The UConn Story - History of the University of Connecticut

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TIMELINE

When you visit the Storrs campus, be sure to see the special exhibit examining the University's history. It is on display in the gallery of the Wilbur Cross Building.

A Moment in UConn History

1933: February 24 - Gov. Wilbur Cross signs legislation that changes the name of Connecticut Agricultural College to Connecticut State College.

It Began With a Gift

Late in 1880, brothers Charles and Augustus Storrs offered the state of Connecticut a former Civil War orphanage, 170 acres of farmland and a few barns to establish an agricultural school for boys. The gift also included $5,000 to purchase equipment and supplies. On April 21, 1881 the Connecticut General Assembly voted to establish the Storrs Agricultural School. It opened five months later on September 28, 1881, with three faculty members and 12 students. READ MORE...

The University Today

The University of Connecticut is the state's flagship institution of higher learning. Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut has grown to include 13 Schools and Colleges at its main campus in Storrs, separate Schools of Law and Social Work in Hartford, five regional campuses throughout the state and Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at the UConn Health Center in Farmington. READ MORE...

The Evolution of UConn

Storrs Agricultural School	1881
Storrs Agricultural College	1893
Connecticut Agricultural College	1899
Connecticut State College	1933
University of Connecticut	1939