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Our history: always interesting
During its 60 years, MSU Denver has changed its name, adopted a new mascot, built a thriving campus — and evolved from an urban upstart to a recognized provider of quality, transformative higher education accessible for students of all ages. In the process the University has attracted notable names, daring leaders and multitudes of changemakers. It has marked milestones, hosted momentous occasions, welcomed marquee-named visitors. In other words, throughout its six decades, MSU Denver has always been transformative.
1960s
1963
Metropolitan State College is created by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado in House Bill 349 on May 5, 1963, at 11:56 a.m.
The bill was based on a 99-page plan known as the “Green Report,” named for the color of the folder in which it was delivered.
June 13, 1965
Tom Cook is the first teacher at MSC
Cook was working in broadcast media when he became a charter member of the faculty. He established the first broadcasting curriculum in Colorado, received the Distinguished Faculty Award in 1983 and earned the Distinguished Service Award in 1988.
October 4, 1965
Metropolitan State College opens, beginning the transformation of higher education in Colorado
By midnight on Oct. 1, 1965, 1,189 students had enrolled at the new college, nearly double the number expected. Thirty-six faculty and staff members were ready when classes began Oct. 4.
1966
Kenneth Phillips, Ph.D., is named first president of Metropolitan State College
During his six-year tenure, Phillips made it his mission to talk with anyone who would listen about the new college, and enrollment increased to more than 7,200. He also began the conversation about finding a campus for the college.
January 15, 1966
Metropolitian State College’s four-year status is established.
May 1966
Harlan Bryant, Ph.D., presides over the creation of MSC as acting president
Bryant, who was president of Western State College in Gunnison at the time, had helped prepare the proposal for the creation of Metropolitan State College known as the “Green Report.”
January 1967
The first official student center opens in a former paint store
MSC was originally housed in multiple spaces in the heart of downtown. Along with the student center on Bannock Street, there were the Forum Building, which was originally designed for legal offices; the Cherokee Building, a former floral warehouse; and the YMCA, where physical–education classes were held. The White Mule, a bar at Colfax Avenue and Elati Street, was the unofficial student union.
May 1967
Roger Braun is the first graduate of MSC, receiving an associate’s degree.
1967
President Phillips hires 50 new teachers for the upcoming year
1968
Colorado legislature approves $1.9 million for construction of the Auraria Higher Education Center
MSC, the University of Colorado Denver and Community College of Denver were all in desperate need of larger, permanent homes. The AHEC concept of shared campus resources, including classroom space, a library and some student services, was a pragmatic and innovative way to meet the needs of all three institutions.
1968
The American Council on Education names MSC among the top 16 emerging colleges
ACE selected from more than 1,000 schools to generate its list, meaning MSC ranked in the top 2% of colleges and universities nationwide that were founded in the previous 20 years.
1968
Governor John Love donates many books from his private collection to MSC’s first library
April 1968
MSC students publish “The Paper”, the college’s first newspaper
May 1968
Students overwhelmingly vote to change the college mascot from the Mustang to the Roadrunner
The mascot name change is a nod to the nickname students acquired as they ran between classes in buildings scattered across downtown.
1969
Campus security is formally established and announced
The first official school security force consisted of off-duty police officers who would patrol various campus buildings between 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., seven nights a week. The operation was based on the first floor of the AA Building.
June 1, 1969
MSC confers its first bachelor’s degrees
On June 1, in Phipps Auditorium, the college awarded its first 60 baccalaureate degrees: 24 Bachelor of Science degrees in fields such as Biology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, and Business Management as well as 36 Bachelor of Arts degrees in fields including English, History, Elementary Education and Psychology.
1970s
1971
The MSC Alumni Association is founded.
1971
James D. Palmer, Ph.D., is named president
Among Palmer’s greatest achievements during his six years as president was his management of MSC’s move to the Auraria Campus in 1977. He also had to deal with substantial cuts to the school’s faculty and fought a proposal to make the college part of the University of Colorado system.
March 1973
The Academic Advising Center is established
The center was established to assist first-year students with undeclared majors and students who were not yet seeking specific degrees.
1974
TRIO High School Upward Bound begins to help low-income and first-generation students
This federally funded college preparatory program was designed to help urban high school students enter and succeed in postsecondary education. MSC would become renowned for its commitment to the success of students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
1974
Rowdy is born
Legend has it that this is the year when the beloved mascot we all know as “Rowdy” first appeared on campus.
1976
MSC relinquishes two-year programs to CCD as part of Auraria shared-campus arrangements
1977
MSC moves to the game-changing Auraria Higher Education Center
After 12 years of leasing classroom space in multiple downtown buildings, MSC began its first semester on the 150-acre Auraria Campus, sharing academic space with the University of Colorado Denver and Community College of Denver.
1977
Ninth Street Park on the Auraria Campus is restored by Historic Denver Inc. for about $950,000.
The strip of historic buildings represents the oldest residential city block left intact in Denver.
March 21, 1979
The Metropolitan school newspaper debuts
1980s
1981
MSC honors civil–rights pioneer Rachel B. Noel with distinguished professorship
Noel, the first African American elected to the Denver Public Schools Board of Education and the first Black woman to serve in an elected office in Colorado, chaired the African American Studies Department from 1971-80. Upon her retirement, the college created the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship to honor her legacy.
1981
62 students enroll in MSC’s first tele-courses, combining classes with television segments
1982
MSC is recognized at the National Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference
The school placed in the top five for the national team-flight championship, and students Keoki Gray and Mark Brown were in the top five in the individual aircraft recognition event.
1982
Richard Fontera, Ph.D., is named president
Fontera brings a new vision and energy to the college and gets the ball rolling to bring back men’s basketball after the program had been disbanded in 1978.
1983
Men’s basketball returns to MSC after being disbanded in 1978.
1984
MSC is dealt a blow when President Fontera dies of cancer
1985
Paul Magelli, Ph.D., is named president
Magelli’s extensive business connections bring greater visibility to the college.
1986
MSC becomes the first college in Colorado to register students by phone
In an effort to make things more convenient for students, MSC becomes one of the first colleges in the nation to offer registration by phone. Tom Gray, a longtime staff member and innovator, pioneered the initiative.
1986
Metropolitan Magazine, a publication for alumni and friends of MSC, debuts
The alumni publication went through several redesigns and name changes before debuting in fall 2025 as MSU Denver Magazine.
1986
The Institute for Women’s Studies and Services opens
This institute would later be renamed The Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy and moved from its Ninth Street Park location to the Boulder Creek Building.
1987
MSC debuts new song
Composer Marvin Hamlisch, in town to conduct the Denver Symphony Orchestra in a benefit concert sponsored by Colorado State University, debuts MSC’s new school song, “The Fire of MSC,” and accepts an honorary doctorate.
September 1988
Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir’s Denver home is relocated to the Auraria Campus and becomes MSC’s Golda Meir Center
The duplex that once sat at 1606 and 1608 Julian St. in Denver was carefully relocated to the Auraria Campus and now houses the Golda Meir House Museum.
1988
Thomas B. Brewer, Ph.D., is named president
During his five years as president, Brewer fought off the resurgence of a proposed merger with the University of Colorado Denver and spearheaded adding “of Denver” to the school’s name.
1989
MSC debuts Colorado’s first college-produced, broadcast-quality television program
1990s
1990
A different kind of gallery: Center for Visual Art opens in Lower Downtown
A four-year dream to operate an art gallery is realized with the opening of the MSC Center for Visual Art at 1701 Wazee St. in Lower Downtown.
January 1990
Sports Illustrated recognizes a Roadrunner
MSC’s senior basketball player Gene Edwards was named Small College Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine.
1990
The words “of Denver” are added to the school’s name
A perceived lack of name recognition and the existence of Metropolitan State University in Minnesota led President Tom Brewer to obtain legislative authority to change the school’s name to Metropolitan State College of Denver.
1992
Metropolitan State College of Denver holds its first Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Awards Breakfast
The event continues to celebrate King’s legacy and has honored an amazing array of students, faculty members, alumni and community leaders for their social-justice work.
1992
Metropolitan State College of Denver President Thomas Brewer prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with exemptions for religious organizations and the ROTC.
1993
Sheila Kaplan, Ph.D., becomes president
Under Kaplan, Metropolitan State College of Denver achieved independence in 2002, forming its own governing board. During Kaplan’s 10-year tenure, the school broke the 20,000-student enrollment mark and led all state four-year institutions in enrolling students of color.
1993
Sue Anderson is hired as the first coordinator of GLB Services.
Anderson led one of the nation’s first campus support organizations for people who would become known as LGBTQ+ students.
1994
Historic Tivoli Brewery opens as a student union
After a student vote to purchase the old Tivoli Brewery buildings, a two-year renovation culminates in the Tivoli Student Union, which in 2013 would be ranked No. 9 on the Best College Reviews list of the top 25 student unions in the country.
1994
The Regional Transportation District light-rail station at Colfax Avenue opens on the south side of the Auraria Campus
1995
World Indoor Airport transforms aviation education
Two Federal Aviation Administration airway-science grants totaling $1.2 million helped fund the World Indoor Airport, an aerospace-simulation laboratory for training pilots and ground professionals. The facility bolsters Metropolitain State College of Denver’s growing Aviation and Aerospace Science Department.
1995
Metropolitan State College of Denver goes online with its first homepage.
1995
Roadrunner wins national swimming championship
Darwin Strickland brought home Metropolitan State College of Denver’s first national championship in any sport, winning the NCAA Division II 50- and 100-meter freestyle races. He ended his career as a four-time First Team All-American.
1996
Metropolitan State College of Denver offers its first online course
Twenty-one students enrolled in Metropolitan State College of Denver’s first online course: Communications 261 – Introduction to Technical Writing.
1996
Professors’ economic-impact study shows Metropolitan State College of Denver is a “powerful economic driver”
The study highlighted substantial benefits that Metropolitan State College of Denver’s presence brought to metro Denver, including number of jobs, amount of goods sold and expansion of the credit base. It concluded that 72 cents of every dollar invested in the school through the state’s general fund were returned to taxpayers.
1997
Castro Professorship kicks off with Chicana author and activist Cherrie Moraga
The Richard T. Castro Distinguished Visiting Professorship was launched in 1997 with the intention of exposing students, faculty and staff to the work of Latino artists, activists and leaders.
1999
Auraria Administration Building opens on the west side of campus
2000s
March 25, 2000
Roadrunners take NCAA Division II men’s basketball title
The state of Colorado celebrated its first national college basketball title when the Roadrunners beat favored Kentucky Wesleyan 97-92 for the NCAA Division II championship. The achievement marked the beginning of MSC Denver Athletics’ transformation into a Division II powerhouse.
October 2000
$38 million Kenneth King Academic and Performing Arts Center opens on campus
The 180,000-square-foot King Center boasts concert and recital halls, a courtyard theatre, classrooms and studios. The first public performance was a faculty recital in the 200-seat recital hall. One month later, the college’s symphony provided the debut performance in the 550-seat concert hall.
2000
Metropolitan State College of Denver leads Colorado in online education
With 144 online courses, Metropolitan State College of Denver became a leader in online education, offering the most course options in the state. General Studies requirements and core courses for Business, Accounting and Computer Information Systems could be completed online. By 2014, more than 8,000 students were taking online courses each year.
2001
Denver Mayor Wellington Webb proclaims Nov. 2 as Lalo Delgado Day
Delgado, a part-time instructor in MSC Denver’s Chicana/o Studies Department, was a noted poet and civil-rights activist. An event in his honor was held at the Golda Meir Center for Political Leadership. Following Delgado’s death in 2004, MSC Denver instituted the annual Lalo Delgado Poetry Festival.
July 1, 2002
Metropolitan State College of Denver gains independence, continues to transform higher education in Colorado
MSU Denver acquired its own governing board July 1, following the passage of HB02-1165. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nolbert Chavez and Sen. Penfield Tate, separated it from the State Colleges in Colorado board of trustees that governs Mesa State, Adams State and Western State.
February 2003
Metropolitan State College of Denver celebrates its first homecoming
December 2003
Metropolitan State College of Denver ’s 50,000th degree
The 50,000th person to earn an Metropolitan State College of Denver degree, 52-year-old Larry Langley, graduated at Winter Commencement.
2003
Metropolitan State College of Denver becomes the first college in Colorado to offer certification-level training in wine
The opportunity is made possible through a partnership with the International Sommelier Guild.
December 4, 2004
Metropolitan State College of Denver women’s soccer team takes national championship
The Roadrunners scored Colorado’s first college soccer championship when MSC Denver (with a 25-1 record) beat Adelphi University 3-2 to win the NCAA Division II Tournament.
June 2005
Metropolitan State College of Denver appoints Stephen M. Jordan, Ph.D., as president
Jordan’s vision of preeminence for MSC Denver radically transformed the institution. Jordan spearheaded the effort to advance from college to university status. He pushed to offer master’s degrees and to pursue Hispanic-Serving Institution designation. Three new buildings, owned solely by the University, were constructed during his tenure.
April 19, 2007
Metropolitan State College of Denver launches goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution
2007
Metropolitan State College of Denver emerges as the leader in educating Coloradans
With nearly 21,000 resident undergraduates, Metropolitan State College of Denver surpassed Colorado State University (17,443) and the University of Colorado Boulder (17,237) in enrollment, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
2007
Metropolitan State College of Denver spearheads Historic Ninth Street Park monument to honor displaced Aurarians
Hundreds of families in Denver’s Westside neighborhood lost their homes when the Auraria Campus was built. The monument on the park’s north end acknowledges their sacrifice. MSC Denver established a scholarship program for the families in 1994.
2010s
June 2010
Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Center for Visual Art moves to Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Center for Visual Art moved into 965 Santa Fe Drive, the first building wholly owned by MSU Denver.
July 1, 2010
Addition of master’s degrees transforms student opportunities
In July 2010, Metropolitan State College of Denver received final approval and accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission to proceed with three planned master’s-degree programs, the University’s first graduate-level offerings: Teacher Education, Professional Accountancy and Social Work.
August 2010
State-of-the-art Auraria Science Building opens
This massive construction project renovated the existing 113,000-square-foot building and added 200,000 square feet. The additional space was greatly needed by Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Biology and Chemistry departments, which over the previous five years had experienced immense growth.
August 26, 2010
Rowdy gets an update
A new look for MSC Denver’s beloved mascot debuts at the college’s 45th–birthday party. A Rowdy bobblehead goes on sale at the Auraria Campus Bookstore.
April 4, 2011
College breaks ground on Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center
Plans for the estimated $45 million project featured more than 28,000 square feet of academic space, including classrooms and specialty learning labs, combined with the adjacent SpringHill Suites – Denver Downtown® by Marriott, which provides hands-on training for students in the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Events.
May 11, 2011
Aviation and Aerospace Science Department wins collegiate aviation’s most prestigious award
Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Precision Flight Team won the Loening Trophy at the May 2011 Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON).
October 3, 2011
$1 million gift launches unique urban water-education program
A generous gift from an anonymous local donor established the One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship.
December 12, 2011
Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates its first five master’s-degree candidates
Fall Commencement marked a milestone in MSC Denver’s history: awarding degrees to its first graduate students in Professional Accountancy and Teacher Education.
April 1, 2012
Opening of Student Success Building transforms campus and student outcomes
The Student Success Building became the first Metropolitan State College of Denver-owned building on the Auraria Campus. The 145,000-square-foot structure was constructed on the north end of campus, east of Seventh Street along Auraria Parkway.
April 18, 2012
Metropolitan State College of Denver becomes Metropolitan State University of Denver
On April 18, MSC Denver officially changed its name to Metropolitan State University of Denver, when Gov. John Hickenlooper signed SB12-148 in the jam-packed Student Success Building lobby, proclaiming, “It’s a law! You can now officially call yourselves Metropolitan State University of Denver.”
June 7, 2012
Nonresident tuition rate is approved, paving the way for passage of the ASSET Bill
The Board of Trustees voted 7-1 to approve a Colorado High School/GED Nonresident Tuition Rate and received a standing ovation from more than 200 MSU Denver community members, state legislators and others who had gathered for the June 7 meeting.
August 13, 2012
Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center opens for business, transforms Hospitality education
In August 2012, MSU Denver opened its state-of-the-art Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center, one of only a few college hospitality-learning laboratories in the nation with a fully functioning hotel.
March 18, 2013
Report says MSU Denver graduates are No. 1 earners in first year out of college
MSU Denver grads who stay in Colorado to live and work earn more out of the gate than graduates of CU Boulder and CSU, according to the College Measures/Colorado Department of Higher Education report “Higher Education Pays: The Initial Earnings of Graduates from Colorado’s Colleges and Universities Working in Colorado.”
May 1, 2014
Online Social Work program named one of nation’s best
Best Online Colleges, the premier website for ranking online programs and schools, recognized MSU Denver as having one of the nation’s best online Social Work degree programs for 2014. The website used enrollment data, retention and graduation rates and the breadth of specializations offered to identify 21 institutions.
May 12, 2014
MSU Denver garners regional award for community engagement
MSU Denver earned the Campus Compact of the Mountain West 2014 Engaged Campus Award for its commitment to civic engagement and service learning.
July 21, 2014
President Jordan and the University receive national diversity awards
MSU Denver and President Stephen Jordan received two awards from Insight Into Diversity magazine: a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award and, for Jordan, the prestigious Diversity Visionary Award. The magazine cited Jordan’s and the University’s leadership in creating higher-education access for undocumented students in Colorado.
October 10, 2014
MSU Denver was ranked as Colorado’s top four-year institution and 32nd nationally in the Military Times annual “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” issue. The University was also included in Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014.
December 4, 2014
MSU Denver named Colorado’s only STEM Jobs Approved College
The University was one of only 123 schools nationwide to be included on Victory Media’s inaugural STEM Approved Colleges list, the first of its kind to rate schools on their responsiveness and relevance to the kind of high-demand, high-growth STEM occupations that can transform lives.
2014
The $23.6 million, 13-acre Regency Athletic Complex opens.
2015
With an estimated 1,995 graduates expected to receive diplomas, MSU Denver splits its Commencement into two ceremonies.
2017
Athletic Complex’s 23,000-square-foot sports building named Cohen Center for Athletics
2017
The $60 million, state-of-the-art Aerospace Engineering and Sciences Building opens.
The building houses eight disciplines, including Industrial Design, Engineering and Aerospace, under one very large roof.
2017
Janine Davidson, Ph.D., becomes the University’s ninth president.
A former Air Force officer and cargo pilot, she was the first woman to fly the Air Force’s tactical C-130 and served as undersecretary of the U.S. Navy.
2017
The Board of Trustees votes to create the School of Hospitality, elevating the growing department that began in 2012 as the Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center.
2019
MSU Denver earns designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
Its 5,469 enrolled Hispanic and Latino students are more than any other higher-education institution in Colorado.
2019
The University begins offering in-state tuition to undocumented students who lived and attended high school in Colorado.
A year later, with MSU Denver’s leadership and example, the state legislature passes the ASSET Bill, which offers in-state tuition to qualified undocumented students statewide.
2020s
March 11, 2020
Metropolitan State University of Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., announces that due to growing concern over Covid-19, all classes would take place online.
A week later, employees were asked to leave campus and work remotely.
April 2020
MSU Denver students and staff use 3D printers to make masks for health-care workers; Nursing students in protective gear administer Covid tests.
August 2020
Some students, faculty members and staff members return to campus in masks.
A limited number of classes are held in person; most continue to be remote.
December 7, 2020
Brandon Ingersoll, a Communications major with a minor in Psychology, becomes MSU Denver’s 100,000th graduate
2021
MSU Denver’s Aerobatic Flight Team wins its third college national championship in five years, beating the U.S. Air Force Academy, among others
2021
MSU Denver launches its first comprehensive capital campaign
Roadrunners Rise campaign takes off with the goal of raising $100 million to fuel our vision of becoming a national leader in social mobility.
2024
Gina and Frank Day pledge $10 million to what will be known as the Gina and Frank Day Health Institute at MSU Denver.
The gift, the largest in University history, will help train students in Nursing, Nutrition, Behavioral Health, Social Work and other health care fields. It also will help fund state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, such as the Health Institute Tower, a 70,000-square-foot, six-story facility expected to be complete in 2027.
February 2025
MSU Denver launches the Affordable Housing Institute and a certificate program that combines coursework in Business, Finance and Social Work.
June 2025
Board of Trustees approves plans for the University’s first student residence hall, expected to be completed in 2027.