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The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as 'Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship campus of the University of Alabama System. In Alabama, it is commonly known as the Capstone.
Having been written into the Alabama Constitution, UA is the senior doctoral university in the state. Today, it is one of the state's three major research universities, along with academic and athletic rival Auburn University and the much younger University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
UA grants bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 12 academic divisions. The only publicly-supported law school in the state is here. (The Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham is the state's only other ABA-accredited law school.) Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in the state include doctoral programs in anthropology, library and information studies, music, Romance languages, and social work.
As of fall 2004, Alabama had an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The current president of UA is Dr. Robert Witt.
History
In 1818, the federal government authorized the Alabama Territory to set aside a township for the establishment of a "seminary of learning." Alabama was admitted to the Union on March 2, 1819, and a second township added to the grant. On December 18, 1820, the seminary was officially established and named "The University of the State of Alabama." It was set up in Tuscaloosa in 1827 (then the capital of Alabama), and opened its doors to students on April 18, 1831.
In the 1850s, the school's president transformed the institution into a military school. As such, during the Civil War, the school trained troops for the Confederacy. Because of this role, Union troops burned down the campus in 1865 (though this was unrelated to Sherman's March to the Sea). Only seven buildings survived the burning. The university reopened in 1871 and shortly after, the military structure was dropped.
The university was officially opened to women in 1893 after much lobbying by Julia Tutwiler to the Board of Trustees, but would remain racially segregated for seven more decades.
On June 11, 1963, George Wallace, the governor of Alabama, stood in front of a schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama in an attempt to stop desegregation of that institution by the enrollment of two African-American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood; when confronted by federal marshals, Wallace stepped aside. Later in life, he apologized for his opposition at that time to racial integration.
Since those troubled times, University of Alabama officials have worked hard to right those wrongs, and the institution is now one of the top-ranked public universities in the United States.
In 2003, African-Americans represent 14.3 percent of the undergraduate student body and 13.3 percent of the overall student body. Published reports have ranked UA among the top four flagship universities in the Southeast in this category and among the nation's top 25 public flagship universities. To salute the sacrifice and commitment of the courageous individuals who took a stand for racial change at a crucial time in its history, the University of Alabama hosted "Opening Doors," a three-day event in June 2003.
Academic Divisions
The eight divisions of the University granting undergraduate degrees are:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration
- College of Communication and Information Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Human Environmental Sciences
- Capstone College of Nursing
- School of Social Work
Graduate degrees in those eight divisions at the master's, specialist, and doctoral level are awarded through the Graduate School.
The School of Law offers J.D. and LL.M. degree programs. The College of Community Health Sciences provides advanced studies in medicine and related disciplines and operates a family-practice residency program in association with the University of Alabama School of Medicine (though UASOM is in acutality a division of UAB).
Finally, the College of Continuing Studies provides correspondence courses and other types of distance education opportunities for non-traditional students. It offers a distance education facility in Gadsden.
Campus
Denny Chimes on the University of Alabama campus UA is composed of a singular campus of 1,000 acres (4.05 km²). It is notable for its abundance of buildings built in Greek Revival style. Campus landmarks include the President's Mansion, the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, and Denny Chimes, the campanile (equipped with a 25-bell carillon), all of which on located on or near the Quadrangle (Quad for short), the main green area on campus.
The campus is roughly centered around the Quad. To the east of the Quad lie buildings housing most of the science and math departments, as well as the College of Nursing. To the northeast lies Engineering Row, housing the departments of the College of Engineering. To the north and northwest lie buildings housing arts and humanities departments of the College of Arts and Sciences. To the west lie the buildings of the colleges of Commerce and Education. Finally, buildings housing the College of Communication and Information Sciences, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, and the School of Social Work flank the Quad to the south.
Cultural facilities on campus include the Paul W. Bryant Museum, the Alabama Museum of Natural History, the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, and the Frank M. Moody Music Building, which houses the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra [1] (http://www.tsoonline.org/). UA also maintains an arboretum in eastern Tuscaloosa and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Dauphin Island.
Demographics
Of the 20,969 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students enrolled at UA:
- 75% come from Alabama
- 21% come from elsewhere in the United States
- 4% are international students, who come from 79 countries
- 47% are men
- 53% are women
Accolades
UA was named a top 50 public university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2005.
In 2003, five students from UA were named to the 2003 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team. UA students garnered the most awards of any college or university, claiming five of 83 spots on the list. In 2004, four University of Alabama students were named to the 2004 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team. Alabama was second only to Harvard University for 2004, and UA's two-year total of nine leads the nation.
The University of Alabama's graduates include 15 Rhodes Scholars, 15 Goldwater Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, and one Portz Scholar.
Student Life
Student life at the school is marked by a division between students who are members of traditionally white social fraternities and sororities and students who are not.
The divide among students often shows up during the school's annual Student Government Association (SGA) elections, which are dominated by white greek candidates backed by a secretive group called the Machine, the local chapter of the secret society Theta Nu Epsilon, which is similar to the infamous Skull and Bones at Yale University. According to newspaper accounts and a documentary produced by the university shown on public television, the Machine has a long tradition at the university, dating back to its founding in 1914 by the late Senator Lister Hill, who also founded the Jasons Men's Senior Honorary and who served as the SGA's first president. Initially, only select fraternities were members; sororities were not offered membership until the 1970s. To this day, not all greek letter organizations have been offered membership, and it is believed that over the years, some fraternities and sororities that were members have had their memberships revoked. It is believed that 90% of those who are put up for SGA office by the Machine go on to political careers in Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana. Members include former Alabama Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, and current U.S. Sen. Richard C. Shelby.
SGA elections have been marred by violent assaults and death threats in the past, resulting in an FBI investigation, and turnout among so-called "independents" remains low because of apathy. A Machine candidate is guaranteed several thousand votes, thus ensuring victory. Machine-backed candidates have won all but seven races for the SGA presidency since 1914, including wins against former Alabama Gov. George Wallace (a non-Machine candidate) and former Congressman and current MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.
Gamma Phi Beta, a member of the white sorority system - but not rumored to be a member of the Machine - admitted its first black member in fall 2003. There are several greek letter organizations for blacks, as well as two multicultural sororities, none of which are believed to be members of the Machine.
The university in recent years has developed an image as a "party school," thanks to rankings from The Princeton Review and other publications that cited lots of drinking and drug use on and near campus. University officials responded by starting a series of late-night, on-campus entertainment programs and successfully pushing for a citywide limitation on bar hours, moving from no specified closing times to a scheduled closing time every day but Friday.
Athletics
Alabama's athletic teams are known as the Crimson Tide. The school fields teams in 11 varsity sports in the NCAA's Division I and is a member of the competitive Southeastern Conference (Western Division). The school's athletic teams compete at the highest level, often contending for conference and NCAA titles. Athletic facilities on campus include the 83,818-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium, named after legendary football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and former UA President George Denny, and the 15,043-seat Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama maintains athletic rivalries with Auburn University and the University of Tennessee. The rivalry with Auburn is especially heated as it encompasses all sports. The annual Alabama-Auburn game is nicknamed the Iron Bowl and is considered one of the most intense games in all of college football. The Alabama-Auburn basketball game is often called "Iron Ball."
While the rivalry with Tennessee is centered around football for the most part, there is no shortage of acrimony here, especially given the recent history between UT Coach Phil Fulmer and his relationship to the Tide's most recent NCAA probation. There are also rivalries with Louisiana State University (football}, Mississippi State University (men's basketball), and the University of Georgia (women's gymnastics).
Football
The Tide's football team, started in 1892, is one of the oldest in the country. The program's tradition is rich; it has won 21 SEC titles and a total of 12 national championships: in 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992. These are the years the institution claims as national championship seasons. There are also five additional years in which the NCAA's official record book recognizes the Crimson Tide as national champion: 1945, 1962, 1966, 1975, and 1977. The team has played in 51 bowl games (29 wins, 19 losses, and 3 ties), has 17 hall-of-famers, and 91 All-Americans honored 101 times.
Recent History
Following the Tide's last national championship in 1992 against the University of Miami Hurricanes, the Alabama football program has faced difficult times. The program has been disciplined with sanctions from the NCAA twice in the last 10 years, most recently in 2001. The team has had five different head coaches. Though some success has come, for the most part, the program has not been what it was in the 1960s and 1970s.
Following Gene Stallings' retirement in 1996, defensive coordinator Mike Dubose was named head coach. He proved to be an excellent recruiter of defensive linemen, though as a head coach he wasn't as effective. He benefited tremendously from the leadership of Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels, winning the SEC championship in 1999. Expectations quickly rose for the Tide, which started the season as high as No. 3 in some polls. The Tide quickly lowered, ending up 3-8 in a season best exemplified by a last-second loss to Central Florida. Dubose was quickly fired and replaced by an up-and-coming coach from TCU, Dennis Franchione.
The media-savvy Franchione gained popularity quickly with his coaching style and media-friendly press conferences. He led Alabama to two winning seasons in 2001 and 2002, going 7-5 and 10-3, respectively. After NCAA sanctions hit in 2001, Franchione was rumored to be interested in other jobs, including the University of Kansas opening. One year later, under much media scrutiny, Franchione left for Texas A&M University. After the well-documented Mike Price fiasco [2] (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Mike+Price+Alabama+firing&btnG=Google+Search), Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach Mike Shula was hired after a rushed search. It was his first head coaching job at any level. Shula went through many first-year pains, ending up 4-9. Slight improvement during his second season sent the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 6-6 record and the Music City Bowl, its first bowl in three years.
Men's Basketball
Alabama's men's basketball program has been overshadowed for most of its history by football. However, as the football program has drifted in relative mediocrity in recent years, the men's basketball program has risen in stature nationally, achieving a No. 1 national ranking briefly in 2002. Though still not quite at the level of schools like the University of Kentucky, UA has been become a regular conference power. Under head coach and former point guard Mark Gottfried, the Tide has advanced to postseason play every year for the past six years, culmunating with the team's advancement into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history in 2004, where the team lost to eventual champion Connecticut in the Phoenix Regional Final.
Women's Gymnastics
UA's women's gymnastics team, like the basketball teams, competes in Coleman Coliseum. Coached by Sarah Patterson, the team regularly competes for the NCAA National Championship, having won four, the most recent in 2002.
Notable Alumni
Art and Humanities
Athletics
National Football League
Noted Active Players
NFL Hall of Fame Inductees
National Basketball Association
Notable Active Players
Retired Players
- Jason Caffey, Chicago Bulls, 20th pick overall, 1995
- Leon Douglas, Detroit Pistons, 4th pick overall, 1976
- T.R. Dunn, Portland Trailblazers, 2nd round, 1977
- Buck Johnson, Houston Rockets, 20th pick overall, 1986
- Reggie King, Kansas City Kings, 18th pick overall, 1979
- Derrick McKey, Seattle Supersonics, 9th pick overall, 1987
- Eddie Phillips, New Jersey Nets, 21st pick overall, 1982
- James Robinson, Portland Trailblazers, 21st pick overall, 1993
- Roy Rogers, Vancouver Grizzlies, 22nd pick overall, 1996
- Ennis Whatley, Kansas City Kings, 13th pick overall, 1983
Business and Economics
Entertainment
Government, Politics, and Social activism
Journalism
- Reece Davis, ESPN sports analyst
Science and Engineering
External Links
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