A special thank you to the efforts of the University of Miami Alumni Board of Directors for their leadership in developing this publication. Newman Alumni Center THE UM STORY 6200 San Amaro Drive, Suite 200 A BRIEF HISTORY Coral Gables, Florida 33146 1-866-UMALUMS 305-284-2872 www.miami.edu/alumni 14-161 What Does it Mean to Be a ’Cane? A Bold, Here Is the Story of the U… Remarkable History Serving others for the betterment of society is our rallying cry. It’s why we Since its inception, the University of Miami has chose to come to UM, and it lives on when we graduate. Like our beloved pursued a lofty vision of greatness. Born in the mascot Sebastian the Ibis—the ibis bird being the first to return after a 20th century during a time of ceaseless change in a major hurricane—UM students and alumni are the first to take a stand community at a geographic crossroad, UM was not and make the world a better place. constrained by precedents or traditions. It pursued a Emergency medical personnel assisted the people unique path distinguished by boundless innovation, The University of Miami has demonstrated true excellence and character of Haiti in the wake of the nation’s catastrophic savvy, and optimistic forward thinking. during critical times in history that have made the institution a pillar of earthquake. strength and the embodiment of a compassionate spirit. • World War II: UM offered • Hurricane Andrew: Relief The Early Years (1925-1945) special classes to pilots, naviga- efforts on campus transformed tors, and aviation personnel the library into a makeshift home from the United States and for many, complete with cot beds Founded in 1925 as South Florida’s first university, UM Great Britain. More than 8,000 and clothing. Exams were canceled owes its origin to Coral Gables founder George Merrick, war personnel, including for the fall 1992 semester as who donated 160 acres of land and more than $1 million members of the British Royal students and faculty focused on into Haiti after the disaster and for a planned Mediterranean Revival-style campus. Those Air Force, received training at rebuilding after the devastation. served as director of the UM field dreams were nearly dashed when a devastating Category 4 the University. hospital in Port-au-Prince. UM hurricane blew through Miami on September 18, 1926. • Earthquake in Haiti: From furnished the first medical team The University still opened on schedule on October 15— • Civil Rights Era: Martin Luther in-the-trenches medical responses on the ground, providing essential a sign of the optimistic, scrappy attitude of the U. On King Jr. came to campus to to grassroots initiatives, commu- support to help the survival and opening day, 125 prospective students showed up to address students and faculty to nity outreach, and fundraising recovery of the Haitian people. enroll. An unfinished Merrick Building was abandoned for provide hope for an unsegregated efforts yielding $4.4 million, the They treated more than 250 20 years as the struggling University leased or purchased America. The visit was contro- University of Miami responded to critically injured patients within hotels and apartments two miles north of the campus, versial for its time, but helped to the 2010 disaster in many ways. 48 hours of arriving in Haiti; hastily converting them into classrooms and housing, bring the conversation of Alumna Elizabeth Greig, M.D. nearly 300 UM doctors, nurses, giving the school the nickname “Cardboard College.” equality to the forefront. ’10, created a plan to get doctors and other personnel served in Another legacy of the storm: adoption of the nickname Haiti in a 240-bed tent hospital “Hurricanes” for the athletic teams, first used in aMiami with operating rooms and Herald story about the football team, which enjoyed an advanced technologies. undefeated 8-0 inaugural season in 1926. By December, there were 646 full-time students. Let us take a look at our institution’s humble beginnings in the 1920s. Over the next two decades, the University built key leadership, faculty, and infrastructure, establishing key academic units including the School of Law, School of Business Administration, School of Education, Army and Navy cadets parade Graduate School, and School of Engineering. in front of the Anastasia Building, which housed the University prior to construction Sebastian the Ibis leads the football team onto the on the main campus. field with its traditional “smoke” entrance. Realizing Its Promise: America’s Next Great Research Post-War Decades (1946-1979) University (2001 to present) The G.I. Bill, which funded campus. The Merrick Building was The 2000s have been marked by opened the University of Miami to a network of experienced returning soldiers’ tuition and finally completed in 1948. accelerated progress in all key Hospital, its flagship clinical entrepreneurs. The spirit of expenses, shaped the post-World War areas—teaching and learning, the facility in 2007. The Miller experiential learning translates Subsequently, academic programs II years. When the 1946 fall semester discovery of new knowledge, the School’s Bascom Palmer Eye well into the real world upon were on the upswing: the Marine commenced, more than 5,000 delivery of cutting-edge medical care, graduation, as students take Institute opened, and in 1948 a Institute has been ranked the students registered. To accommodate and service to the region and beyond. their experiences to impact long-term lease was signed for nation’s No. 1 ophthalmology everyone, the University opened its the organizations they join. property on Virginia Key. In 1952 The University is ranked among program for 12 consecutive years South Campus for 500 freshmen and the medical school opened at the the nation’s top universities in U.S. by U.S. News. The University’s landscape has been 10 faculty. In 1948 the Memorial voted to admit qualified students Veterans’ Hospital (the former and News & World Report’s “Americas’s The Launch Pad, a novel and completely transformed Building was dedicated, becoming without regard to race and color, future Biltmore Hotel)—Florida’s Best Colleges.” It was ranked No. with major centers of excellence the first permanent building on the ending the segregation that had been successful entrepreneurship first medical school. 51 for 2016. A number of the opening on all three campuses. campus. Thanks to a $5 million in place at the U since its opening. initiative developed at the U, has University’s programs are highly On the Coral Gables campus, Federal Housing Administration A great social change took place in UM’s integration led other Florida proven to be a successful model ranked among U.S. News’s “Best 11 new buildings have been erected loan, 530 apartments were built on 1961 when the Board of Trustees institutions to make the same move. that other institutions are including the state-of-the-art Graduate Schools.” emulating. The program enables student center, alumni center, UHealth – University of Miami students and alumni to start new athletic center, on-campus housing Approaching the Millennium (1980-2000) Health System, the only academic ventures, providing them with for upperclassmen, facilities for the medical system in South Florida, coaching, workshops, and access architecture, music, communica- The 1980s began with tremendous upheaval as the Miami freshmen increased by nearly 100 points; and a stronger community experienced the Mariel Boatlift and inner-city emphasis on academics, research, teaching excellence, and tion, and nursing schools, and riots. This hurt the local economy and community morale. sponsored research funding. A major change in student life College of Arts and Sciences, and More than 1,000 students withdrew, causing a $5 million was the transformation of the dormitories into residential the BankUnited Center, which budget shortfall. In response, the University introduced a colleges. Hurricane athletics excelled with nine national moved Commencement ceremonies strategic plan, “Strategy for Excellence,” with the intent of championships—four in football, three in baseball, one in from the University Green indoors propelling UM into the circle of prestigious private research women’s golf, and one in men’s crew. The football team for the first time in decades. The universities. There was reduced enrollment and increased compiled the longest home winning streak in NCAA Miller School of Medicine opened student selectivity; average SAT scores of incoming history—58 games at the Orange Bowl. the Clinical Research Building, Biomedical Research Building, University of Miami Hospital, In 1967 the organization United Although construction began in 1926, due Life Science and Technology Black Students was founded, to financial challenges the Merrick Building Park, and Wellness Center, as well as and the first black faculty member remained a “skeleton” until it was finally satellite campuses: Bascom Palmer was hired in 1970. completed and opened in 1948. Palm Beach Gardens and Sylvester at Deerfield Beach. The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science opened the cutting-edge In the past few decades, programs in biomedical research have experienced tremendous growth. The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science offers various programs for students to The School of Nursing and Health Studies offers a world-class program that integrates curriculum with conduct cutting-edge scientific research and participate in innovative hands-on experiences in marine evidence-based practice and cutting-edge