Colorado State University begins Sesquicentennial Celebration

Colorado State University in Fort Collins is beginning a year long sesquicentennial celebration of its founding in 1870 as the Agricultural College of Colorado, a land grant institution. The name was changed to Colorado State College of Agriculture & Mechanic Arts in 1935, to Colorado Agricultural & Mechanical College in 1944, and then to Colorado State University in 1957.

The CSU 150 web page offers a short Anniversary Celebration Trailer on YouTube, an interactive Then and Now photo application, and upcoming events.

You can also visit the CSU Libraries History page for an extensive list of links to university and unit histories, information on campus buildings and other resources. The Mystery of CSU History Tour is included among several .pdfs for walking tours of the campus.

Finally, the CSU Archives page serves as an entry to a number of collections of digital images.

Fine Arts Center at Colorado College Begins 100th Anniversary Celebration

The Colorado Springs Independent published a couple of articles this past week highlighting the history of the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College and several anniversary exhibits prepared to showcase its dynamic history in the community. 

Founded as the Broadmoor Art Academy in 1919, the institution became the Fine Arts Center in 1936 and then entered into an alliance with Colorado College in 2017.

Alissa Smith provides a nice historic sketch in "Fine Arts Center looks to the future as it celebrates its past," and "Anniversary exhibits showcase dynamic history of Fine Arts Center," offers details on planned anniversary activities. One particular exhibit, "The Broadmoor Art Academy and Its Legacy, 1919-1970," will premiere in the mid-October and will explore how the artists that studied and worked in the area influenced each other and how that influence spread throughout the country.

You can also visit the 100th anniversary web page of the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College for event details, a timeline, and more historical photographs or other resources. 

Western State Colorado University Adopts New Name

The Crested Butte News reports that Western State Colorado University is re-branding as Western Colorado University.

The institution was founded in Gunnison, CO in 1901 as Colorado State Normal School. The name changed to Western State College of Colorado in 1923 and to Western State Colorado University in 2012.

Walking Tour of Historic Buildings at Colorado College

Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO developed a self-guided walking tour of the campus that features a dozen historically significant buildings.  The sites on the tour are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Register of Historic Properties.  The initial web page includes a helpful map with hot links to pages for each of the respective buildings.  You can also find a 20-page .pdf, "Colorado College Historic Building Walking Tour," with information on the institution and each building included in the tour.  Colorado College was founded in 1874.

50th Anniversary of Colorado Mountain College

Colorado Mountain College is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1967 with two locations in Leadville and Glenwood Springs.  The 50th anniversary web pages include a timeline, posts with stories of students and others affiliated with the institution, photos, and centennial activities.

Steamboat Today published an article on March 30, 2017, "New Tread exhibit celebrates Steamboat's Legacy of Learning," by Kari Dequine Harden highlighting an exhibit, "A Legacy of Learning," at the Tread of the Pioneers Museum.

Hardin's reporting emphasizes the short, but fascinating history of Yampa Valley College (YVC) and she gives well-deserved credit to Lucy Bogue, author of Miracle on the Mountain, who served as the founder and first president.  Bogue's book provides the improbable story of the extended community in and around Steamboat Springs, CO, with a population of 2,500 at the time, joining together to found the liberal arts institution in 1962.   The campus was later acquired by Colorado Mountain College.

Colorado Heights University will be Closing

The Denver Post reported today that Colorado Heights University will be closing.  The Denver Business Journal published an article yesterday, "University housed in historic Loretto Heights campus to close."  There is also a statement on the institution's web site with links to additional information.

The institution opened in 1989 as Teikyo Loretto Heights University on the campus of the former Loretto Heights College.  The institution changed its name to Colorado Heights University in 2009.  Roughly 130 students were enrolled in degree programs.  There were also several hundred international students participating in various English-as-a-second-language programs.

The Teikyo Universities Group, a Japanese foundation, affiliated with Teikyo University, has operated several other institutions in the United States:  

• Salem Teikyo University (now Salem International University) in Salem, West Virginia.
• Teikyo-Westmar University, later Westmar University, in Le Mars, Iowa, that closed in 1995.
• Teikyo-Marycrest University, later, Marycrest International University, that closed in 2002, in Davenport, Iowa.
• Teikyo Post University (now Post University) in Waterbury, Connecticut.

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  There are separate tabs for non-profit and for-profit closures.  Each tab includes basic information for each institution, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Heritage College is Closing with Sites in Ten States

KWCH-TV in Wichita, KS, KMBC-TV in Kansas City, MO and a number of other news outlets reported today on the closure of Heritage College.  Heritage was a private for-profit and offered certificates and associates degrees in a variety of health care fields.

 If you are interested in recent trends for closures, access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  The institution operated sites in ten cities and all appear to have closed.

Westwood College is no longer enrolling new students

Westwood College, a for-profit institution with multiple locations, has announced that it will no longer accept new students.  You can also view reporting by Ashley Michels on Denver's FOX-31.

Westwood was founded in Denver in 1953 and operated through a number of sites in five states. 

Jones International University will Close

The Denver Business Journal reported that Jones International University (JIU) will be closing.  Greg Avery and Mark Harden wrote that the institution had seen a significant enrollment decline in recent years.

The institution was founded by Glenn Jones who launched Mind Extension University in 1987 as a cable television network.  JIU was then founded in 1993 to take advantage of opportunities possible with increasing awareness of the Internet.  Those associated with JIU were particularly proud of their status as the first fully online program to receive accreditation in 1999.  A timeline of key institutional dates is available on the JIU website.

Colorado Colleges that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

This table below includes institutions that have closed, merged, or changed their names.  If you note a need for changing or updating information, please notify ray01brown@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

An index with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available.

There is a College History Garden Facebook group or you can view and follow multiple College History Garden boards on Pinterest or there is a board specifically devoted to Colorado colleges.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Yampa Valley College (CO)

Miracle on a Mountain: The Story of a College by Lucile Bogue provides the history of Yampa Valley College.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone interested in what it takes to turn the dream of a small liberal arts college into a reality.  Bogue does a great job of telling the improbable story of the extended community in and around Steamboat Springs, CO, with a population of 2,500 at the time, joining together to found the institution in 1962.  

Bogue served as the founding president and traveled widely to promote the vision of an institution combining liberal arts and international awareness.  Classes were held in various locations and enrollment grew during the early years.  Bogue's health deteriorated from the multiple stresses arising from recruiting students and communicating the college's story to foundations and anyone else who might be helpful.  

A rapid succession of administrators followed Bogue's departure and the name was change to Colorado Alpine College in 1966.  Tiring of the stuggle, the trustees sold the institution and U.S. International University operated the campus for four years.  Enrollment fell and the college closed in 1975.

Concluding chapters cover the efforts of a small group that kept the idea alive, fighting political battles at the state level, to ultimately see the the campus reopen in 1981 as part of Colorado Mountain College.

After leaving Yampa Valley College, Bogue went on to earn a master's degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She taught in Japan and Nicaragua and served a number of years as dean of the Anna Head School in Oakland, CA.  She passed away in 2011 at the age of 93.

An interesting article by Amanda DeVoss in the June 30, 2012 issue of the Steamboat Magazine includes interviews with alumni, faculty and staff who returned for a 50th anniversary reunion honoring the founding of Yampa Valley College.

Colorado Women's College

The Colorado Women's College Alumnae Association maintains a web site with links to many resources, including detailed information on the history and traditions of the institution.

The institution was founded as Colorado Woman's College in 1888.  The name changed to Temple Buell College in 1967 and then to Colorado Women's College in 1973.  With declining enrollment, trustees decided to merge with University of Denver in 1982.

Colorado Name Changes

Anthony Cotton has an article in The Denver Post exploring several of the recent changes in names at Colorado institutions. Cotton focuses on Metropolitan State College becoming Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Western State College change to Western State Colorado University.  The article also notes changes in the past year for Adams State College to Adams State University and Mesa State College becoming Colorado Mesa University.

Colorado Division of Private Occupational Schools

The Colorado Divison of Private Occupational Schools offers forms for requesting transcripts of closed institutions in the state. There is also a link to a .pdf of available records and whether the records are maintained by the DPOS or by the Colorado State Archives.