14.[49]
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