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University of Maryland, College Park

Coordinates: 38°59′15.0″N 76°56′24.0″W / 38.987500°N 76.940000°W / 38.987500; -76.940000
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38°59′15.0″N 76°56′24.0″W / 38.987500°N 76.940000°W / 38.987500; -76.940000

University of Maryland,
College Park
Seal of the University of Maryland (Trademark of the University of Maryland)
MottoFatti maschii, parole femine[1] (Italian)
Motto in English
Manly deeds, womanly words[2]
TypePublic university
Established1856
Endowment$457,420,743 (as of 2009)[3]
PresidentC. Daniel Mote, Jr.
ProvostNariman Farvardin
Academic staff
3,867[4]
Students37,000[4]
Undergraduates26,475[4]
Postgraduates10,525[4]
Location
College Park
,
Maryland
,
United States

38°59′17″N 76°56′41″W / 38.98806°N 76.94472°W / 38.98806; -76.94472
CampusSuburban, 1,250 acres (5.1 km2)[4]
ColorsRed, White, Black, and Gold                        
NicknameTerrapins
AffiliationsACC, AAU, MAISA, Fields Institute, Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
MascotTestudo
Websitehttp://www.umd.edu
University of Maryland Logo

The University of Maryland, College Park (often referred to as The University of Maryland, UMD, UMCP, or Maryland) is a public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland. With a total enrollment of 36,014 students, Maryland is the largest university in the state and the largest in the Washington Metropolitan Area.[5] It is a member of the Association of American Universities and a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference athletic league.

The University of Maryland's proximity to the nation's capital has resulted in strong research partnerships with the Federal government. Many members of the faculty receive research funding and institutional support from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Homeland Security.

As of fiscal year 2009, the University of Maryland, College Park's operating budget was projected to be approximately $1.531 billion.[6] For the same fiscal year, the University of Maryland received a total of $518 million in research funding, surpassing its 2008 mark by $117 million.[7] As of October 31, 2009, the university's "Great Expectations" campaign has also raised $664 million in private donations.[8]


History

Early history

On March 6, 1856, the forerunner of today's University of Maryland was chartered as the Maryland Agricultural College (MAC). Two years later, Charles Benedict Calvert, a descendant of the Barons Baltimore and a future U.S. Congressman, purchased 420 acres (1.7 km²) of the Riverdale Plantation in College Park for $21,000. Calvert founded the school later that year with money earned by the sale of stock certificates. On October 5, 1859, the first 34 students entered the Maryland Agricultural College, including four of Charles Calvert's sons, George, Charles, William and Eugene. The keynote speaker on opening day was Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.[9]

Charles Benedict Calvert, founder

In July 1862, the same month that the MAC awarded its first degrees, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act[10]. The legislation provided federal funds to schools that taught agriculture or engineering, or provided military training. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the school became a land grant college in February 1864 after the Maryland legislature voted to approve the Morrill Act.[9]

Civil War

A few months after accepting the grant, the Maryland Agricultural College proved to be an important site in the Civil War. In April 1864, General Ambrose E. Burnside and 6,000 soldiers of the Union's Ninth Army Corps camped on the MAC campus. The troops were en route to reinforce General Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Virginia.[11]

Later that summer, around 400 Confederate soldiers led by General Bradley T. Johnson stayed on the grounds while preparing to take part in a raid against Washington. In local legend, it is told that the soldiers were warmly welcomed by university President Henry Onderdonk, a Confederate sympathizer, and that the cavalrymen were thrown a party on the campus nicknamed "The Old South Ball." The next morning the soldiers rode off to cut the lines of communication between Washington and Baltimore.[12]

Financial problems forced the increasingly desperate administrators to sell off 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land, and the continuing decline in student enrollment sent the Maryland Agricultural College into bankruptcy. For the next two years the campus was used as a boys preparatory school.[9]

Following the Civil War, the Maryland legislature pulled the college out of bankruptcy, and in February 1866 assumed half ownership of the school. The college thus became in part a state institution. George Washington Custis Lee, son of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, was appointed president of the college by the Board of Trustees, but due to public outcry declined the position. By October 1867, the school reopened with 11 students. In the next six years, enrollment continued to grow, and the school's debt was finally paid off. Twenty years later, the school's reputation as a research institution began, as the federally funded Agricultural Experiment Station was established there. During the same period, a number of state laws granted the college regulatory powers in several areas—including controlling farm disease, inspecting feed, establishing a state weather bureau and geological survey, and housing the board of forestry.[9]

In 1888, the college began its first official intercollegiate baseball games against rivals St. John's College and the United States Naval Academy. Baseball, however, had been played at the college for decades before the first "official" games were recorded. The first fraternity at Maryland, Phi Sigma Kappa, was established in 1897, and Morrill Hall (the oldest instructional building still in use on campus) was built the following year.[9]

The Great Fire of 1912

The remains of the administration building.

On November 29, 1912, around 10:30 p.m., a fire, probably due to faulty electric wiring, broke out in the attic of the newest administration building, where a Thanksgiving dance was being held. The approximately eighty students on the premises evacuated themselves safely, and then formed a makeshift bucket brigade. The fire departments summoned from nearby Hyattsville and Washington, D.C. arrived too late. Fanned by a strong southwest wind, the fire destroyed the barracks where the students were housed, all the school's records, and most of the academic buildings, leaving only Morrill Hall untouched. The loss was estimated at $250,000 (about $5.5 million in 2007 U.S. dollars) despite no injuries or fatalities. The devastation was so great that many never expected the university to reopen. University President Richard Silvester resigned, brokenhearted.[9]

However, the students refused to give up. All but two returned to the university after the break and insisted on classes continuing as usual. Students were housed by families in neighboring towns who were compensated by the university until housing could be rebuilt, although a new administration building was not built until the 1940s.[9]

A large brick and concrete compass inlaid in the ground designates the former center of campus as it existed in 1912. Lines engraved in the compass point to each building that was destroyed in the Thanksgiving Day fire. The only building not marked on the compass is Morrill Hall, which was spared by the blaze.

Recent history

McKeldin Library

The state took complete control of the school in 1916, and consequently the institution was renamed Maryland State College. Also that year, the first female students enrolled at the school. On April 9, 1920, the college merged with the established professional schools in Baltimore to form the University of Maryland. The graduate school on the College Park campus awarded its first Ph.D. degrees, and the University's enrollment reached 500 students in the same year. In 1925 the University was accredited by the Association of American Universities.[9]

By the time the first black students enrolled at the University in 1951, enrollment had grown to nearly 10,000 students—4,000 of whom were women. In 1957 President Wilson H. Elkins made a push to increase academic standards at the University. His efforts resulted in the creation of one of the first Academic Probation Plans. The first year the plan went into effect, 1,550 students (18% of the total student body) faced expulsion. Since then, academic standards at the school have steadily risen. Recognizing the improvement in academics, Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at the university in 1964. In 1969, the university was elected to the Association of American Universities. The school continued to grow, and by the fall of 1985 reached an enrollment of 38,679.[9]

Memorial Chapel

On September 24, 2001, a tornado struck the College Park campus, killing two female students and causing $15 million in damage to 12 buildings.[13]

In a massive 1988 restructuring of the state higher education system, the school was designated as the flagship campus of the newly formed University System of Maryland and was formally named University of Maryland, College Park. However, in 1997 the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation allowing the University of Maryland, College Park to be known simply as the University of Maryland, recognizing the campus' role as the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.[14]

The other University System of Maryland institutions with the name "University of Maryland" are not satellite campuses of the University of Maryland, College Park, and are not referred to as such. The University of Maryland, Baltimore is the only other school permitted to confer certain degrees that state, simply "University of Maryland". This is because the Baltimore school offers primarily graduate degrees in disciplines not taught at College Park, such as Nursing, Dentistry, Law and Medicine. The relationship between the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore is akin to the relationship of the University of California, Berkeley to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), which also primarily offers graduate programs that Berkeley does not provide.

Academics

Profile

The University of Maryland offers 127 undergraduate degrees and 112 graduate degrees in 13 different colleges and schools, which include:

HJ Patterson Hall

Programs

The university hosts "Living and Learning" programs which allow students with similar academic interests to live in the same residential community, take specialized courses, and perform research. An example is the University Honors Program, which is geared towards students with exceptional academic talents. The Honors Program welcomes students into a community of faculty and intellectually gifted undergraduates committed to acquiring a broad and balanced education.[15]

The Gemstone Program at the University of Maryland is a multidisciplinary four-year research program for select undergraduate honors students of all majors. Under guidance of faculty mentors and Gemstone staff, teams of students design, direct and conduct research, often but not exclusively exploring the interdependence of science and technology with society.[16]

Winter scene along McKeldin Mall

Honors Humanities is the University of Maryland’s honors program for talented beginning undergraduates with interests in the humanities and creative arts. The selective two-year living-learning program combines a small liberal arts college environment with the dynamic resources of a large research university.[17]

The College Park Scholars programs are two-year living-learning programs for first- and second-year students. Students are selected to enroll in one of 12 thematic programs: Advocates for Children; Arts; Business, Society, and the Economy; Cultures of the Americas; Earth, Life, and Time; Environmental Studies; International Studies; Life Sciences; Media, Self, and Society; Public Leadership; Science, Discovery, and the Universe; Science, Technology, and Society.[18]

The nation's first living-learning entrepreneurship program, Hinman CEOs, is geared toward students who are interested in starting their own business. Students from all academic disciplines live together and are provided the resources to explore new business ventures.

The QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Honors Fellows Program engages undergraduate students from business, engineering, and computer, mathematical, and physical sciences. QUEST Students participate in courses focused on cross-functional collaboration, innovation, quality management, and teamwork.[19]

Other living-learning programs include: CIVICUS, a two year program in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences based on the five principles of civil society;[20] Global Communities, a program that immerses students in a diverse culture (students from all over the world live in a community),[21] and the Language House,[22] which allows students pursuing language courses to live and practice with other students learning the same language.

Faculty

Main article: List of University of Maryland, College Park faculty
C. Daniel Mote, Jr., President of the University of Maryland since 1998.

The university's faculty has included four Nobel Prize laureates. The earliest recipient, Juan Ramón Jiménez, was a professor of Spanish language and literature and won the 1956 prize for literature. Four decades later, physics professor William Daniel Phillips won the prize in physics for his contributions to laser cooling, a technique to slow the movement of gaseous atoms in 1997. In 2005, professor emeritus of economics and public policy Thomas Schelling was awarded the prize in economics for his contributions to game theory. In 2006, adjunct professor of physics and senior astrophysicist at NASA John C. Mather was awarded the prize in physics alongside George Smoot for their work in the discovery of blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. In addition, two University of Maryland alumni are Nobel Prize laureates; Herbert Hauptman won the 1985 prize in chemistry and Raymond Davis Jr. won the 2002 prize in physics.

The University also has many notable academics in other field of science. Professor of mathematics Sergei Novikov won the Fields Medal in 1970 followed by alumnus Charles Fefferman in 1978. Alumnus George Dantzig won the 1975 National Medal of Science for his work in the field of linear programming. Professor of physics Michael Fisher won the Wolf Prize in 1980 (together with Kenneth G. Wilson and Leo Kadanoff) and the IUPAP Boltzmann Medal in 1983. James A. Yorke, a Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics and chair of the Mathematics Department won the 2003 Japan Prize for his work in chaotic systems.

Research

In October 14, 2004, the university added 150 acres (607,030 m²) in an attempt to create the largest research park inside the Washington, D.C., Capital Beltway, known as "M Square."[23] The university completed construction on a new Bioscience Research Building on campus in May 2007. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is presently constructing the new National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction on site in M Square. It is scheduled to be completed in early 2009.

The University of Maryland's location near Washington, D.C. has created strong research partnerships, especially with government agencies. Many of the faculty members have funding from federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health,[24] NASA,[25] the Department of Homeland Security,[26] and the National Security Agency. These relationships have created numerous research opportunities for the university including:

Another view of the Chapel

The University of Maryland Libraries provide access to and assistance in the use of the scholarly information resources required to meet the education, research and service missions of the University.

The Center for American Politics and Citizenship provides citizens and policy-makers with research on critical issues related to the United States' political institutions, processes, and policies. CAPC is a non-partisan, non-profit research institution within the Department of Government and Politics in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

The Space Systems Laboratory researches human-robotic interaction for astronautics applications, and includes the only neutral buoyancy facility at a university.

The Center for Technology and Systems Management (CTSM) has the mission to advance the state of the art of technology and systems analysis for the benefit of people and the environment. The focus has been always on enhancing safety, efficiency and effectiveness by performing reliability, risk, uncertainty or decision analysis studies.

The Joint Global Change Research Institute was formed in 2001 by the University of Maryland and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The institute focuses on multidisciplinary approaches of climate change research.

Admissions

Admittance to the University of Maryland has become highly selective. According to the US News and World Report, Maryland is rated "Most Selective" with a 39.2 percent acceptance rate. For the academic year 2008-2009, a total of 28,054 applicants had applied to the University, of which 10,989 had been accepted for the freshman class of roughly 4,500 students.[citation needed]

The incoming class for 2009 represents the highest qualifications of any class in the University's history, measured by a mean SAT of 1285 and average GPA of 3.93.[citation needed]

Rankings

Academic rankings
National
U.S. News & World Report[28]53
Washington Monthly[29]52
Global
ARWU[30]37
THE[31]122

The University is ranked 53rd in the latest 2009 U.S. News and World Report rankings of "National Universities" across the United States, and it is ranked 18th nationally among public universities. 29 undergraduate and graduate programs are ranked in the top 10 and 90 programs are in the top 25.[32]

The Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked Maryland as 37th in the world as well as 8th among public flagship universities in the United States.[33] Newsweek ranked the University of Maryland as 45th in their ranking "global universities." Webometrics, a leading web collegiate ranking site, ranked Maryland 18th on its "Top 6000 Universities" list.[34] Times Higher Education ranked the University of Maryland 79th on its top 100 universities in the world in 2007.[35]

Student life

The Diamondback

Main article: The Diamondback
Administration building, seen from end of reflecting pool

The Diamondback is the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin, which became the official school mascot in 1933. The newspaper is published daily Monday through Friday during the Spring and Fall semesters, with a print circulation of 17,000 and annual advertising revenues of over $1 million.[36]

The newspaper consists of four sections: News, Opinion, Sports, and Diversions.

For the 2005-2006 school year, The Diamondback received a Mark of Excellence award from the Society of Professional Journalists, placing 3rd nationally for Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper and placing first in its region in the same category.[37]

Notable journalists who have been with The Diamondback include David Simon of HBO's The Wire and NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, disgraced Jayson Blair, who was editor-in-chief in 1996 (Blair did not graduate, instead taking a job with The New York Times); Norman Chad, who was editor-in-chief in 1978; cartoonists Aaron McGruder, who first published his cartoon The Boondocks in The Diamondback; and Frank Cho, who began his career with the popular "University Squared" for The Diamondback.

Greek life

Currently, about 10%[38] of Maryland's student body are involved in Greek Life. Many of the fraternities and sororities at the school are located on Fraternity Row and the Graham Cracker, which are partially controlled by the University. Fraternity Row is the background of several recently produced films.

Greek recruitment rates fell sharply after the death of a Phi Sigma Kappa pledge (19-year-old Daniel Reardon) in 2002, but have picked back up to earlier levels in 2006.[39]

The 2007–2008 academic year saw renewed discussions over hazing in fraternity and sorority life at Maryland. Delta Tau Delta and Zeta Beta Tau were criticized by the university administration over hazing incidents.[40] Delta Tau Delta's Maryland chapter was disbanded after the university administration determined that pledges had been hazed "physically, mentally and emotionally" from 2005–2008.[41][42]

Sororities Fraternities

Athletics

Main article: Maryland Terrapins

The school's sports teams are called the Terrapins, and the mascot of the University (pictured right) is a diamondback terrapin named Testudo, which is Latin for "protective shell." The Terrapins sports teams participate in the NCAA's Division I, and the school is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. For years the school colors were black and gold. After World War One, new coach Clark Shaughnessy came to Maryland from Stanford, and brought a supply of that school's uniforms with him. Combining those colors with the old black and gold, the university's official colors were expanded to match those that appear on the Maryland state flag: black, gold, red, and white. Red and white are now the most used team colors, and gold is almost strictly used as an accent color. "Fear the Turtle," a slogan born during the basketball team's national championship run in 2002, has since been associated with other Maryland teams.[43]

The Maryland football program owns nine Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, third most in the conference behind Clemson and Florida State. Maryland was successful from 1949 to 1955, as the team's overall record during this time was 60–9–2. After winning the 1949 Gator Bowl, the team went undefeated in 1951, and defeated heavily favored Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. This was followed by the school's only National Championship in 1953. 1955 also saw the team go undefeated in the regular season, before falling to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

The years from 1973 to 1985 were also some of the most successful in the history of Maryland football, and saw a total of six Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. The 1976 team completed the regular season undefeated and finished with an 11–1 record. In the 1984 season the Terrapins, down 31–0 at halftime in the Orange Bowl against the defending National Champion Miami Hurricanes, completed an unprobable comeback to win 42–40 in thrilling fashion. After a fifteen-year period that saw only one trip to a bowl game, former Maryland player and coach Ralph Friedgen was hired as Head Coach in 2001. He reversed the fortunes of Terrapin football in his first three seasons, leading the team to 31 wins, an appearance in the BCS Orange Bowl, commanding victories in the Peach Bowl, the Gator Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl, consecutive top-3 finishes in conference, and one ACC regular season title. These promising seasons were followed up by two disappointing 5–6 seasons. However, in 2006, Friedgen returned the Terrapins to bowl status, where they defeated the Purdue Boilermakers in dominating fashion, 24–7 in the Champs Sports Bowl, in Orlando, Florida. This was followed by a losing appearance in the 2007 Emerald Bowl and a victory in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl in 2008.

Interior of Comcast Center

Maryland has produced numerous NFL standouts, including Boomer Esiason, Randy White, Stan Jones, Shawne Merriman, Mike Tice, John Tice and Neal Olkewicz.

Men's basketball is also a very popular sport at Maryland and is under the guidance of another Maryland graduate, Gary Williams of the class of 1968. Williams, who returned to his alma mater in 1989 after successful head coaching stints at Lafayette College, American University, Boston College, and Ohio State, inherited a once-successful program that was suffering the aftereffects of the death of Len Bias as well as NCAA rules infractions under Williams's predecessor. Williams led Maryland to eleven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (1993–2004) and eight consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins (1996–2004). In addition, he has taken the Terps to the tournament's Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen) seven times, to the Final Four twice, and led the school to its first NCAA title in men's basketball in 2002. With one of the youngest teams in the nation, Williams led his team to his first ACC Tournament title in 2004. With a win over the Virginia Cavaliers on February 7, 2006, Gary Williams became Maryland's all-time leader in basketball wins with 349, beating the previous record of Lefty Driesell, who attended the record-breaking game. The 2008-2009 Maryland squad exceeded pre-season expectations by advancing to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament and winning 21 games. It was the program's 13th NCAA appearance in the past 16 years.

Byrd Stadium full on game day

Beyond these primary "revenue sports," Maryland excels in other areas as well. Women's basketball began a resurgence in 2002, and has reached the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament for four consecutive years under Coach Brenda Frese. The Lady Terps beat Duke in 2006 to bring Maryland its first NCAA title in women's basketball. In 2009, with a 25-4 overall record and 12-2 in conference, the Lady Terps won their first regular season ACC title and conference tournament in 20 years.[44][45]

Coach Sasho Cirovski has taken the men's soccer team to five Final Fours since 1997, including four straight. In 2005, the squad claimed the NCAA College Cup National Championship with a 1–0 win over New Mexico. On December 14, 2008, Sasho's squad again lifted the College Cup after defeating University of North Carolina 1–0.

Although the Maryland wrestling team is not usually considered a powerhouse, they had a break out performance in 2007-2008 winning the ACC Conference title and were ranked as high as 17th by NCAA polls. Moreover, the school had its second All-American in the sport in three decades, Hudson Taylor (197lb), who placed 3rd at the NCAA tournament. The program continued its surge in the 2008-2009 season by winning a 2nd consecutive ACC championship and finishing 10th place at the NCAA championships—the 2nd best finish in school history.[46] Three Terrapins earned all American status, including Hudson Taylor who became only the fourth repeat all-American in Maryland history. The recent success of the wrestling program as come from heavy recruiting of high school graduates from top local and national teams such as athletes from Mount Saint Joseph College and Blair Academy.

The field hockey team has made eleven Final Four appearances (through 2006) and won the 1987, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2006 and 2008 national titles. The volleyball team won the ACC tournament in 2003 and qualified for the NCAA tournament.

The women's lacrosse team has won a total of nine NCAA championships, eight of which came under the direction of Cindy Timchal, including a run of seven straight (1995 through 2001).[47] Additionally, the women's lacrosse team has been an NCAA finalist in eleven of the last fourteen years, and produced more All-Americans in the sport than any other school. Two of Maryland's outstanding All-Americans, Cathy Nelson-Reese and Jen Adams, became coach and co-coach of the team in 2006–2007 when Timchal took over the new program at the United States Naval Academy.

The men's lacrosse program is often ranked among the top programs nationally and won the NCAA Championship in 1973 and 1975. Maryland's men's lacrosse team has reached the NCAA semifinals three of the past six years—2003, 2005 and 2006.[48]

For 31 years the women's gymnastics team has been under the guidance of head coach Robert 'Duke' Nelligan, the longest career of any coach at the university.

Cole Field House

The Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band[49] attends all home football games and at least one away game each season. The band provides pre-game performances that have remained largely unchanged for several years. A video of the pre-game show can be viewed at the band's Web site.[50] The band also plays at halftime during home games, with a different show every game.

During the basketball season, the marching band converts into the University of Maryland Pep Band.[51] The pep band provides energetic music and cheers in the stands at men's and women's home games. The pep band's repertoire (more than 300 songs, as of the 2006–2007 season) is compiled from past marching band shows and some special arrangements. The Pep Band also travels with the basketball teams during tournament play.

Sustainability

The four-person Office of Sustainability was created in summer 2007 after University President Dan Mote became charter signatory of the American College and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) with the goal of campus climate neutrality. The Climate Action Plan Work Group completed an inventory of campus emissions from 2002 to 2007, and will finalize a Climate Action Plan by September 2009. All new constructions and major renovations must satisfy LEED-Silver certification requirements. The office has promoted several initiatives, including an increase in the recycling rate from 37% to a 54% recycling rate in 2008, due in part to the "Feed the Turtle" program for home football games. A spring 2007 student referendum passed to raise student fees by $12 per year, which is still pending approval from the Board of Regents.[52] Power Shift, a national youth climate activism summit, was held at the University of Maryland in November 2007 with 6,000 individuals in attendance.[citation needed]

Testudo

Diamondback Terrapin

In 1932, Curley Byrd, who served both as the school's football coach and president, proposed adopting the Maryland diamondback terrapin as a mascot. The first statue of Testudo cast in bronze was donated by the Class of 1933 and was displayed on Baltimore Avenue in front of Ritchie Coliseum. However, the 300 pound mascot was subjected to vandalism by visiting college athletic teams.[53]

One such incident occurred 1947 when students from Johns Hopkins University stole the bronze statue and moved it to their campus. Maryland students traveled to Baltimore to retrieve it, which resulted in a siege of the house where it was hidden. Over 200 city police responded to quell the riot.[54] In 1949, University President Byrd was awakened by a phone call from a University of Virginia fraternity requesting that Testudo be removed from their lawn. Testudo was later filled with 700 pounds of cement and fastened to his pedestal to prevent future removals, but students at rival schools continued to vandalize it. It was moved to Byrd Stadium in 1951. In the 1960s, Testudo was again moved to a spot in front of McKeldin Library, where it has since become a good luck charm for some students who rub his nose during finals week.[citation needed]

In 1992 a duplicate statue was placed at Byrd Stadium, where the football team touch it for good luck as they pass by before games. Another statue now sits outside of the Gossett Team House near the stadium, and in 2002, another was placed in front of Comcast Center, the school's basketball arena, and in 2005, a fifth statue was placed in front of the new Riggs Alumni Center. A sixth and newest Testudo was placed in the lobby of Adele H. Stamp student union building in the fall of 2008.[citation needed] In 1994, the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation to name the diamondback terrapin (malaclemys terrapin terrapin) as the official state reptile and the legally-codified mascot of the University of Maryland. At the time, it was only the second university mascot in the nation to receive such a statutory designation (after the University of Florida's).[citation needed]

The university has promoted the slogan, "Fear the Turtle" as a rallying cry for school pride.[55]

Controversies

Pornographic film

On April 6, 2009, the University screened about a half hour excerpts from an X rated film in a campus lecture hall. Originally, the entire two and a half hour film was scheduled to be shown in the Univerisity Union building, but that performance drew protests from State Senator Andrew P. Harris, who threated to withhold the campus' $424 million annual appropriation if the film was shown.[56] Harris advocated that it was the University administration's responsibility to limit the types of films shown in university facilities, while his opponents claim that the right to show X rated films was a free speech issue. The state legislature ultimately approved the appropriation. The same film was shown at other colleges including University of California Davis, University of California Los Angeles and Carnegie Mellon University without controversy.[57]

Diversity Coordinator

On November 5, 2009, several hundred students protested the removal of a popular diversity official and a drop in African-American enrollment at the campus. It was the largest student demonstration on campus since 1975.[58]

Notable people

Main articles: List of University of Maryland, College Park people and President of the University of Maryland, College Park

University attendees have achieved fame or notability across a variety of disciplines. Famous alumni include current House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, The Muppets creator Jim Henson, and Seinfeld producer Larry David. Prominent alumni in business include Jim Walton, President and CEO of CNN; Kevin Plank founder of the athletic apparel company Under Armour; Chris Kubasik, president of Lockheed Martin; and Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Television personality Connie Chung and ESPN reporters Bonnie Bernstein, Tim Kurkjian, and Scott Van Pelt all graduated from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Well-known journalist Carl Bernstein, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for his coverage of the Watergate scandal, attended the University but did not graduate. Kiran Chetry, co-host of CNN's American Morning, graduated with a bachelors of arts in broadcast journalism. Heidi Collins of CNN Newsroom also graduated with a bachelors of science. Former Maryland governor Harry R. Hughes also attended. Gayle King, the famous "friend" of Oprah and editor at large for O Magazine, graduated from Maryland with a degree in psychology.

Within the fields of science and mathematics, Nobel Laureates Raymond Davis Jr., 2002 winner in Physics; Herbert Hauptman, 1985 winner in Chemistry, and Fields Medal winner Charles Fefferman attended the University. Other alumni include George Dantzig, considered the father of linear programming; late NASA astronaut Judith Resnik, who died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger during the launch of mission STS-51-L; and NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin.

Several donors have distinguished themselves for their sizable gifts to the University. Businessman Robert H. Smith, who graduated from the university in 1950 with a degree in accounting, has given over $45 million to the business school that now bears his name, and to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, which bears his wife's name.[59] Construction entrepreneur A. James Clark, who graduated with an engineering degree in 1950, has also donated over $45 million to the college of engineering, which also bears his name.[59] Another engineering donor, Jeong H. Kim, earned his Ph.D. from the university in 1991 and gave $5 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art engineering building.[60] Philip Merrill, a media figure, donated $10 million to the College of Journalism.[61]

Filmography

The University of Maryland, College Park Campus has been featured in several films.

See also

References

  1. ^ University Archives University of Maryland MAC to Millennium: Letter M
  2. ^ Maryland State Archives: Great Seal of Maryland
  3. ^ "Best National Universities - University of Maryland--College Park". U.S. News and World Report. August 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  4. ^ a b c d e f UM Newsdesk: Quick Facts
  5. ^ http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_225.asp Enrollment of the 120 largest degree-granting college and university campuses
  6. ^ University of Maryland, College Park Budget
  7. ^ http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/uniini/release.cfm?ArticleID=1981
  8. ^ Great Expectations, The Campaign for Maryland
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i [http://www.urhome.umd.edu/timeline/ University of Maryland Timeline]
  10. ^ Morill Land Grand College Act
  11. ^ Durgin, Teddy Well-schooled:What you may not know about Maryland's colleges and universities The Baltimore Sun. September 30, 2003.
  12. ^ Prince George's Historical Society Civil War 1996.
  13. ^ Tornado kills two, damages University of Maryland
  14. ^ University of Maryland Identity Guide (PDF)
  15. ^ UMD Honors - About - Overview
  16. ^ About Gemstone, Clark School of Engineering, Engineering, University of Maryland
  17. ^ Honors Humanities :: Home
  18. ^ College Park Scholars
  19. ^ QUEST - Robert H. Smith School of Business - University of Maryland, College Park
  20. ^ Civicus :: Home
  21. ^ Global Communities
  22. ^ Language House :: Home
  23. ^ M Square Research Park, University of Maryland
  24. ^ Maryland Wins NIH Training Grant :: University Communications Newsdesk, University of Maryland
  25. ^ Clark School Leads NASA Project
  26. ^ START | About START
  27. ^ UM to Head National Avian Flu Research Project :: University Communications Newsdesk, University of Maryland
  28. ^ "2023-2024 Best National Universities". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  29. ^ "2023 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  30. ^ "ShanghaiRanking's 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  31. ^ "World University Rankings 2024". Times Higher Education. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  32. ^ National Universities: Top Schools
  33. ^ University of Maryland Facts and Figures: 2007 University Rankings
  34. ^ Webometrics
  35. ^ Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings 2007 - Top 100 Universities
  36. ^ Case No. 02-1326
  37. ^ Society of Professional Journalists: Mark of Excellence Awards
  38. ^ College Board profile of the University of Maryland, College Park
  39. ^ Block, Ben. 2006 best year for Greek recruitment in at least a decade. The Diamondback. September 15, 2006.
  40. ^ Robillard, Kevin. Fraternity sanctioned in hazing. The Diamondback. December 11, 2007.
  41. ^ Robillard, Kevin. Details of systematic abuse emerge in investigative documents. The Diamondback. April 11, 2008.
  42. ^ Robillard, Kevin. Officials disband Delta Tau Delta. The Diamondback. March 13, 2008.
  43. ^ Fear the Turtle! University of Maryland
  44. ^ Kraut, Aaron (March 2nd, 2009). "ACC CHAMPS: Terps 89, Miami 64". The Diamondback. Retrieved 2009-03-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ http://www.umterps.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/030809aaa.html
  46. ^ http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/032109aac.html
  47. ^ http://www.ncaa.com/history/w-lacrosse-d1.html
  48. ^ http://www.ncaa.com/history/m-lacrosse-d1.html
  49. ^ "Mighty Sound of Maryland" Marching Band
  50. ^ Pregame Show
  51. ^ Basketball Pep Band
  52. ^ "UM Sustainability Snapshot". University of Maryland. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  53. ^ Testudo: Tale of the Top Shell, University of Maryland, retrieved June 8, 2009.
  54. ^ Hopkins-Maryland series has turbulent history, The Baltimore Sun, April 11, 2009.
  55. ^ "Fear the Turtle! University of Maryland". University of Maryland. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  56. ^ Stephen Kiehl, Laura Smitherman and Gadi Dechter (April 2, 2009). "Screening of porn film at University of Maryland canceled". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 05 April 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  57. ^ "At U-Md., XXX-Rated Show Goes On: Despite Funding Threats, Students Host Panel Discussion and Porn Viewing". Washington Post. April 7, 2009. p. B1. Retrieved 2009-11-06. {{cite news}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |authors= (help)
  58. ^ DeVise, Daniel (Nov. 6, 2009). "U-Md. students protest official's firing". Washington Post. p. B3. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  59. ^ a b Robert H. Smith School of Business to Share in University of Maryland Gifts Totaling $60 Million
  60. ^ Economic Recycling Enlarges U-Md.'s Engineering School
  61. ^ Phil Merrill and the Vanishing Iconoclastic Publishers the drummer for body by fisher, Mike Goodman also attended the university where he played in the marching band

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